Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Should we let the government do it?

I came across a blog post by Pat Allen, a corporate lawyer in (I think) Illinois, asking some very good foundational questions about the mission of Bread for the World (and I'd like to add that he does so without a harsh polemical tone). His church is participating in Bread's "offering of letters" campaign and this is his reflection:

Here is what I wonder: Is writing letters to Congress, asking them to pass more laws and spend somebody else’s money to help poor people, really the best way to help poor people? Or do we accomplish more if we give our own time and money directly to groups that really help poor people?

Is the church’s role to be just another lobbyist asking the government to do this thing or that? Is this all we have to do: ask government to do more? Does that fulfill our responsibility? Or are we supposed to do more, to use our own time and money to help those in need? (Our church does a lot of this, too.)

Obviously, government has more resources than any one individual does. But if you give your time or money to a group that directly helps poor people, you know something is actually getting done. Spending your time and money writing letters to Congress has the potential to result in a lot of nothing.

As I said, I may be wrong on this. I am just wondering.

I started to write out a comment in response to his blog post, but it just got too long, so I'll reflect on his questions here . . .

Hi Pat,
First of all, I think you raise an excellent and essential question. I am involved with Bread myself and it is a question that I ask myself. I am an Anabaptist Christian and thus I am very wary of the church getting in cahoots with the government. I also feel that it is important for the church to serve the hungry itself in obedience to Jesus and as a witness to the world of our transformed lives in the Spirit.

The reality, however, is just the amazing numbers difference. No organization's attempt to address an issue can come anywhere near what the government can do. On Bread's website they address this issue to some extent and one point they make is this:

Government action is not the only mechanism to deal with hunger and poverty, but charitable responses, however vital and compassionate, seldom result in lasting, structural change.

What Bread is advocating for is assisting poor people in finding their way out of poverty, so that they are able to live a sustainable life, without the need for charitable handouts. There are many organizations doing great work out there (I think of World Vision, Mennonite Central Committee, and others), but in terms of how much bang we get for our "buck" (that is, our efforts to end poverty), the United States government has no competition. That's the practical concern.

Another response that I have is related to the way we think about the government's budget. On your comment regarding government funding as "spend[ing] somebody else’s money to help poor people": I think we need to be honest about government funding. If we are to say that it is "somebody else's money," we need to apply that across the board. For example, funding for the military, farm subsidies, as well as grants and other favorable treatment to corporations (what some would call "corporate welfare"), would all fall under these categories.

Since the government is "spending other people's money" in a sense, many Christian leaders have begun to emphasize that the government's budget is a "moral document," which must reflect our moral priorities. In reality, for example, foreign poverty spending is less than one half of one percent of our budget. Is that too much? Does that accurately reflect our concern for the world's poor? I certainly don't think so, and that is why I have gotten involved with Bread.

One final comment that I have is in response to your questions about whether this is "all we have to do." I believe you're saying "no." And I would say, Amen! I don't think that "lobbying" the government with our moral concerns is the only thing that we do as the missional Body of Christ in service to the poor. I think that we should have a holistic vision for responding to poverty: both in being prophets to the powers that be, as well as in doing real, live service to those in need.

I hope that my response to your post sounds even a tiny bit as gracious as your original words. We need people to talk about these things in respectful dialogue. Thank you for raising the question and I would love to get your (or others') response(s).

Peace,
Pat

Update (Same Day): Here's some more information from Bread:

A single letter can be worth $1,000

Consider Africa , where hungry people have few defenders in Congress. Bread for the World’s 1995 campaign to protect crucial development aid to Africa mobilized approximately seventy thousand letters and reduced by about $100 million the cuts that took place. In this case, the average letter leveraged more than one thousand dollars to Africans in dire need.

Merely writing a letter can save a person's life

In 1991, Bread for the World mobilized 100,000 letters and helped get the U.S. State Department to mediate a peace agreement in Ethiopia that saved half a million lives. By any reasonable calculation, each letter in that campaign saved at least one life.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Interview with Ron Kind

The Blog for Rural America, which is the blog for the Center for Rural Affairs, has an interesting interview with and discussion about Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), who as they say, is "the most vocal and active House member pushing for major changes in the farm bill." Ron Kind has introduced FARM 21 and The Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act of 2007. FARM 21 has been receiving quite a bit of attention lately.

I am just learning what all this stuff means, and I barely understand it, so having something that is well written, accessible, and informative like this interview is quite helpful for me. Here are some excerpts:

The Center for Rural Affairs is NOT endorsing Kind’s legislation. However, we always like to evaluate all proposals on their merits, and we hope our elected representatives do the same. And on principle, we can say that we strongly condemn some of the political machinations encountered by Rep. Kind's legislation - every bill should receive equal and fair consideration. Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way. While we are not endorsing, we must say that we enjoyed speaking with the Congressman. Given our experience with a few other politicians (who shall remain unnamed), Congressman Kind’s forthrightness and willingness to answer our questions was surprising and gratifying.

[ . . . ]

FARM 21 is the more significant of the two, and would completely upend current farm policy. It would move from farm payments based on production to a “farmer savings account” model. Using the money saved, FARM 21 would also provide substantial funding increases for conservation, rural economic development, local foods, and other priorities.

[ . . . ]

When talking to Rep. Kind, it becomes very clear that he is dead set on fundamental farm bill change and he will do what it takes to make that happen. He is not a “lone voice in the wilderness” for farm bill change, or some kook or crank insisting on some ideologically pure farm policy. He is working very hard to win, and rather than hold out for the “perfect” farm bill, he has crafted his proposals to appeal to the widest range of lawmakers possible.

[ . . . ]

Ultimately, the success of Kind’s push for FARM 21 depends on who can win the support of 218 House members- Ron Kind or House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson. But that doesn’t mean Kind will “lose” if FARM 21 doesn’t become the meat and potatoes of the 2007 Farm Bill. Simply the threat of a floor fight- and the knowledge of his near-success in 2002- will force Collin Peterson and the House leadership to pay attention to his proposals, and they may have to allow at least a few of Kind’s concepts to become part of the 2007 Farm Bill. If Kind plays his cards right he may gain passage of FARM 21, but even if he can’t win a straight floor vote on his entire bill he may be able to block the passage of a farm bill he and his supporters dislike. In the world of farm bill politics, that makes him a force to be reckoned with.

The emphases are mine, I took out theirs. The post is especially interesting for a beginner in this complicated world of politics such as myself. Check it out.

Bread for the World mentioned on the House Floor

Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who is the ranking Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee (and was once the Chair of the committee), mentioned Bread on the House floor the other day (Wednesday, 6/20) in his opening statements about the Foreign Operations Bill (catch a summary of the bill here). His remarks were in support of the United States government putting their money into ending poverty. The people that I am working with in my internship, David Gist and Holly Hight, have been working with the congressman for quite some time and it is a wonderful reward to see that their efforts have really made a difference.

Here are his remarks:

Now, I know most Members feel they weren't elected to support international assistance programs. In fact, Mr. Chairman, I am sure there are many Members who feel that the United States should dramatically reduce the amount of money we spend around the world and focus our resources on domestic priorities. This sort of isolationist point of view has no place in today's shrinking world. One needs only to look to Europe as an example of a once powerful and influential nation withdrew its resources from around the world and focused inward. What has since been termed as the ``French model'' resulted in massive inflation, high unemployment rates within the country, and severe internal crises. The United States should not follow the ``French model,'' a misguided path that essentially has caused the French to disappear as a powerful force in the world.

I remember as a young man attending UCLA I was fortunate to participate in a program that preceded the Peace Corps called Project India . As I joined other young students in traveling to villages around a country where poverty and ever-present caste systems were always visible, I was struck by the importance that personal freedom and opportunity have on the human condition, especially if you had the good fortune of being born in the United States of America .

Today, India has outlawed the caste system and is the largest democracy in the world, as well as our strong ally in the global war on terror. I am particularly pleased that in any congressional district there are large numbers of my constituents who are actively involved, advocating for increases in our international assistance program.

In recent meetings with the Results Group, with CARE, Bread for the World and others, I have noticed that more and more people are beginning to understand that they, too, have a role in our role for leadership in the world. Theirs are the voices from the grass roots, a perspective that we need as Americans to recognize that we must continue to lead in the world, for indeed, without our leadership, the poor of the world will suffer most. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to support this fabulous demonstration of work on both sides of the aisle together.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Teach-in on the Farm Bill at All Saints

I just got back from a teach-in session at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena this afternoon in which David Gist offered information on the "Farm Bill." Lunch was offered, with a suggested donation of $5 at the door. We sat down at tables and made small talk while starting later than was advertised. David was introduced, and then made some introductory remarks.

One of his comments was, I think, especially important when thinking about this "Farm Bill" thing. He said that it is a poorly named bill. It is not merely about "farms." It might as well be called "The Bill That's So Big We Don't Have a Name for It." The bill, he said, affects just about every person in America.

He asked the audience why we need to care about the Farm Bill and people were whipping out all kinds of reasons. And not just the general "because farming affects us all" kinds of answers. They were saying things so specifically informed that David responded to one woman from the crowd: "You just covered three pages of my notes!"

Then we watched Bread's "Offering of Letters" 15-minute video (which can be found at their website).

After the video, David opened it up for questions. Here are some of the questions that people were asking:
  • It seems like we hear of "breakthroughs" every couple years on these issues, but then later we hear that it's the same old story? Are we really making breakthroughs on these issues or not? (As far as David's concerned, something really isn't a "breakthrough" unless it is in the year when the bill is on the table)
  • Does the Farm Bill discuss water rights? (I think this was about water table usage)
  • Why don't we get rid of all subsidies? (Bread's position is more of a "phasing out" of subsidies, rather than a complete halt of all subsidies)
  • What is the timeline for the bill? (The House is ahead of the Senate. The House will be voting on this just after the Fourth of July, the Senate a couple weeks beyond that. This is why letters to House Representatives are more important than to Senators at this point.)
  • What does "markup" mean?
  • What are some of the arguments for subsidies? (They are kind of self-serving for the lobbies: rice, cotton, corn, etc.)
  • Who is going to be the policing agent overseeing the changes if they come to pass? The USDA? (the gentleman speaking has strong opinions against the USDA: "they are all pigs," he says)
  • Comment: The large farms are a health concern. Think of the contaminated Spinach.
  • What is the relationship between this bill and any link between corn farming and the possibility of ethanol? (David tried to tame this line of questioning, but a lot of people got on the topic and rode it out for the remainder of the discussion)
What interested me was the fact that nobody talked about food stamps. I was the only one. During the "why do we need to care" section of the session, I raised my hand and mentioned food stamps. It was also a significant section of the video. Nobody picked it up, though. I thought a progressive place like All Saints would be interested.

Many of the comments were more concerned with the oppression of some big corrupt group over a large portion of small have-nots. So, many people were demonizing large farms that put small farms out of business, the USDA, etc. Is it that poor people on food stamps have no clearly defined "big bad guy" oppressing them? Is it too complex a problem to rally up a bunch of passion?

The corn and ethanol thing seems to be a hot topic in the news, but you know, the food stamp program still needs our attention. There are a lot of struggling people out there.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Any good intern should blog, right?

Since my other blog is more interested in New Testament interpretation, Christian Origins, and the road to academia in general, I didn't think it would be the best outlet for my thoughts on my Summer internship with Bread for the World (or as the insiders say, "Bread"). And it's just plain common sense that I should blog about my internship experience. Learning opportunity + 20-something with wireless = blog posts. Well, at least that's the way it works for me.

One initial question that you may have: What is Bread? In their own words:

Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers.
They also have the Bread for the World Institute, which has the same goal, but a different means: the Institute seeks justice for hungry people "by engaging in research and education on policies related to hunger and development." The website would, of course, answer plenty of the questions you may have about the organization. Additionally, the website offers tons of information about how to be active.

Follow-up question: What will be blogged here? You can expect to see my thoughts on hunger in the Bible, how to communicate to Christians about hunger, learning about public policy and lobbying, and other such uplifting and inspirational thoughts [tongue residing in cheek]. I hope to tackle these things with at least a modicum of levity [do I get points for using GRE words?], since the topic carries enough seriousness of its own. Oh, and if I catch David Gist, California Organizer for Bread and my internship supervisor, having too much fun on the job, I'll be sure to blow the whistle on him.

By the by, I also intend to share links that I think are relevant and/or interesting and/or generally entertaining to the right. I'll do this as I come by them. I'm still learning things, so I may put something up there that is really bad. For example, I may link to a site that, at first glance appears to be the online presence of the House Committee on Agriculture, but is actually an organization against fluffy bunny rabbits. This will be remedied as soon as Dorothy finds me a brain. . . . any day now.