Christian agencies and the USAID

Many small and large Christian organizations that have accepted contracts with USAID are going to be hurting. 

1) They've taken tainted money, 

2) the bulk of their supporters, the $10-$100 donors, will lose their trust, 

3) some good programs will come to a halt as the spigot turns to off. 

This means the organizations will have to do some soul searching and rely only on donors and not on tax dollars. Trust me, this is not just about trans dance festivals in Venezuela or other strange, vulgar events. USAID was set up in the 1960s by JFK to bring USA influence to other cultures, nations and people. It was never an aid organization. It became one if that benefited our own government's vision. This corrupted, ugly mess has now become our "values" and it ain't pretty. Much of it has turned against us using our own tax dollars which for the most part stay right here, particularly in the beltway. For now, some humanitarian relief agencies have waivers to continue until the wheat can be separated from the chaff.

Samaritan’s Purse Dodges Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze – MinistryWatch

World Vision, a Christian organization I supported for many years, received $491 million from US Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2022. Senator Grassley of Iowa reported on agency in 2020. Many were reporting on the shady, strange agency with more money than God with only a small percentage going for "aid." Why did it take Elon Musk showing us line by line the budget for the pieces to fall together? It was Trump. And now hundreds of news agencies are trying to cover it up, but they too have received the tainted money,

Senator Demands to Know if World Vision Is Funding Terrorism - Christianity Today

The little people within the grant system

I woke up this morning thinking about the "little people" at the bottom rung of these government (USAID for instance) grants who have no idea what's behind the paycheck or where the program has gone. Government work is considered "secure" even if you are part time and temporary as I always was in the 80s. I think about the agricultural credit grant that paid me for 3 years, everyone above me, and a few below. I still see my publications pop up on the internet. 40 years. Later, I helped with grant writing workshops. We probably brought in coffee and bagels for the class. For years I know I worked on grants or attended meetings supported by grants--and there was always good food at our events.

 
Even when I was hired to work in a program (STEPS) to retool senior citizens who'd lost their jobs in the 1980s, we subcontracted out to building owners who supplied the spaces and the computers, and the food services, and probably the local senior organizations who supplied the clients. We travelled around the state--the money coming in was going out and helping the local economy. I'm not saying we didn't do any good or people didn't benefit, but it was mainly me who benefitted--the skills I learned, the publications that moved me ahead in my career path, the friends I made, the information I learned--I even wrote speeches on labor for a politician to give on the road (she was later killed in a plane crash). Mainly I'm talking about funding that had already had about 60% taken off the top by whatever state or local agency/organization had gotten from the federal agency. You can imagine all the people who are paid along the way. From file clerk to janitor to van driver to the lowly researcher who wrote and assembled the learning materials and arranged for it to happen.

It's difficult to track what became of USAID money--I went into the WayBack (?) archive and read the 2016 annual report. The photos are wonderful--lovely black faces beaming over experimental agricultural plots, or happy children in bright clothing raising their hands in class. You can see the model programs, and many did benefit. The report was so vague about actual costs, my eyes glazed over. Having worked in the system, I knew how to write like that. A few words about DEI goals, but minimal. Not like you would read today where each chapter seems to need a paragraph. USAID was established as an independent agency to infiltrate and influence the local culture, but probably not with drag queen shows and sex change operations. Its purpose is to maintain our interests over Russia and China's. Instead, we're creating chaos in the local culture which benefits our enemies.

And I also thought (at 6 a.m.) what $9 million to the Leftist media during the Biden years could have done for the people in North Carolina. Yesterday it was reported that "Politico received at least $8.2 million from the U.S. government in recent years, with $44,000 of that coming from USAID, according to USAspending.gov." The Department of Energy has given Politico $1.29 million, the Department of Agriculture has given $552,024 and the Department of Commerce has given $485,572.
Sigh. No wonder the Democrats are screaming and rioting. Someone is draining the gravy train.

Interesting Congressional hearing report on USAID reporting for 2011. USAID: Following The Money : Committee on Oversight and Government Reform : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive  from Internet Archive.  Obviously, Congress has known for many years what was going on with wasted tax money funneled through USAID.

I worked on a grant from USAID!

I do recognize the USAID because it helped me build my career and move to the next step, which was from agriculture credit, to OhioNet, to veterinary medicine by working part time with hours that were convenient for my primary job--being a mom--when I was in my 30s. Never thought I'd see protests about it--but then I never imagined it would be sending my tax money to foreign LGBT groups, either.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5122676-usaid-shutdown-elon-musk-doge/

USAID Controversy Explained: Why Musk, Trump Is Attacking Foreign Aid Agency

Mike Benz: There Is No "Aid" In USAID, It's Not A Charity | Video | RealClearPolitics

Because I subscribe to Academia.com (on certain Bible canon topics like Ben Sira) I also receive notices about my own publications on agricultural credit. These I did for Dale Adams in the 1980s the professor who had the USAID grant. I think I had written at least 4 or 5 annotated bibliographies, and one has been completely scanned so I can actually read it without getting on my knees and dragging out dusty boxes and collapsing from exhaustion. The publications were assembled on the living room floor in our previous house, on lime green shag carpet, because everything was written on note cards which were then alphabetized and organized on the floor. No computers, no Chatgpt, no reference organizer and I don't recall I even had a fact checker or proof reader.

Bless my Mt. Morris high school typing class, because I also typed all the entries.

Promoting Gender Equity in National Priority Programs, Promote, a 5 year program which is failing

USAID program to promote gender equality in Afghanistan and help women find employment is costing taxpayers over $200 million but has only found jobs for 55 women.

This has the look and feel of some of the Obama stimulus programs in the ARRA that employed a few people at the cost of millions of tax dollars, while shutting down others that were working. However, the tone is definitely GW Bush. Bush freed more women than Lincoln did slaves, but he also believed in imposing western culture and norms on people still struggling to leave the 8th century. If Trump closes this down, the pink pussy hats will be out in force saying he's hurting women.

https://freebeacon.com/issues/usaid-spends-89-7-million-finding-jobs-for-55-afghan-women/

Did we learn nothing from Katrina?

Bush was vilified for waiting for the chain of command to kick in from the governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans in 2005 to let them call the shots on rescue and relief (although the coast guard responded immediately). That was actually the law. Our law. It's called the federal government not stepping on the state. But what about Haiti? Why would Obama first send USAID to do an assessment, when the people were desperate for what the military could bring them? Another dawdle incident indicating he really doesn't like the military much. I know some conservatives don't think the military should be "meals on wheels" for every disaster, but when Russia, Cuba and Brazil can get there in a timely fashion, why couldn't the U.S.? Read the sorry story here. How many lives and limbs were lost due to his incompetency?

This too is your money

I noticed this little blurb today

Ohio State signed a new $4 million, three-year contract to operate the USAID-funded PDP in the Ukraine, the world's longest-running, sustained effort to promote democracy. The program is credited with helping Ukraine's legislature pass significant reforms that have contributed to democratic and economic transitions in that country, said Charles Wise, director of the Glenn School and the project's chief executive since its inception in 1994

"Ukraine is a shining star in terms of a having a functioning legislature compared to any other country in the former Soviet Union. They have real contested elections and they make laws that matter," Wise said. "The federal government has called this a 'model' program that can be used as a template in other countries of the world."

The new contract runs from September 2008 through May 31, 2011. The Glenn School will act as a subcontractor for the project, which intends to . . .story here.

Is this $4 million before or after OSU skims its 50+% off the top for operating expenses? Anyone know? I used to be a USAID employee (agricultural credit in developing countries) through a contract at Ohio State, but didn't pay much attention to that stuff then. All I cared about was getting my paycheck. I do remember that with small credit loans to women in developing countries, 100% or more return on the investment (which was probably under $100 dollars) was considered wonderful. Good thing we weren't dealing with the oil companies who get about 8% on their investment.