The Political Reality Of Texas’ Faith Based Initiatives

With a new book about the subject in the news, it’s now no secret that President Bush’s “faith-based initiatives” have been used as a partisan political tool to appeal to evangelicals and get votes.

According to the Texas Freedom Network, the same holds tue in the Lone Star State.

TFN notes that there are several examples of the political reality of faith-based initiatives in Texas as well:

• PARTISAN CAMPAIGN TOOL
Gov. Perry appointed Susan Weddingon, former chair of the Texas Republican Party, to head up the ostensibly nonpartisan OneStar Foundation. Yet Ms. Weddington has used her office to promote the governor’s political efforts. She has appeared at multiple events organized by the Texas Restoration Project in her capacity as head of the governor’s faith-based initiative office. But her presentations had little to do with faith-based initiatives. Instead she praised the governor’s faith to the several hundred pastors gathered for these event:

“I’ve also had a chance to walk by his [Perry’s] side spiritually. And I will tell you unabashedly, unashamedly… that we have a man who is a giant - he’s a spiritual giant. And yet his heart is so connected to the people and he is so humble, and he’s just a guy from Paint Creek, Texas.”
[Austin “Pastors’ Policy Briefing,” Aug. 24, 2005; recording on file at TFN]

• BROKEN PROMISES
The faith-based initiative in Texas has been touted by the governor’s office in the lead up to this year’s election, but churches and religious organizations have been slow to see actual results. Gov. Perry’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (a part the OneStar Foundation) was created nearly three years ago. And yet the first direct funding awards did not happen until this election year.

• POLITICAL PATRONAGE
One of the first groups to receive a faith-based grant from OneStar includes a member of the governor’s campaign steering committee on its advisory board. Further, the faith-based office has repeatedly used the Texas Restoration Project e-mail list to tout its work to conservative pastors around the state.

• RESISTING PUBLIC SCRUTINY
Despite administering the governor’s faith-based initiatives, OneStar rejected an open-records request from the Texas Freedom Network seeking information about grant applicants, the criteria for deciding who received the grants and the names of those officials who chose the grant recipients.

Miller was critical of the lack of transparency and accountability of the governor’s faith-based initiative, particularly in light of Kuo’s charges. “Gov. Perry’s faith-based initiative appears to be no better than the shell game in Washington,” Miller said. “Caring for people in need is not a game for churches. Gov. Perry should stop using the faith-based initiative as a campaign prop. And OneStar should let the public know how it decides who gets the money.”