A Day In The Life - All Comments

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flexibility — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:13:35 GMT

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re: The White House Office of Faith Biased Initiatives

Jeff Dubbin — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:33:50 GMT

Seemoe,

Thanks for your expertise and continued comments--this is what we're all about at OMG. If you find a single inaccuracy in the above article (or any other), please point it out and we can discuss.

However, I feel that the crux of your comment-- "These people in all these offices work diligently to ensure that the programs in their respective portfolios are fiscally and technically sound, and compliant with all relevant US Government regulations"-- reveals our true disagreement. What about 'relevant US Government regulations' pertaining to the Establishment Clause? What about the still greater principle of separation of powers? If you don't trust my personal expertise, trust Justice Souter's.

In my mind, it doesn't matter how good of a job people do with money they should not have. Apparently you disagree.

What's more, I think you misunderstand my reason for bringing up USAID to begin with. I'm simply interested in figuring out what kind of organization would have standing under the Court's ruling in Hein.

Finally, if the OFBCI's claim to take credit for the NPI is baseless, do you think that this is a major problem or a little one? What about its claim to distribute $14 billion? Perhaps you have worked in government so long that this sort of thing does not surprise you. Happily, the government is accountable to the people who might not be so jaded, and might find that kind of practice quite irresponsible and highly inappropriate.

Interestingly, there is unambiguous evidence that $200 million towards the New Partners Initiative came directly out of White House OFBCI "discretionary" grants. See page 43, under "New Partners Initiative" at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/grants-catalog-05-2006.pdf

-Jeff

re: The White House Office of Faith Biased Initiatives

SeeMoe — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:35:09 GMT

Thanks for responding to my comment. But, basically, your premise seems to boil down to who takes credit for certain work, regardless of if they do the work themselves or not. You say, "enough of that program participates in the president's OFBCI to make the office to take credit for NPI's success." Okay, well, that doesn't actually mean you have any evidence that the OFBCI, or USAID's office of Faith Based Initiatives lifted a finger to influence the selection of NPI partners, or the direction of the program. Further, you insist that "the only governmental agency responsible for checking whether sponsored FBOs do good work (or not) is the OFBCI itself!" I beg to differ. You are suggesting that the IG at USAID, or the cognizant technical officers that are assigned to manage the program, or the professionals in the field who monitor these programs at the overseas in-country USAID missions, or the Office of Acquisition Assistance that is responsible for managing these contracts, or the Financial Management office at USAID are not responsible for checking whether these partners are doing good work. I respectfully suggest otherwise. These people in all these offices work diligently to ensure that the programs in their respective portfolios are fiscally and technically sound, and compliant with all relevant US Government regulations. I find it curious that your blog is titled "A Day in the Life." It implies that you have some sort of inside scoop on what is going on, but as far as I can tell, I don't know that you know a lot about what is going on within the programs that you are criticizing. The only thing you've cited for proof of your knowledge is a Boston Globe article in 2006 -- which, by the way, was published almost 2 months BEFORE the NPI was first awarded (Dec. 1, 2006.) I'm all for you investigating particular organizations, secular or faith-based, that abuse government funds. I'm happy if you find a pattern of behavior that leads you to speculate there is corruption and mismanagement of funds. But, all this article appears to do is point out that there is an executive office that promotes faith and community-based organizations, and that the NPI program awarded some money to some faith-based organizations. Those organizations competed on an open and level playing field, and won. Maybe or maybe it is unconstitutional for an office to promote faith based organizations. But at the same time, if all they are doing is promotion (and perhaps taking credit for work they didn't actually do), then it is going to be an uphill battle to shut them down. Just because they take credit for billions of dollars of government programs doesn't actually mean squat.

over30

over30 — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:03:41 GMT

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re: The White House Office of Faith Biased Initiatives

Jeff Dubbin — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:47:50 GMT

SeeMoe,

If you read our other article on the OFBCI, you'll see that the office purposefully works through state governments or Federal agencies such as USAID. Within USAID, there is a "Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives," which answers to the OFBCI.

Your statement, "The New Partner's Initiative is funded through USAID" is absolutely correct. However, enough of that program participates in the president's OFBCI to make the office to take credit for NPI's success. In the same way, the OFBCI also takes credit for The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Take a look at the office's official report, "The Quiet Revolution," to see just how much they take credit for.

I have no doubt that the FBOs you have worked with do good work; however, I wonder if that has much to do with the OFBCI's constitutionality. I assume nothing of any office's effectiveness or sainthood -- faith-based or otherwise. But if you read the other article, you'll see that the only governmental agency responsible for checking whether sponsored FBOs do good work (or not) is the OFBCI itself!

re: The White House Office of Faith Biased Initiatives

SeeMoe — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:03:19 GMT

I'd like to comment on your assertion that: "Meanwhile, the President's New Partners Initiative (through the OFBCI) has phased in faith-based allies in the fight against AIDS..." The New Partner's Initiative is funded through USAID, not OFBCI. The objective of the program is to build the capacity of non-governmental organizations, including faith-based organizations, but also including other organizations. I, too, have been frustrated by a few bad examples of faith-based organizations that get government funding in order to subsidize their ministries. However, the vast majority of FBOs out there that I've worked with are doing good work. In addition, what ALSO frustrates me is SECULAR NGOs that parade around as non-profit organizations that seek to suck up US Government funding, winning massive contracts, but do a terrible job implementing programs, and are largely held unaccountable. There are lots of problems with aid, but there are organizations trying to do great work. Don't throw those organizations under the bus, and assume all secular non-profits are the true saints.

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