The governor outlined a strategy that a prospective Bush presidency would employ to strengthen charities and non-profits in the United States. Governor Bush knows from personal experience that religious faith can transform lives, and he rightly applauds groups that use the power of faith to rescue others from lives of despair. However, supporters of the Governor who hope to enact his vision need to review the history of religiously-affiliated charities that have taken direct government assistance. Their experience suggests that mountains of red tape are created when charities are accountable to government and must comply with law.
Government regulations can undermine a charity's effectiveness.
Worse, they can compromise and undermine strong religious commitments. A survey of local Catholic Charities affiliates conducted by Capital Research Center has turned up many complaints about the frustrating bureaucracy that frequently accompanies government grants. For instance, Terry Hendricks, program director of Catholic Charities' Transition to Employment Partnership in Superior, Wisconsin, told us that he has clients with missing teeth, a condition that damages their job prospects. Government rules permit payments for false teeth, but not for the anesthesia patients may need for the procedure to secure them. Our chief financial officer came to us from the private sector.