VA Attorney General - A roadblock Virginia and its charities must overcome

[Derechos]

Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post regarding Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's recent legal opinion stating that Virginia's constitution does not permit giving state money to private charities. As a result, more than a dozen charitable organizations have had their state funding frozen. The letter was written by Chuck Bean, executive director of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington, and Jim Dinegar, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. Both men reside in Arlington county. See excerpt of letter below.

snip

For decades, Virginia has relied on nonprofit organizations that have been evaluated, accredited and proved effective in providing housing, health care and other critical services.

A controversial advisory opinion from the state attorney general should not be a barrier to children receiving physical exams so they can start school, working parents accessing affordable housing or unemployed people getting job training. We need to ensure that an effective and permanent system is in place to support the public-nonprofit partnerships that make Virginia better for all.

Partnerships between state governments and nonprofits are key to delivering critical services to working families. Nonprofits know the needs of their communities and are well-equipped to provide assistance in smart, efficient ways. Virginia has been wise to entrust much of its outreach to working families to these well-run organizations. Before the next budget cycle, the General Assembly should investigate the constitutional question and — if needed — resolve it by clarifying the wording to reflect the values of Virginia residents.

In the meantime these nonprofits should receive the money they were promised...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-roadblock-virginia-and-its-charities-must-overcome/2011/05/05/AFAs9ZKG_story.html

For an article on the AG's legal opinion, see "Cuccinelli says Va. constitution does not allow state to fund private charities" - http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/cuccinelli-says-va-constitution-does-not-allow-state-to-fund-private-charities/2011/01/28/ABAhd5Q_story.html