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Editorial: A safety net with holes

Wednesday, June 2, 2004 | 9:02 a.m.

President Bush is renewing his call for federal funding of faith-based organizations that offer social services. The president sees this as a widening of the nation's safety net. But there will be no widening. There will be no increased federal funding for the poor, only an increase in the number of groups applying for funds.

The poor will suffer as the funds dissipate and the faith-based groups spend time (years) getting organized and obtaining federally mandated training. It's likely, too, that private donations to faith-based groups will diminish, as donors reason they are getting all they need from the government. This would be a shame, as the good works of such groups depend upon private support.

We see nothing coming from Bush's initiative except a crack, one that will surely widen, in the doctrine stating that church and state will remain separate. Bush's chief motive, in our view, is to solidify his political standing with influential religious organizations, whose endorsement he craves. Existing public, nonprofit organizations need more funds, not more competitors.

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