Dayton Daily News Reporter Laura Bischoff brought to light some unsettling news last Saturday when she wrote about the decision of former Governor Bob Taft’s Office of Faith Based Initiatives to sign a $3,500 a day contract with an outfit called We Care America to administer faith based and community based contracts (it's a mystery to me why state workers couldn’t have done this) that were assisting former prisoners, promoting marriage, and helping youth. The state handed over $2.1 million in TANF funds to the organization in just a 20 month period.

The article revealed that the organization use TANF funds to pay for reserved parking spaces, two 50-inch flat screen televisions that don’t work, and a “study” that praised their work. In addition at least 15 local groups have complained that they haven’t been paid by We Care America for the work that they did.

Now today Bischoff reveals that the organization has closed, staff has disappeared, and it appears that the only thing We Care America cared about was itself.

Interestingly the person who directed the office and approved the contract, Krista Sisterhen, is now on another quasi public payroll. She is serving as the area manager for faith-based and community initiatives at the Corporation for National and Community Service. Governor Strickland has asked the Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles to investigate the whole mess.

While We Care America was caring about themselves the number of children and others living in poverty in Ohio climbed. While We Care American was caring about themselves the State claimed there wasn’t enough TANF money to give poor families and children a grant increase. Maybe it wasn’t a question about whether there was enough money, maybe it was just a question about priorities. It’s time to start investing TANF funds in things that matter like a grant increase, early care and education and a state earned income tax credit.