Tony Hall | Tim Høiland

1. The future of aid
Reuters AlertNet has a really cool multimedia feature running right now with stories, videos, polls, infographics and more exploring the future of humanitarian aid. I could spend hours exploring everything there.

2. New US military bases in Latin America
The Just the Facts blog (focused on Latin America and US foreign policy toward the region) has a Google Map showing all the new military bases the US built in Latin America in 2009-10, paid for with money from the counternarcotics budget. Seeking to curb the drug trade may be necessary, but given the region’s history (and US military involvement behind the scenes and otherwise), this is something worth keeping an eye on.

3. The GOP and the Hispanic vote
Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida and current brother of W, has an op-ed in the Washington Post, encouraging Republicans to consider how they might earn the Hispanic vote – something none of the GOP front-runners seem particularly interested in doing:

[W]e need to think of immigration reform as an economic issue, not just a border security issue. Numerous polls show that Hispanics agree with Republicans on the necessity of a secure border and enforceable and fair immigration laws to reduce illegal immigration and strengthen legal immigration. Hispanics recognize that Democrats have failed to deliver on immigration reform, having chosen to spend their political capital on other priorities. Republicans should reengage on this issue and reframe it.

4. 100 best companies to work for
Yesterday I went to hear Christopher J.H. Wright speak on the topic of “Saints in the Marketplace.” In a nutshell, he emphasized the fact that God created work, that he audits it, governs it, and redeems it. I’ll post full thoughts on the talk next week, but in the meantime, here are some great examples from Fortune of businesses that create great places to work. When thinking Christianly about business, this certainly isn’t the only indicator to look at, but it’s one worth highlighting and affirming for sure.

5. Faith-work distortions and possibilities
Lukas Naugle, who I recently met over a cup of coffee here in Phoenix to discuss business and the common good, has an essay in Comment about the integration of faith and business, and some of the common pitfalls of those trying to connect the two. It’s a great read, and a hugely important topic, specifically taking a look at two books on the subject.

[I]t can be tricky for an average businessperson to figure out how he or she should do business for the glory of God and the common good. Folks who run into this problem exist in many places—I have met them over coffee, investment pitches, and at conferences. Of course, there are some very positive stories and examples out there, but those who haven’t gained a full-orbed view of the integration of faith and business are still the majority, and they come in various shapes and sizes. Here are some of the faith-work Frankenstein’s monsters I’ve met.

6. Accord Network’s forum videos now online
The Accord Network, serving Christian groups working in the fields of relief and development, has posted videos from a number of the presentations at its Developing Excellence Forum, held last November in Baltimore. Main session speakers include Scott Todd (Compassion International, 58: Campaign), Peter Greer (HOPE International), and Tony Hall (former US ambassador). Additionally, videos from the Transformational Development Summit, sponsored by my friends at Eastern University, include Bryant Myers (Fuller Seminary, World Vision International), Stephan Baumann (World Relief), and others. It’s a wealth of good stuff.

Repaso is intended as a thought-provoking compilation of news and commentary from the past week related to the intersections of faith, development, justice and peace. As always, I welcome your thoughts on any of the links and ideas in this roundup!

[Photo credit: cnrc.navy.mil]

Not everyone would agree that the U.S. federal budget is a moral document, but even among those who do, there’s no shortage of disagreement over what ought to constitute budget morality. Relevant Magazine published on Monday two opinion pieces with very different visions of what a moral budget would look like.

The first is by former Democratic congressman and ambassador Tony Hall, head of the Alliance to End Hunger, who is fasting and praying in support of government assistance for the poor, along with more than two dozen members of Congress and over 30,000 citizens as part of HungerFast.org. Hall writes:

Budgets are moral documents by nature. They reflect the priorities of individuals, households and even nations, exposing our real notions of who and what is valuable. As elected leaders in Washington engage in shouting matches over how to solve America’s looming sovereign debt crisis, the voice of the poor is still getting drowned out. They’re obviously not our priority.

In short, according to Hall, a moral budget keeps in place or increases funds for domestic feeding programs and international aid.

On the other side of the debate is Eric Teetsel, with the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute and Common Sense Concept. Like Hall, he calls us to “end the fist banging and partisan pandering,” but unlike Hall, he emphasizes the need to tackle entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid:

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the road to serfdom is paved with the pietistic convictions of the uninformed. Serious servants of the public good have recognized the need to fix the entitlements that support Grandmothers and handicapped children. Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” is one path towards accomplishing sustainable reform. By creating a voucher-like system for seniors and the provision of Medicaid block grants for states to allocate as they see most fit he reduces costs, localizes implementation, and maintains services.

Teetsel’s harshest critiques are reserved, unsurprisingly, for Democrats, but to his credit he admirably calls out Republicans for taking cheap shots at the Democrats’ pet programs rather than tackling the real causes of the budget crisis.

Both opinion pieces are fairly predictable along partisan lines, though, and one gets the impression that were Hall and Teetsel to have an actual conversation, they’d largely be talking past each other. This is unfortunate, because I don’t think the two arguments are necessarily as mutually exclusive as they may first appear. Hall focuses on the need to protect aid programs that constitute a tiny percentage of the budget, while Teetsel focuses on the big picture, sensibly calling for spending not to exceed government revenue.

Neither side will be able to have their way entirely without making some significant compromises. But if we really could get past the shouting matches, the fist banging and the partisan pandering, maybe we could indeed balance the budget without ignoring the most vulnerable.

Archives For Tony Hall

Repaso: The future of aid; US military in Latin America; GOP & Hispanics; 100 best employers; faith-work issues; and Accord Network videos

What kind of moral document is the federal budget?

Archives

Meta