Posted on 09/22/2005 7:42:45 PM PDT by xzins
Date: 2005-09-22
Denial of Hurricane Aid to Catholic Schools Is Assailed
U.S. Bishops' Aide Criticizes Senators Kennedy and Enzi
WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 22, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops' secretary for education says that Senator Edward Kennedy's opposition to hurricane relief aid for private and religious schools "makes no sense."
"Denying educational aid to victims of Katrina because they attended Catholic schools is like denying home repair assistance to anyone who is not in public housing," said Dominican Sister Glenn Anne McPhee.
"Congress needs to reach out to help all afflicted by disaster, whatever their race, economic level, or school ties," she said.
In a statement dated Wednesday and posted today at the bishops' Web site, the woman religious said: "Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), ironically, stands as the premiere politician opposed to helping these young people. It is at best incredible that the senator who has built his government career on helping the disadvantaged can turn away from them in what may be their hour of greatest need.
"Who can be poorer than a young person who has lost his home, his school, his pet, his neighborhood and even, in some cases, members of his very family? Must such a young person be denied educational aid because the parents chose to enroll him or her in a Catholic or other nonpublic school?"
Disappointed
Sister McPhee continued: "Senator Kennedy said he is 'extremely disappointed' that in President Bush's plan for hurricane relief, aid would go to students no matter where they attend school.
"He's not half as disappointed as his fellow citizens who see his [Kennedy's] attitude as discriminating against what amounts to 45 percent of the students in New Orleans, many of them African-American and underprivileged by anyone's standards."
The bishops' secretary of education added: "Just as insupportable as Senator Kennedy's position is that of Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) who, similarly, seems to want to ignore the Catholic and other nonpublic schools which have opened their doors to evacuees.
"He has introduced a bill in Congress to help public schools defray the cost of accepting new students. He conveniently ignores the fact that Catholic schools in Texas and Louisiana also have opened wide their doors."
Some of us don't need gov't money and are better off and more creative w/o it!
Maybe the public schools are okay w/o it too. So many here are volunteering time and buying/donating supplies. And we are in MO!!
People need to send money through their churches instead of the Red Cross and the Gov't.
His mother would be so proud.</s
We're talking about an area that has been devastated by a natural catastrophe.
Pres. Bush seems to have it right. These are among the major organizations providing/coordinating relief, but we'll enact a faulty interpretation of the constitution to allow them to go under.
Kids at school in a private school that's been blown away are not as American, and their parents don't pay as American taxes, as those who attend public schools.
If it's wrong to help them, then it's wrong to take the % of their taxes that would be dedicated to education.
It's the same money.
Most churches have their organizations in place so that 100% of any offering for relief goes for that purpose.
The Red Cross on the other hand is best known for refusing to use 9/11 donations for the benefit of those affected.
It also takes a chunk of the change for overhead.
This quote bears repeating, because it is dead on:
"Denying educational aid to victims of Katrina because they attended Catholic schools is like denying home repair assistance to anyone who is not in public housing," said Dominican Sister Glenn Anne McPhee.
"Congress needs to reach out to help all afflicted by disaster, whatever their race, economic level, or school ties," she said.
MORE INFO:
ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome
Code: ZE05092226
Date: 2005-09-22
Catholic School Kids Hurt by Katrina Need Aid, Panel Hears
Louisiana Superintendent Testifies at U.S. Senate Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 22, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Catholic school children affected by Hurricane Katrina need help to continue their schooling, the superintendent of schools of the Baton Rouge Diocese told a U.S. Senate subcommittee.
"A scholarship or 'an equal entitlement certificate' will allow the displaced families to place their children in nonpublic schools similar to their former schools" while families rebuild their lives, said Dominican Sister Michaeline Green, who heads the Baton Rouge Catholic schools and chairs the Non-public School Commission of the Louisiana Department of Education.
Families need these certificates to reimburse schools for expenses they have accrued and will continue to accrue, she told the Senate panel today.
"Funding is needed to hire additional teachers and aides, provide additional classrooms and transportation, not to mention added janitorial expenses and utilities," Sister Green added.
She highlighted the high percentage of the state's students in non-public schools.
"Louisiana has a unique situation in that one-third of all students attend non-public schools compared to the national average of 11%." she said in her testimony .
"In four of the severely impacted counties around New Orleans, approximately 61,000 students of the 187,000 total student population attend non-public schools from pre-K to grade 12," the Dominican religious said. "Most of these students come from low- to middle-income families who are making a great financial sacrifice to send their children to a school of their choice for academic, religious and safety reasons."
In the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Catholic school enrollment increased by almost 25% due to Hurricane Katrina, she said. In the neighboring Diocese of Shreveport, the Catholic school enrollment rose by more than 26%.
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What religion is Enzi? Phony Catholic like Kennedy?
I am surprised the Bishops would speak out about this when this same Senator supports partial birth abortion and gay marriage and is allowed to receive The Eucharist.
We're talking about an area that has been devastated by a natural catastrophe
I understand that, totally. But to Expect a handout sets a bad example. Catholic Charities here has been literally overrun with help, aid, money, supplies, beds, housing, school placings and had to turn away tons of employers setting up tables to recruit employees.
The American Citizen is a very enterprising individual when allowed to use their mind and spirit.
Kennedy is a Catholic in Name Only!
Glad the bishops are speaking out.
"Denying educational aid to victims of Katrina because they attended Catholic schools is like denying home repair assistance to anyone who is not in public housing," said Dominican Sister Glenn Anne McPhee
Well Sister, this should tell you exactly how the good senator from MA REALLY feels about us "Catlics" remember this about the Dems the next time you step into the polling booth!!
How can you "educate" these private school kids to the "right indoctrination to a DEMOCRATIC way of thinking" if they are not being "taught" in a NEA, NTA "controlled environment"????....
....(sarcasm off thingee goes in this spot....)...
150 years ago, when Kennedy's ancestors were poor Irish immigrants fleeing from the potato famine, Massachusetts was totally dominated by the virulently anti-Catholic Know Nothing Party. Teddy now carries on the traditions of the Know Nothings.
That is an excellent point.
Does anyone know if the US money going to Iraq ...(a war that I DO Support)....for rebuilding/renovation can be used for mosques?
I remember something about the rebuilding of the mosque that was shot up in Fallujah/Samarra last year when the assassins holed up in it.
Kennedy is a bastard murderer.
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