To head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)—the government agency charged with protecting consumers from dangerous products—President Bush wants to appoint Michael Baroody. Bush will sneak him in as a recess appointment while Congress is away for Easter.
Baroody has spent the past decade doing everything in his power to limit the ability of regulatory agencies like the CPSC to protect consumers. As the head of advocacy for the National Association of Manufacturers, he was a leader in its lobbying and political work, and a key spokesman for its efforts with the Business Industry Political Action Committee and other groups to help elect anti-regulation candidates.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Private Company Trying To Get Monopoly On Our Drinking Water
A private firm is trying to take over control of our drinking water. Check out how Aqua Ohio is playing the suburbs against the city. Once they get control of the water, look out.
http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/323344494287452.php
http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/323344494287452.php
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Baptists Preachers Trying To Preach Acceptance Of Homosexualilty
Several Baptist churches have tried promoting acceptance of homosexuality, but have lost numerous bigots from their churches as a result.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/us/27churches.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/us/27churches.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Gay Bashing Church Banned From Army Funerals
By MATT LEINGANG Associated Press Writer
tcdacmd="cc=lcn; dt";
var hosted_site ="OHRAV";
var hosted_section ="STATE";
hosted_ad('@x96');
Advertisement
YesNo
YesNo
YesNo
hosted_ad_pop('@x03');
var zflag_nid="305"; var zflag_cid="377/1"; var zflag_sid="248"; var zflag_width="1"; var zflag_height="1"; var zflag_sz="15";
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A federal judge on Friday upheld significant portions of a state law that limits when and where people may protest at funerals.
The 2006 law was aimed at a small fundamentalist Kansas church whose members picket burials of U.S. troops killed in combat, arguing that the deaths are God's punishment for homosexuals.
The law prohibits protesters from being within 300 feet of a cemetery, funeral home, church or synagogue either one hour before or after a burial service.
The Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, with a member of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., as a plaintiff, had sought a federal restraining order, saying the state cannot pass a law restricting freedom of speech.
But U.S. District Court Judge Donald Nugent in Cleveland said the law upholds a long tradition in American culture of allowing mourners to pay their respects to the deceased without disruption - and gives protesters ample alternatives to express their views.
However, Nugent struck down a portion of the law that places a 300-foot, "floating buffer zone" around funeral procession routes, saying it is unconstitutionally broad.
Supporters of the law called the ruling a victory.
"The families and loved ones of our honorable service men and women have earned the right to pay their last respects in peace and security," said Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat who took office in January.
At least 27 states have enacted laws restricting funeral picketing, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Messages seeking comment were left Friday night with the Ohio ACLU, and calls went unanswered at the Westboro Baptist Church.
The church has argued that the protests are a form of religious expression and that mourners can avert their eyes from unwanted forms of speech. Some of the members have held signs reading "God Hates Fags" and "God Made IEDs," a reference to roadside bombs.
In his ruling, Judge Nugent rejected the argument that funeral mourners can easily look away, adding that the state may protect citizens from unwelcome or offensive forms of communication when privacy interests are invaded.
Church members planned to picket the funeral of Army Sgt. Robert Carr in Warren, Ohio, on Monday, according to the church's Web site. Carr was killed in Iraq earlier this month when an improvised explosive device detonated beneath the armored vehicle he was driving, his father said.
tcdacmd="cc=lcn; dt";
var hosted_site ="OHRAV";
var hosted_section ="STATE";
hosted_ad('@x96');
Advertisement
YesNo
YesNo
YesNo
hosted_ad_pop('@x03');
var zflag_nid="305"; var zflag_cid="377/1"; var zflag_sid="248"; var zflag_width="1"; var zflag_height="1"; var zflag_sz="15";
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A federal judge on Friday upheld significant portions of a state law that limits when and where people may protest at funerals.
The 2006 law was aimed at a small fundamentalist Kansas church whose members picket burials of U.S. troops killed in combat, arguing that the deaths are God's punishment for homosexuals.
The law prohibits protesters from being within 300 feet of a cemetery, funeral home, church or synagogue either one hour before or after a burial service.
The Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, with a member of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., as a plaintiff, had sought a federal restraining order, saying the state cannot pass a law restricting freedom of speech.
But U.S. District Court Judge Donald Nugent in Cleveland said the law upholds a long tradition in American culture of allowing mourners to pay their respects to the deceased without disruption - and gives protesters ample alternatives to express their views.
However, Nugent struck down a portion of the law that places a 300-foot, "floating buffer zone" around funeral procession routes, saying it is unconstitutionally broad.
Supporters of the law called the ruling a victory.
"The families and loved ones of our honorable service men and women have earned the right to pay their last respects in peace and security," said Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat who took office in January.
At least 27 states have enacted laws restricting funeral picketing, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Messages seeking comment were left Friday night with the Ohio ACLU, and calls went unanswered at the Westboro Baptist Church.
The church has argued that the protests are a form of religious expression and that mourners can avert their eyes from unwanted forms of speech. Some of the members have held signs reading "God Hates Fags" and "God Made IEDs," a reference to roadside bombs.
In his ruling, Judge Nugent rejected the argument that funeral mourners can easily look away, adding that the state may protect citizens from unwelcome or offensive forms of communication when privacy interests are invaded.
Church members planned to picket the funeral of Army Sgt. Robert Carr in Warren, Ohio, on Monday, according to the church's Web site. Carr was killed in Iraq earlier this month when an improvised explosive device detonated beneath the armored vehicle he was driving, his father said.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Gov Strickland Stopping Business Takeover Of Public Schools
AP Interview: Governor calls school vouchers undemocratic
JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Ted Strickland sliced Ohio's school voucher program from his budget because he sees the concept as "inherently undemocratic," he said.
The first Democrat to run Ohio in 16 years expressed that concern, his distaste for companies that turn public dollars into charter school profits and his discomfort with next week's scheduled execution of a death row inmate during an interview Friday with The Associated Press.
"To me, vouchers are inherently undemocratic because they allow public dollars to be used in ways and in settings where the public has little or no oversight," Strickland said.
"Those who are paying those tax dollars have no ability to vote for a Board of Education or to make determinations regarding curriculum, or discipline or admission policies or a whole range of things," he said.
Strickland announced during his State of the State speech Wednesday that his budget would eliminate the year-old EdChoice voucher program, which is the second largest in the country and provides scholarships to 2,829 students in underperforming school districts to attend private schools. Strickland would retain a separate voucher program in Cleveland.
The governor also said he questions the expense because he's seen little evidence that voucher students do better. Interest was lukewarm in the first year for the 14,000 available slots.
"He called it 'wastefulness and giveaways' (in his speech). That's absurd," said Mike Pecchia, president of the Youngstown Christian School where vouchers supported 45 of 130 new students this year. "We do it way cheaper than anybody else does and we do it better."
Strickland said he also wants to see charter schools - privately run schools that receive public money - prove their effectiveness as an education option, which is why his budget proposes a moratorium on expanding them and a ban on for-profit companies running them.
"Ohio's implementation of the charter school movement has been a dismal, dismal failure," he said. "Some states have done it rather well with apparently positive results. In Ohio, it's been a story of mismanagement, fiscal and educational failure, and it's turned into a for-profit operation for certain individuals."
During a teleconference with Ohio reporters and editors earlier in the day, Strickland said his priorities during budget negotiations will be his recommendations for primary and secondary schools, his proposal for cutting college tuition, and his strategy for providing subsidized health care to 20,000 uninsured children.
He said he plans to appeal directly to citizens to embrace the sacrifices contained in his $53 billion, two-year spending blueprint - which includes $748 million in state agency cuts.
"I expect a pushback. We're going to push back as well," he said.
JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Ted Strickland sliced Ohio's school voucher program from his budget because he sees the concept as "inherently undemocratic," he said.
The first Democrat to run Ohio in 16 years expressed that concern, his distaste for companies that turn public dollars into charter school profits and his discomfort with next week's scheduled execution of a death row inmate during an interview Friday with The Associated Press.
"To me, vouchers are inherently undemocratic because they allow public dollars to be used in ways and in settings where the public has little or no oversight," Strickland said.
"Those who are paying those tax dollars have no ability to vote for a Board of Education or to make determinations regarding curriculum, or discipline or admission policies or a whole range of things," he said.
Strickland announced during his State of the State speech Wednesday that his budget would eliminate the year-old EdChoice voucher program, which is the second largest in the country and provides scholarships to 2,829 students in underperforming school districts to attend private schools. Strickland would retain a separate voucher program in Cleveland.
The governor also said he questions the expense because he's seen little evidence that voucher students do better. Interest was lukewarm in the first year for the 14,000 available slots.
"He called it 'wastefulness and giveaways' (in his speech). That's absurd," said Mike Pecchia, president of the Youngstown Christian School where vouchers supported 45 of 130 new students this year. "We do it way cheaper than anybody else does and we do it better."
Strickland said he also wants to see charter schools - privately run schools that receive public money - prove their effectiveness as an education option, which is why his budget proposes a moratorium on expanding them and a ban on for-profit companies running them.
"Ohio's implementation of the charter school movement has been a dismal, dismal failure," he said. "Some states have done it rather well with apparently positive results. In Ohio, it's been a story of mismanagement, fiscal and educational failure, and it's turned into a for-profit operation for certain individuals."
During a teleconference with Ohio reporters and editors earlier in the day, Strickland said his priorities during budget negotiations will be his recommendations for primary and secondary schools, his proposal for cutting college tuition, and his strategy for providing subsidized health care to 20,000 uninsured children.
He said he plans to appeal directly to citizens to embrace the sacrifices contained in his $53 billion, two-year spending blueprint - which includes $748 million in state agency cuts.
"I expect a pushback. We're going to push back as well," he said.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Sen. Obama & Clinton Disagree with Pace. Sen Brownback agrees
Brownback supports Pace's remark on gays - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070315/ap_on_el_pr/brownback_gays
Senators Silent On Pace Comments
Thursday, March 15, 2007 Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats issued the following statement in response to remarks made by Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) when each was asked to clarify if a same-sex sexual orientation made someone immoral. Both Senators have refused to answer the question which followed comments made by Marine General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune in which called American service personnel immoral:
"Most Democrats understand, and should understand, that morality isn't derived from sexual orientation or gender identity. Morality is how you treat your neighbor, support your community and sacrifice for your family and country. When I tuck my daughter into bed at night, those are the values I teach her. We expect Democratic candidates and elected officials to reaffirm those same values, to speak up when families or individuals are scapegoated or maligned for political gain, and to proactively argue the benefits of treating all Americans equally under the law without regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Morality is also embodied in action. Our Democratic presidential candidates support employment non-discrimination legislation, the extension of health care benefits to our families, and oppose constitutional amendments that attack lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people for political gain. Those are moral actions and positions that each candidate should be proud to campaign on. National Stonewall Democrats looks forward to further working with our Democratic candidates so that, in the future, they can speak with moral clarity and continue to positively partner with our community." - Jo Wyrick, Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats In comments reported this week by the Chicago Tribune, General Peter Pace unfavorably compared homosexuality to adultery, saying he believed both were immoral. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is okay to be immoral in any way," Pace said. ""I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts." Senators Clinton and Obama were each asked, in response to the comments made by General Pace, if sexual orientation was an immoral trait. Each Senator, so far, has declined to answer the question. Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA) has recently introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act that would revoke the current policy on gay personnel. The removal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy is supported by leading Democrats and is the official position of the Democratic Party as espoused in the 2004 platform of the Democratic National Convention.
"Most Democrats understand, and should understand, that morality isn't derived from sexual orientation or gender identity. Morality is how you treat your neighbor, support your community and sacrifice for your family and country. When I tuck my daughter into bed at night, those are the values I teach her. We expect Democratic candidates and elected officials to reaffirm those same values, to speak up when families or individuals are scapegoated or maligned for political gain, and to proactively argue the benefits of treating all Americans equally under the law without regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Morality is also embodied in action. Our Democratic presidential candidates support employment non-discrimination legislation, the extension of health care benefits to our families, and oppose constitutional amendments that attack lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people for political gain. Those are moral actions and positions that each candidate should be proud to campaign on. National Stonewall Democrats looks forward to further working with our Democratic candidates so that, in the future, they can speak with moral clarity and continue to positively partner with our community." - Jo Wyrick, Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats In comments reported this week by the Chicago Tribune, General Peter Pace unfavorably compared homosexuality to adultery, saying he believed both were immoral. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is okay to be immoral in any way," Pace said. ""I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts." Senators Clinton and Obama were each asked, in response to the comments made by General Pace, if sexual orientation was an immoral trait. Each Senator, so far, has declined to answer the question. Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA) has recently introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act that would revoke the current policy on gay personnel. The removal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy is supported by leading Democrats and is the official position of the Democratic Party as espoused in the 2004 platform of the Democratic National Convention.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Fertility Clinic For Gay Men
Gay male parents get dedicated fertility program
POSTED: 11:21 a.m. EDT, March 14, 2007
var clickExpire = "03/28/2007";
Adjust font size:
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A Los Angeles fertility clinic has launched what it says is the first dedicated program for gay men wanting to become parents.
The Fertility Institutes, already a pioneer in the controversial area of gender selection, said it was responding to huge demand from gay male couples around the world who want their own biological children but are often thwarted by prejudice and bureaucracy.
"There are a lot of centers that dibble and dabble in this. But we are the only program for gay men that has psychological, legal, medical, surrogates, donors and patients all taken care of in one place," Dr Jeffrey Steinberg, director of The Fertility Institutes, told Reuters.
"The demand is incredible. The United States has always been busy but we are seeing more and more demand from abroad."
The last few years have seen a large increase in the number of gay men who want to father children using surrogate mothers rather than opting for adoption, which is difficult or impossible for homosexuals or lesbians in several U.S. states.
Gay male couples seeking parenthood usually have to go to several different agencies to find surrogate mothers, egg donors, lawyers and medical treatment.
Potential surrogate mothers often opt out when they discover the couple wanting a child is gay, partly because of perceptions that homosexuals have a higher risk of diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis and the HIV virus.
Steinberg gets consent from surrogates up front, tests the fathers-to-be for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and freezes their sperm for six months as an extra safeguard.
Steinberg has already treated about 70 gay male couples. Some 40 percent were Americans, with the rest from Britain, Germany, China, Canada, Italy, Brazil and South Africa.
The average cost is about $60,000 -- and three-quarters of gay couples pay extra to choose the sex of their baby. Gender selection of babies is illegal in most countries except the United States.
"We thought they were all going to come in and want boys, but about 65 percent want male and the others want girls," Steinberg said.
Steinberg said he was braced for controversy about going public with the program but hoped to ride the storm.
"This is new. It is challenging. We understand people are a little intimidated, a little frightened by it," he said. "It just takes time to get used to things."
Data from the 2000 U.S. census showed there were some 301,000 unmarried male couples in the United States. Figures for those adopting or having biological children were unavailable.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
End Discrimination in Ohio
Equality Ohio
ACT NOW:Let’s end discriminationin employment and housing
Tell the Ohio Senate President to give the EHEA a fair hearing:
Click here
Starting now, we can lay the groundwork to pass a piece of legislation that protects all of us from discrimination.
Equality Ohio is working closely with legislators to introduce the Equal Housing and Employment Act. It will provide an equal playing field for Ohioans when it comes to housing, public accommodations and employment regardless of a person’s real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Click here to visit our partner, ProgressOhio.org, to write Sen. President Harris and ask him to give the bill a complete and fair hearing.
Twice before, similar bills have been introduced. Both times, too few Ohioans spoke up in favor of the bills. Legislators didn’t hear from enough constituents who cared, so they turned their attention to other things. Today, it is still legal in Ohio to fire someone for being gay.
Will the legislature ignore this bill for a third time? Not if we can help it. We have a good chance to finally pass this bill, and you can play an important part. ProgressOhio.org is partnering with us to get this alert to a broad audience. Visit their special alert page to write Senate President Harris and ask that the bill get a complete and fair hearing. We will collect the letters and deliver them in-person to Senator Harris's office.
Expect other opportunities to help get this bill passed in the coming months. There is a lot at stake for all of us and we thank you for taking action and standing with us. We promise to keep you updated on the bill’s progress.
ACT NOW:Let’s end discriminationin employment and housing
Tell the Ohio Senate President to give the EHEA a fair hearing:
Click here
Starting now, we can lay the groundwork to pass a piece of legislation that protects all of us from discrimination.
Equality Ohio is working closely with legislators to introduce the Equal Housing and Employment Act. It will provide an equal playing field for Ohioans when it comes to housing, public accommodations and employment regardless of a person’s real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Click here to visit our partner, ProgressOhio.org, to write Sen. President Harris and ask him to give the bill a complete and fair hearing.
Twice before, similar bills have been introduced. Both times, too few Ohioans spoke up in favor of the bills. Legislators didn’t hear from enough constituents who cared, so they turned their attention to other things. Today, it is still legal in Ohio to fire someone for being gay.
Will the legislature ignore this bill for a third time? Not if we can help it. We have a good chance to finally pass this bill, and you can play an important part. ProgressOhio.org is partnering with us to get this alert to a broad audience. Visit their special alert page to write Senate President Harris and ask that the bill get a complete and fair hearing. We will collect the letters and deliver them in-person to Senator Harris's office.
Expect other opportunities to help get this bill passed in the coming months. There is a lot at stake for all of us and we thank you for taking action and standing with us. We promise to keep you updated on the bill’s progress.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
New Chief Of Staff Disrespects Gays
Gay advocates demand apology from Pace
PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - A gay advocacy group Tuesday demanded an apology from the Pentagon's top general for calling homosexuality immoral.
In a newspaper interview Monday, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had likened homosexuality to adultery and said the military should not condone it by allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces.
"General Pace's comments are outrageous, insensitive and disrespectful to the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops now serving in our armed forces," the advocacy group Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said in a statement on its Web site.
The group has represented some of the thousands dismissed from the military for their sexual orientation.
Pace made his remarks in an interview Monday with the Chicago Tribune. He was responding to a question about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve if they keep their sexual orientation private and don't engage in homosexual acts.
Pace said he supports the policy, which became law in 1994 and prohibits commanders from asking about a person's sexual orientation.
"I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," Pace was quoted as saying in the newspaper interview. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way."
Pace, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, said he based his views on his upbringing.
"As an individual, I would not want (acceptance of gay behavior) to be our policy, just like I would not want it to be our policy that if we were to find out that so-and-so was sleeping with somebody else's wife, that we would just look the other way, which we do not. We prosecute that kind of immoral behavior," he said.
The newspaper said Pace did not address concerns raised by a 2005 government audit that showed some 10,000 troops, including more than 50 specialists in Arabic, have been discharged because of the policy.
"Don't ask, don't tell" was passed by Congress in 1993 after a firestorm of debate in which advocates argued that allowing homosexuals to serve openly would hurt troop morale and recruitment and undermine the cohesion of combat units.
Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass., has introduced legislation to change the ban. Meehan introduced a similar bill in 2005 that eventually attracted 122 co-sponsors, including Republican Chris Shays of Connecticut and Independent Bernard Sanders of Vermont.
John Shalikashvili, the retired Army general who was Joint Chiefs chairman when the policy was adopted, said in January that he has changed his mind on the issue since meeting with gay servicemen.
"These conversations showed me just how much the military has changed, and that gays and lesbians can be accepted by their peers," Shalikashvili wrote in a newspaper opinion piece.
He also cited a new Zogby poll, commissioned by the Michael D. Palm Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara, of 545 U.S. troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Three quarters said they were comfortable around gay men and lesbians; 37 percent opposed allowing gays to serve openly; 26 percent said they should be allowed, and 37 percent were unsure or neutral.
Of those who said they were certain that a member of their unit was gay or lesbian, two-thirds did not believe it hurt morale, according to the poll published in December.
Shalikashvili said he expected fierce debate over gays in the military this year as Congress considers President Bush's call for expanding the size of the Army, which is stretched thin by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - A gay advocacy group Tuesday demanded an apology from the Pentagon's top general for calling homosexuality immoral.
In a newspaper interview Monday, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had likened homosexuality to adultery and said the military should not condone it by allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces.
"General Pace's comments are outrageous, insensitive and disrespectful to the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops now serving in our armed forces," the advocacy group Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said in a statement on its Web site.
The group has represented some of the thousands dismissed from the military for their sexual orientation.
Pace made his remarks in an interview Monday with the Chicago Tribune. He was responding to a question about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve if they keep their sexual orientation private and don't engage in homosexual acts.
Pace said he supports the policy, which became law in 1994 and prohibits commanders from asking about a person's sexual orientation.
"I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," Pace was quoted as saying in the newspaper interview. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way."
Pace, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, said he based his views on his upbringing.
"As an individual, I would not want (acceptance of gay behavior) to be our policy, just like I would not want it to be our policy that if we were to find out that so-and-so was sleeping with somebody else's wife, that we would just look the other way, which we do not. We prosecute that kind of immoral behavior," he said.
The newspaper said Pace did not address concerns raised by a 2005 government audit that showed some 10,000 troops, including more than 50 specialists in Arabic, have been discharged because of the policy.
"Don't ask, don't tell" was passed by Congress in 1993 after a firestorm of debate in which advocates argued that allowing homosexuals to serve openly would hurt troop morale and recruitment and undermine the cohesion of combat units.
Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass., has introduced legislation to change the ban. Meehan introduced a similar bill in 2005 that eventually attracted 122 co-sponsors, including Republican Chris Shays of Connecticut and Independent Bernard Sanders of Vermont.
John Shalikashvili, the retired Army general who was Joint Chiefs chairman when the policy was adopted, said in January that he has changed his mind on the issue since meeting with gay servicemen.
"These conversations showed me just how much the military has changed, and that gays and lesbians can be accepted by their peers," Shalikashvili wrote in a newspaper opinion piece.
He also cited a new Zogby poll, commissioned by the Michael D. Palm Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara, of 545 U.S. troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Three quarters said they were comfortable around gay men and lesbians; 37 percent opposed allowing gays to serve openly; 26 percent said they should be allowed, and 37 percent were unsure or neutral.
Of those who said they were certain that a member of their unit was gay or lesbian, two-thirds did not believe it hurt morale, according to the poll published in December.
Shalikashvili said he expected fierce debate over gays in the military this year as Congress considers President Bush's call for expanding the size of the Army, which is stretched thin by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
Judge Rules Soliciting Oral Sex Is Legal. Minister Off The Hook
Judge Rules Soliciting Oral Sex Is Legal. Minister Off The Hook
10:47 AM EST(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) A former Baptist minister who had spoken out against homosexuality was acquitted Wednesday of propositioning an undercover male police officer.
A judge found Lonnie Latham not guilty of the misdemeanor charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness. If convicted, he would have faced up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
Latham, 61, was arrested Jan. 3, 2006, outside a hotel in Oklahoma City. Police had accused Latham of asking the undercover officer for oral sex, which Latham denied.
Latham's attorney, Mack Martin, argued during the trial that it is not illegal for consenting adults to engage in private homosexual acts, so a request to participate in such an act is not illegal.
District Attorney David Prater said the state has a legitimate interest in regulating such requests.
"In no way are we wanting to get involved in people's personal lives and sex lives outside of commercial prostitution," Prater said.
Latham has spoken out against same-sex marriage and in support of a directive urging the Southern Baptist Convention's 42,000 churches to try to convince gays and lesbians they can become heterosexual "if they accept Jesus Christ as their savior and reject their 'sinful, destructive lifestyle.'"
Latham resigned as pastor of the South Tulsa Baptist Church after his arrest and stepped down from the board of directors of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and from the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Martin said Latham was ecstatic that the judge found him not guilty and said he holds no bitterness about the case.
10:47 AM EST(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) A former Baptist minister who had spoken out against homosexuality was acquitted Wednesday of propositioning an undercover male police officer.
A judge found Lonnie Latham not guilty of the misdemeanor charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness. If convicted, he would have faced up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
Latham, 61, was arrested Jan. 3, 2006, outside a hotel in Oklahoma City. Police had accused Latham of asking the undercover officer for oral sex, which Latham denied.
Latham's attorney, Mack Martin, argued during the trial that it is not illegal for consenting adults to engage in private homosexual acts, so a request to participate in such an act is not illegal.
District Attorney David Prater said the state has a legitimate interest in regulating such requests.
"In no way are we wanting to get involved in people's personal lives and sex lives outside of commercial prostitution," Prater said.
Latham has spoken out against same-sex marriage and in support of a directive urging the Southern Baptist Convention's 42,000 churches to try to convince gays and lesbians they can become heterosexual "if they accept Jesus Christ as their savior and reject their 'sinful, destructive lifestyle.'"
Latham resigned as pastor of the South Tulsa Baptist Church after his arrest and stepped down from the board of directors of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and from the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Martin said Latham was ecstatic that the judge found him not guilty and said he holds no bitterness about the case.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Trumbull Needs Environmental Court
Health official wants environmental court
One Hubbard Township case led to complaints from a township trustee.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN — Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County's health commissioner, says he and his sanitarians are frustrated by difficulties in getting the county's several municipal and district courts to enforce health department orders.
So he's campaigning for a new kind of court — the environmental court.
"I'm not trying to take aim at anyone. I'm just trying to raise the issue that it's a waste of taxpayers' money," Enyeart said of the current system.
That system has the health department issuing notices of environmental violations and then following them up with filings in the courts to force violators to take action.
Enyeart said there is a growing backlog of cases that need court action, in part because not all of the courts take seriously issues such as septic system violations, illegal dumping, unsafe water wells and houses that are unsafe for habitation.
Another problem is that several of the county's municipal and district courts have differing requirements for filing such cases, and that makes it difficult to handle them efficiently, he said.
For instance, one court requires the health department to provide the Social Security number of the offender, something the health department doesn't have.
There tends to be a lot of inefficiency in the way health department cases are handled, Enyeart said, with sanitarians having to attend multiple hearings before the case is heard.
One situation
In one case, sanitarians tried to clean up illegal dumping in Hubbard Township by a repeat offender. A sanitarian filed a case against the person in Girard Municipal Court, but the case never got resolved there, Enyeart said. No one from Judge Michael A. Bernard's office could be reached to comment.
The continued problems with illegal dumping have led to complaints from a Hubbard Township trustee, who asked Enyeart why he's not doing his job.
Enyeart said the result is that sometimes residents are being forced to hire their own lawyer to have something done about environmental problems.
There are environmental courts in Franklin County, near Columbus, and in Youngstown, so there is no reason one couldn't be created in Trumbull County, Enyeart said.
Atty. Ronald Rice, judge of the county's Eastern District Court, has attempted to get the county's environmental court started but had limited success, said Atty. Bob Kokor, a legal adviser to the health board. He referred questions to Judge Rice, who did not return a phone call.
"We've been pitching for it for a while," Enyeart said, saying the attempt goes back to last summer.
One of the benefits of perhaps having the common pleas court handle environmental matters is that it has jurisdiction over the whole county, so one set of rules would apply to all, leading to consistent handling and one set of rules for sanitarians to follow, Enyeart said.
runyan@vindy.com
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
One Hubbard Township case led to complaints from a township trustee.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN — Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County's health commissioner, says he and his sanitarians are frustrated by difficulties in getting the county's several municipal and district courts to enforce health department orders.
So he's campaigning for a new kind of court — the environmental court.
"I'm not trying to take aim at anyone. I'm just trying to raise the issue that it's a waste of taxpayers' money," Enyeart said of the current system.
That system has the health department issuing notices of environmental violations and then following them up with filings in the courts to force violators to take action.
Enyeart said there is a growing backlog of cases that need court action, in part because not all of the courts take seriously issues such as septic system violations, illegal dumping, unsafe water wells and houses that are unsafe for habitation.
Another problem is that several of the county's municipal and district courts have differing requirements for filing such cases, and that makes it difficult to handle them efficiently, he said.
For instance, one court requires the health department to provide the Social Security number of the offender, something the health department doesn't have.
There tends to be a lot of inefficiency in the way health department cases are handled, Enyeart said, with sanitarians having to attend multiple hearings before the case is heard.
One situation
In one case, sanitarians tried to clean up illegal dumping in Hubbard Township by a repeat offender. A sanitarian filed a case against the person in Girard Municipal Court, but the case never got resolved there, Enyeart said. No one from Judge Michael A. Bernard's office could be reached to comment.
The continued problems with illegal dumping have led to complaints from a Hubbard Township trustee, who asked Enyeart why he's not doing his job.
Enyeart said the result is that sometimes residents are being forced to hire their own lawyer to have something done about environmental problems.
There are environmental courts in Franklin County, near Columbus, and in Youngstown, so there is no reason one couldn't be created in Trumbull County, Enyeart said.
Atty. Ronald Rice, judge of the county's Eastern District Court, has attempted to get the county's environmental court started but had limited success, said Atty. Bob Kokor, a legal adviser to the health board. He referred questions to Judge Rice, who did not return a phone call.
"We've been pitching for it for a while," Enyeart said, saying the attempt goes back to last summer.
One of the benefits of perhaps having the common pleas court handle environmental matters is that it has jurisdiction over the whole county, so one set of rules would apply to all, leading to consistent handling and one set of rules for sanitarians to follow, Enyeart said.
runyan@vindy.comWednesday, March 7, 2007Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County's health commissioner, says he and his sanitarians are frustrated by difficulties in...
One Hubbard Township case led to complaints from a township trustee.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN — Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County's health commissioner, says he and his sanitarians are frustrated by difficulties in getting the county's several municipal and district courts to enforce health department orders.
So he's campaigning for a new kind of court — the environmental court.
"I'm not trying to take aim at anyone. I'm just trying to raise the issue that it's a waste of taxpayers' money," Enyeart said of the current system.
That system has the health department issuing notices of environmental violations and then following them up with filings in the courts to force violators to take action.
Enyeart said there is a growing backlog of cases that need court action, in part because not all of the courts take seriously issues such as septic system violations, illegal dumping, unsafe water wells and houses that are unsafe for habitation.
Another problem is that several of the county's municipal and district courts have differing requirements for filing such cases, and that makes it difficult to handle them efficiently, he said.
For instance, one court requires the health department to provide the Social Security number of the offender, something the health department doesn't have.
There tends to be a lot of inefficiency in the way health department cases are handled, Enyeart said, with sanitarians having to attend multiple hearings before the case is heard.
One situation
In one case, sanitarians tried to clean up illegal dumping in Hubbard Township by a repeat offender. A sanitarian filed a case against the person in Girard Municipal Court, but the case never got resolved there, Enyeart said. No one from Judge Michael A. Bernard's office could be reached to comment.
The continued problems with illegal dumping have led to complaints from a Hubbard Township trustee, who asked Enyeart why he's not doing his job.
Enyeart said the result is that sometimes residents are being forced to hire their own lawyer to have something done about environmental problems.
There are environmental courts in Franklin County, near Columbus, and in Youngstown, so there is no reason one couldn't be created in Trumbull County, Enyeart said.
Atty. Ronald Rice, judge of the county's Eastern District Court, has attempted to get the county's environmental court started but had limited success, said Atty. Bob Kokor, a legal adviser to the health board. He referred questions to Judge Rice, who did not return a phone call.
"We've been pitching for it for a while," Enyeart said, saying the attempt goes back to last summer.
One of the benefits of perhaps having the common pleas court handle environmental matters is that it has jurisdiction over the whole county, so one set of rules would apply to all, leading to consistent handling and one set of rules for sanitarians to follow, Enyeart said.
runyan@vindy.com
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
One Hubbard Township case led to complaints from a township trustee.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN — Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County's health commissioner, says he and his sanitarians are frustrated by difficulties in getting the county's several municipal and district courts to enforce health department orders.
So he's campaigning for a new kind of court — the environmental court.
"I'm not trying to take aim at anyone. I'm just trying to raise the issue that it's a waste of taxpayers' money," Enyeart said of the current system.
That system has the health department issuing notices of environmental violations and then following them up with filings in the courts to force violators to take action.
Enyeart said there is a growing backlog of cases that need court action, in part because not all of the courts take seriously issues such as septic system violations, illegal dumping, unsafe water wells and houses that are unsafe for habitation.
Another problem is that several of the county's municipal and district courts have differing requirements for filing such cases, and that makes it difficult to handle them efficiently, he said.
For instance, one court requires the health department to provide the Social Security number of the offender, something the health department doesn't have.
There tends to be a lot of inefficiency in the way health department cases are handled, Enyeart said, with sanitarians having to attend multiple hearings before the case is heard.
One situation
In one case, sanitarians tried to clean up illegal dumping in Hubbard Township by a repeat offender. A sanitarian filed a case against the person in Girard Municipal Court, but the case never got resolved there, Enyeart said. No one from Judge Michael A. Bernard's office could be reached to comment.
The continued problems with illegal dumping have led to complaints from a Hubbard Township trustee, who asked Enyeart why he's not doing his job.
Enyeart said the result is that sometimes residents are being forced to hire their own lawyer to have something done about environmental problems.
There are environmental courts in Franklin County, near Columbus, and in Youngstown, so there is no reason one couldn't be created in Trumbull County, Enyeart said.
Atty. Ronald Rice, judge of the county's Eastern District Court, has attempted to get the county's environmental court started but had limited success, said Atty. Bob Kokor, a legal adviser to the health board. He referred questions to Judge Rice, who did not return a phone call.
"We've been pitching for it for a while," Enyeart said, saying the attempt goes back to last summer.
One of the benefits of perhaps having the common pleas court handle environmental matters is that it has jurisdiction over the whole county, so one set of rules would apply to all, leading to consistent handling and one set of rules for sanitarians to follow, Enyeart said.
runyan@vindy.comWednesday, March 7, 2007Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County's health commissioner, says he and his sanitarians are frustrated by difficulties in...
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Voinovich Voted To Outsource Walter Reed To Haliburton
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter today, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) joined several of her Senate colleagues, including Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.), to urge Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Robert C. Byrd (D-W.V.) to preserve language in the House Defense Appropriations bill that prohibits the U.S. Army from outsourcing 350 federal jobs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A similar provision, introduced by Senators Mikulski and Sarbanes, was defeated by a close 50-48 vote, during the bill’s consideration in the Senate last week.-snip-And here's the vote which I dug up from the Senate recordshttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/r...
Coulter's Faggot Comment Costing Her Money
From Peter Hamby
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- At least three major companies want their ads pulled from Ann Coulter's Web site, following customer complaints about the right-wing commentator referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot."
Verizon, Sallie Mae and Georgia-based NetBank each said they didn't know their ads were on AnnCoulter.com until they received the complaints.
A diarist at the liberal blog DailyKos.com posted contact information for dozens of companies with ads on Coulter's site after the commentator made her remarks about Edwards at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington on Friday. (Full story)
"One of the best ways to communicate one's distaste for Coulter's repeated incidents of hate speech is to respectfully but firmly let her advertisers know you are deeply troubled by their indirect support of bigotry through their advertising on Coulter's Web site," the blogger VolvoDrivingLiberal wrote on DailyKos.com on Sunday.
Verizon, Sallie Mae and NetBank said the ads were put on a variety of sites by a third party company. In many cases, advertisers do not know which sites feature their ads.
"Per our policy, the networked Web site ad purchases are supposed to be stripped of certain kinds of Web sites," said a Verizon spokesperson. "This one could be considered an extreme political Web site, should be off the list, and now it is off the list."
A Sallie Mae spokesperson said the company was only testing an online advertising agency, and that their ads were not meant to show up on Coulter's site. The company said they planned to pull ads from other political and religious Web sites as well.
A spokesperson for NetBank said Coulter's page "is not the kind of site we want to be on."
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- At least three major companies want their ads pulled from Ann Coulter's Web site, following customer complaints about the right-wing commentator referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot."
Verizon, Sallie Mae and Georgia-based NetBank each said they didn't know their ads were on AnnCoulter.com until they received the complaints.
A diarist at the liberal blog DailyKos.com posted contact information for dozens of companies with ads on Coulter's site after the commentator made her remarks about Edwards at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington on Friday. (Full story)
"One of the best ways to communicate one's distaste for Coulter's repeated incidents of hate speech is to respectfully but firmly let her advertisers know you are deeply troubled by their indirect support of bigotry through their advertising on Coulter's Web site," the blogger VolvoDrivingLiberal wrote on DailyKos.com on Sunday.
Verizon, Sallie Mae and NetBank said the ads were put on a variety of sites by a third party company. In many cases, advertisers do not know which sites feature their ads.
"Per our policy, the networked Web site ad purchases are supposed to be stripped of certain kinds of Web sites," said a Verizon spokesperson. "This one could be considered an extreme political Web site, should be off the list, and now it is off the list."
A Sallie Mae spokesperson said the company was only testing an online advertising agency, and that their ads were not meant to show up on Coulter's site. The company said they planned to pull ads from other political and religious Web sites as well.
A spokesperson for NetBank said Coulter's page "is not the kind of site we want to be on."
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Coulter Calls Sen. John Edwards A Faggot
By ADAM NAGOURNEYPublished: March 4, 2007WASHINGTON, March 3 — Three of the leading Republican presidential candidates on Saturday denounced one of their party’s best-known conservative commentators for using an antigay epithet when discussing a Democratic presidential contender at a gathering of conservatives here.
The remarks by Ann Coulter, an author who regularly speaks at conservative events, were sharply denounced by the candidates, Senator John McCain of Arizona, Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. Their statements came after Democrats, gay rights groups and bloggers raised a storm of protest over the remarks.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference before an overflow crowd on Friday, Ms. Coulter said, “I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I — so kind of an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.”
Mr. Edwards’s aides responded with an e-mail message that attacked Ms. Coulter and urged supporters to donate to Mr. Edwards’s campaign. “John was singled out for a personal attack because the Republican establishment knows he poses the greatest threat to their power,” said his campaign manager, David E. Bonior. “Since they have nothing real to use against him, Coulter’s resorting to the classic right-wing strategy of riling up hate to smear a progressive champion.”
Ms. Coulter, asked for a reaction to the Republican criticism, said in an e-mail message: “C’mon, it was a joke. I would never insult gays by suggesting that they are like John Edwards. That would be mean.”
At the conference, she said she was likely to support Mr. Romney.
The criticisms by the Republican candidates put them in a difficult position because the Conservative Political Action Conference has been gathering for conservative and Republican leaders for over 25 years.
The speakers this year included Vice President Dick Cheney and most of the presidential candidates, whose presence suggested the political influence the group holds in the party’s nominating process. Mr. Cheney was not at the event on Friday.
Of the major Republican candidates, only Mr. McCain did not attend, but he denounced her remarks on Saturday morning. “The comments were wildly inappropriate,” said his spokesman, Brian Jones.
Mr. Giuliani said, “The comments were completely inappropriate and there should be no place for such name-calling in political debate.”
Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Mr. Romney, said: “It was an offensive remark. Governor Romney believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect.”
Mr. Romney preceded Ms. Coulter at the event and mentioned that she was speaking later — he jokingly referred to her as a “moderate.” But he was not in the room when she spoke, Mr. Madden said.
The remarks by Ann Coulter, an author who regularly speaks at conservative events, were sharply denounced by the candidates, Senator John McCain of Arizona, Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. Their statements came after Democrats, gay rights groups and bloggers raised a storm of protest over the remarks.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference before an overflow crowd on Friday, Ms. Coulter said, “I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I — so kind of an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.”
Mr. Edwards’s aides responded with an e-mail message that attacked Ms. Coulter and urged supporters to donate to Mr. Edwards’s campaign. “John was singled out for a personal attack because the Republican establishment knows he poses the greatest threat to their power,” said his campaign manager, David E. Bonior. “Since they have nothing real to use against him, Coulter’s resorting to the classic right-wing strategy of riling up hate to smear a progressive champion.”
Ms. Coulter, asked for a reaction to the Republican criticism, said in an e-mail message: “C’mon, it was a joke. I would never insult gays by suggesting that they are like John Edwards. That would be mean.”
At the conference, she said she was likely to support Mr. Romney.
The criticisms by the Republican candidates put them in a difficult position because the Conservative Political Action Conference has been gathering for conservative and Republican leaders for over 25 years.
The speakers this year included Vice President Dick Cheney and most of the presidential candidates, whose presence suggested the political influence the group holds in the party’s nominating process. Mr. Cheney was not at the event on Friday.
Of the major Republican candidates, only Mr. McCain did not attend, but he denounced her remarks on Saturday morning. “The comments were wildly inappropriate,” said his spokesman, Brian Jones.
Mr. Giuliani said, “The comments were completely inappropriate and there should be no place for such name-calling in political debate.”
Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Mr. Romney, said: “It was an offensive remark. Governor Romney believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect.”
Mr. Romney preceded Ms. Coulter at the event and mentioned that she was speaking later — he jokingly referred to her as a “moderate.” But he was not in the room when she spoke, Mr. Madden said.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Republicans Are Selling Out Our Soldiers' Care
Walter Reed was privatized by Halliburton subsidiary.
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has subpoenaed Maj. Gen. George Weightman, who was fired as head of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, after Army officials refused to allow him to testify before the committee Monday.Read complete coverage of the Walter Reed controversy.Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and subcommittee Chairman John Tierney asked Weightman to testify about an internal memo that showed privatization of services at Walter Reed could put “patient care services… at risk of mission failure.”But Army officials refused to allow Weightman to appear before the committee after he was relieved of command.“The Army was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the decision to prevent General Weightman from testifying,” committee members said in a statement today.The committee wants to learn more about a letter written in September by Garrison Commander Peter Garibaldi to Weightman.The memorandum “describes how the Army’s decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was causing an exodus of ‘highly skilled and experienced personnel,’” the committee’s letter states. “According to multiple sources, the decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed led to a precipitous drop in support personnel at Walter Reed.”The letter said Walter Reed also awarded a five-year, $120-million contract to IAP Worldwide Services, which is run by Al Neffgen, a former senior Halliburton official.They also found that more than 300 federal employees providing facilities management services at Walter Reed had drooped to fewer than 60 by Feb. 3, 2007, the day before IAP took over facilities management. IAP replaced the remaining 60 employees with only 50 private workers.“The conditions that have been described at Walter Reed are disgraceful,” the letter states. “Part of our mission on the Oversight Committee is to investigate what led to the breakdown in services. It would be reprehensible if the deplorable conditions were caused or aggravated by an ideological commitment to privatize government services regardless of the costs to taxpayers and the consequences for wounded soldiers.”The letter said the Defense Department “systemically” tried to replace federal workers at Walter Reed with private companies for facilities management, patient care and guard duty – a process that began in 2000.“But the push to privatize support services there accelerated under President Bush’s ‘competitive sourcing’ initiative, which was launched in 2002,” the letter states.During the year between awarding the contract to IAP and when the company started, “skilled government workers apparently began leaving Walter Reed in droves,” the letter states. “The memorandum also indicates that officials at the highest levels of Walter Reed and the U.S. Army Medical Command were informed about the dangers of privatization, but appeared to do little to prevent them.”The memo signed by Garibaldi requests more federal employees because the hospital mission had grown “significantly” during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It states that medical command did not concur with their request for more people.“Without favorable consideration of these requests,” Garibaldi wrote, “ Base Operations and patient care services are at risk of mission failure.”http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/Weightmansubpoena/
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has subpoenaed Maj. Gen. George Weightman, who was fired as head of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, after Army officials refused to allow him to testify before the committee Monday.Read complete coverage of the Walter Reed controversy.Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and subcommittee Chairman John Tierney asked Weightman to testify about an internal memo that showed privatization of services at Walter Reed could put “patient care services… at risk of mission failure.”But Army officials refused to allow Weightman to appear before the committee after he was relieved of command.“The Army was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the decision to prevent General Weightman from testifying,” committee members said in a statement today.The committee wants to learn more about a letter written in September by Garrison Commander Peter Garibaldi to Weightman.The memorandum “describes how the Army’s decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was causing an exodus of ‘highly skilled and experienced personnel,’” the committee’s letter states. “According to multiple sources, the decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed led to a precipitous drop in support personnel at Walter Reed.”The letter said Walter Reed also awarded a five-year, $120-million contract to IAP Worldwide Services, which is run by Al Neffgen, a former senior Halliburton official.They also found that more than 300 federal employees providing facilities management services at Walter Reed had drooped to fewer than 60 by Feb. 3, 2007, the day before IAP took over facilities management. IAP replaced the remaining 60 employees with only 50 private workers.“The conditions that have been described at Walter Reed are disgraceful,” the letter states. “Part of our mission on the Oversight Committee is to investigate what led to the breakdown in services. It would be reprehensible if the deplorable conditions were caused or aggravated by an ideological commitment to privatize government services regardless of the costs to taxpayers and the consequences for wounded soldiers.”The letter said the Defense Department “systemically” tried to replace federal workers at Walter Reed with private companies for facilities management, patient care and guard duty – a process that began in 2000.“But the push to privatize support services there accelerated under President Bush’s ‘competitive sourcing’ initiative, which was launched in 2002,” the letter states.During the year between awarding the contract to IAP and when the company started, “skilled government workers apparently began leaving Walter Reed in droves,” the letter states. “The memorandum also indicates that officials at the highest levels of Walter Reed and the U.S. Army Medical Command were informed about the dangers of privatization, but appeared to do little to prevent them.”The memo signed by Garibaldi requests more federal employees because the hospital mission had grown “significantly” during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It states that medical command did not concur with their request for more people.“Without favorable consideration of these requests,” Garibaldi wrote, “ Base Operations and patient care services are at risk of mission failure.”http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/Weightmansubpoena/
Friday, March 2, 2007
Don't Ask Don't Tell Petition Drive
The Mahoning Valley Stonewall Democrats will be conducting a petition drive to ask Congress to eliminate the military's don't ask don't tell rule. Contact the club at mvstonewall@yahoo.com for details on how you can help or check out the Club's website at http://mvstonewall.com .
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Proof Bush Violated Laws To Become President
Group Reaches Settlement With F.E.C. Over 2004 Campaign Advertising
By KATE PHILLIPSPublished: March 1, 2007WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 — A major conservative group agreed to pay a $750,000 penalty as part of a settlement with the Federal Election Commission, which found that the group violated campaign finance laws by spending more than $30 million on advertisements and mailings supporting President Bush’s re-election.
The fine was the third largest in the agency’s 32-year-history. The settlement reflects a crackdown in the last several months on the political activities of so-called 527 groups — named after a section of the tax law — that surfaced in the 2004 election as a powerful force, raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars in unregulated contributions through a loophole in the law.
“I think that the thing that is clear in all of these cases is that the agency is very serious about regulating both the solicitations and the advertisements that these groups do, to try to discern whether their purpose is to influence federal elections,” said Robert Lenhard, chairman of the F.E.C.
The agency found that the group, the Progress for America Voter Fund, operated as a political action committee, soliciting money and financing advertisements.
It spent $26.4 million alone on advertising in battleground states in 2004 for the purpose of retaining Mr. Bush as president.
Its actions violated campaign laws because it was not registered as a political action committee that would be subject to strict limits on donations. The agency said it circumvented a ban on corporate money and accepted contributions that well exceeded the caps on individual donations.
The group’s most memorable advertisements included “Ashley’s Story,” featuring Mr. Bush hugging a girl whose mother died in the World Trade Center attacks and who said the president kept her safe. That cost $16.5 million and was broadcast in 11 states and on national cable, the agency said.
The group admitted no wrongdoing under the agreement, but promised to register as a political action committee if it decided to keep operating the same way. It also agreed to file disclosure reports listing donors and other information from May 2004 through January of this year. It reported raising $44.9 million in 2004, with nearly three-fourths from 13 donors, the agency said.
Critics and campaign finance reform groups contended in the 2004 election cycle that the 527 groups acted as “shadow parties.” Since then, many have regrouped or closed shop.
Mr. Lenhard warned Wednesday that groups registered under other sections of the tax code — nonprofits known as 501(c)4s or 501(c)3s, for example — would also be subject to scrutiny. “These rules are conduct-based,” he said. “If these organizations engage in these kinds of activities, they become PACs regardless of their tax status.”
For those who continue, Mr. Lenhard said, “I think that they have to comply, and they have to understand if they don’t there’s a significant financial risk associated with it.”
Benjamin L. Ginsburg, a prominent Republican lawyer representing the group in this case, cited the financial stakes as a reason for the agreement.
“Despite Congressional pressure to impose some set of rules or provide guidance for so-called 527 groups, the F.E.C. still refuses to do so,” Mr. Ginsburg said.
“Given the ambiguous nature of this situation and the cost of litigating this dispute,” he added, the group “decided it is a more prudent use of its resources and energy to conclude this proceeding.”
Mr. Ginsburg also represented the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, another 527 group, which attacked Senator John Kerry; it reached a settlement with the F.E.C. in December.
The agency is still engaged in a court battle over its decision to regulate such groups on a case-by-case basis rather than through a uniform rule.
Fred Wertheimer, head of Democracy 21, a group involved in this 527 complaint, said the agency had not acted on complaints against two other groups that were Democratic powerhouses in 2004, America Coming Together and the Media Fund.
Mr. Wertheimer praised the size of the penalty Wednesday, but said, “We don’t want to see a system where people keep making illegal expenditures in campaigns and then two or three years later end up paying a fine that may be large in gross terms but is proportionally very small compared to the amount of illegal funds they spent in the election.”
The Progress for America Voter Fund was created as an offshoot of Progress for America in late May 2004. It solicited money in part by promoting its efforts to counter the Democrats’ distinct advantage in using mega-527 groups through affluent donors like George Soros.
By KATE PHILLIPSPublished: March 1, 2007WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 — A major conservative group agreed to pay a $750,000 penalty as part of a settlement with the Federal Election Commission, which found that the group violated campaign finance laws by spending more than $30 million on advertisements and mailings supporting President Bush’s re-election.
The fine was the third largest in the agency’s 32-year-history. The settlement reflects a crackdown in the last several months on the political activities of so-called 527 groups — named after a section of the tax law — that surfaced in the 2004 election as a powerful force, raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars in unregulated contributions through a loophole in the law.
“I think that the thing that is clear in all of these cases is that the agency is very serious about regulating both the solicitations and the advertisements that these groups do, to try to discern whether their purpose is to influence federal elections,” said Robert Lenhard, chairman of the F.E.C.
The agency found that the group, the Progress for America Voter Fund, operated as a political action committee, soliciting money and financing advertisements.
It spent $26.4 million alone on advertising in battleground states in 2004 for the purpose of retaining Mr. Bush as president.
Its actions violated campaign laws because it was not registered as a political action committee that would be subject to strict limits on donations. The agency said it circumvented a ban on corporate money and accepted contributions that well exceeded the caps on individual donations.
The group’s most memorable advertisements included “Ashley’s Story,” featuring Mr. Bush hugging a girl whose mother died in the World Trade Center attacks and who said the president kept her safe. That cost $16.5 million and was broadcast in 11 states and on national cable, the agency said.
The group admitted no wrongdoing under the agreement, but promised to register as a political action committee if it decided to keep operating the same way. It also agreed to file disclosure reports listing donors and other information from May 2004 through January of this year. It reported raising $44.9 million in 2004, with nearly three-fourths from 13 donors, the agency said.
Critics and campaign finance reform groups contended in the 2004 election cycle that the 527 groups acted as “shadow parties.” Since then, many have regrouped or closed shop.
Mr. Lenhard warned Wednesday that groups registered under other sections of the tax code — nonprofits known as 501(c)4s or 501(c)3s, for example — would also be subject to scrutiny. “These rules are conduct-based,” he said. “If these organizations engage in these kinds of activities, they become PACs regardless of their tax status.”
For those who continue, Mr. Lenhard said, “I think that they have to comply, and they have to understand if they don’t there’s a significant financial risk associated with it.”
Benjamin L. Ginsburg, a prominent Republican lawyer representing the group in this case, cited the financial stakes as a reason for the agreement.
“Despite Congressional pressure to impose some set of rules or provide guidance for so-called 527 groups, the F.E.C. still refuses to do so,” Mr. Ginsburg said.
“Given the ambiguous nature of this situation and the cost of litigating this dispute,” he added, the group “decided it is a more prudent use of its resources and energy to conclude this proceeding.”
Mr. Ginsburg also represented the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, another 527 group, which attacked Senator John Kerry; it reached a settlement with the F.E.C. in December.
The agency is still engaged in a court battle over its decision to regulate such groups on a case-by-case basis rather than through a uniform rule.
Fred Wertheimer, head of Democracy 21, a group involved in this 527 complaint, said the agency had not acted on complaints against two other groups that were Democratic powerhouses in 2004, America Coming Together and the Media Fund.
Mr. Wertheimer praised the size of the penalty Wednesday, but said, “We don’t want to see a system where people keep making illegal expenditures in campaigns and then two or three years later end up paying a fine that may be large in gross terms but is proportionally very small compared to the amount of illegal funds they spent in the election.”
The Progress for America Voter Fund was created as an offshoot of Progress for America in late May 2004. It solicited money in part by promoting its efforts to counter the Democrats’ distinct advantage in using mega-527 groups through affluent donors like George Soros.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)