California Right to Life Advocates

by Camille Giglio

All the bills mentioned in this report have passed the California state legislature and are awaiting the Governor’s signature. He has until Sept 30 to either sign or veto. Please contact the Governor to urge a veto - 916-445-2841.

AB354. Juan Arambula, (D- Fresno. Immunizations.

DIGEST: This bill deletes certain age limits for specified childhood immunizations required for admission to specified schools or child care centers, and requires the Department of Public Health to consider the immunization recommendations of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

This five page bill seems simple and straight forward, but it isn’t. It is a lot of words designed to hide the fact that the state’s legislators seek authority to mandate that schools be responsible for administering vaccinations to your child including HPV2 Cervarix for girls ages 10-25 or HPV 4 Gardasil for boys ages 9-26. That would be compulsory vaccinations without parental consent or notification.

This bill employs the phrase “vaccine preventable disease” (rather than air born communicable disease) determined through “evidence based findings” (as determined by an independent, non-government based Task Force On Community Preventable services, i.e., they do something and then watch to see what results - no moral or ethical values whatsoever.) www.thecommunityguide.org,

It also mandates that schools adhere to the recommendations of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - ACIP, which represents 12 different lobby groups, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, as an advisory body, for determining what vaccinations are to be required. The AAFP is little more than a lobby with which Planned Parenthood is connected, urging that all youth be vaccinated with Gardasil or Cervarix.

What’s the problem? Human Papilloma Virus is not a communicable disease like chicken pox or measles or even TB. It is a venereal disease communicated through sexual contact. This bill declares that the state believes that every child from age 9 years on will be engaging in sexual activity and, since Planned Parenthood has been foremost in promoting this vaccine it further means that the state’s leaders believe that 9 year olds have the right to be sexually active regardless of what you, the parents, or the outdated old fuddydud church says.

The main supporters of this bill are the California Academy of Family Physicians, a branch of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the California immunization Coalition - CIC, which has a website admonishing people to “vaccinate before you date.” and by GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Cervarix and Gardasil.

By the Way the CIC website which is sponsored by the California Department of Public Health is sponsoring a contest to see who can come up with the winning logo for advertising HPV vaccinations to 18-25 year olds.

Further, the CAFPs website familydocs.org lists 26 California health related bills which they are supporting, including AB 1600 by Asm Jim Beall establishing state funding for mental health coverage for ANY AGE CALIFORNIANS. Any age covers your newly expected baby and his pregnant mother, your 3 year old child in day care, your teen age student who, under Sen. Mark Leno’s bill, SB 543, will be able to contract for his/her own mental health counseling. This is also on its way to the Governor.

Seeing that the organization of Social Workers, school sex eduators and the American Psychiatric Association all believe that homosexual activity is not a deviant lifestyle guess what sort of counseling your child just might get in the privacy of a minimally trained mental health worker recruited from the LGBT job placement bureau?

And now, let us turn to just exactly what happens with all this vaccination information and electronic recording of data that will be gathered on you and your child[ren]. Where does it go, who sees it, who analyzes it, who plans you and your family’s future in partnership with you?

AB 1542, Dave Jones, (D-Sacramento), Patient-Centered Medical Homes Act of 2010.

Digest: This bill would establish the Patient-Centered Medical Home Act of 2010.

It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage licensed health care providers and patients to partner in a patient-centered medical home that promotes access to high-quality, comprehensive care and ultimately to ensure that all Californians have a medical home.

Your attention should be drawn to several words - partner, comprehensive, other licensed health care provider, and, evidence based - that gives away the intent behind this bill.

Definition of Medical home, according to the bill: "Medical home," "patient-centered medical home," "advanced practice primary care," "health home," "person-centered health care home," and "primary care home" all mean a health care delivery model in which a patient establishes an ongoing relationship with a physician or other licensed health care provider acting within the scope of his or her practice, working in a physician-directed practice team to provide comprehensive, accessible, and continuous evidence-based primary and preventative care, and to coordinate the patient’s health care needs across the health care system in order to improve quality and health outcomes in a cost-effective manner.”

This is one of the other 26 bills that the California Academy of Family Physicians, referred to in AB 543, is sponsoring. The AAFP and other medical groups have been pushing this concept since 1967. This bill (only the last of many years of attempts), as last amended, Aug.28, states that the main functions of creating medical homes are an assurance of “reducing health disparities, reining in costs and improving quality and outcomes.

AB 1542 has been amended 9 times and still is only 4 pages long. It is very vague stating only that it seeks to coordinate all phases of everyone’s mental and physical health practices and preventions in partnership with a lead physician, community organizations and the patient.

It is necessary to look elsewhere for the intended expansion of mandated government aka Obama care oversight authorized by this bill.

By the way, President Obama and the current Democrat controlled Congress did not come up with all these ideas, they are merely the most successful, so far, in pushing programs that have been planned for years by foundations, lobbies, educators and other population control groups.

As a part of ongoing educational credits for Pediatricians the Washington University, St. Louis School of Medicine, published two articles, Vol 30, # 11 and 12, May and June, 2010. The articles are entitled: Postpartum Depression: Why Pediatricians Should Care and Rethinking Well-Child Care. These articles contain interviews with leading pediatricians and psychiatrists on the subject of how to care for the whole person from birth to age 26. The answer is establishment of a medical “home” for every individual beginning with the pregnancy.

A medical home, basically, is an electronic data collection system gathering all required information about each individual’s social, emotional, educational, mental, employment, and lifestyle activities. This information will not just be gathered from written surveys or questionnaires upon entering the physician’s office for the first time, but through home visitations, school health records, employment records, visits and referrals to community organizations authorized to share information.

This information will be continually analyzed, evaluated according to the most current politically correct desired outcomes (best practices as determined by evidenced based research) and then shared amongst the other participating agencies. Each individual, including the newborn, will have his/her own individualized record with its predetermined set of desired outcomes. Not only will you, the patient, be under constant scrutiny but so will the lead physician who is charged with oversight of this medical home. In the case of the infant through 21 year old it will be a Pediatrician.

In other words, the village will care for you, assist you in setting goals for yourself, guide you in attaining those goals, keep down the costs of your medical care through best practices preventive gimmicks and make sure that everyone gets the exact same care and concern.

This bill required a 2/3rds vote due to the funding requirements and its urgency status (it is to go into effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature). It passed every committee and floor vote by a wide margin including the final floor vote but was called back to the Senate Rules Committee on a technicality. I have not been able to learn what that technicality is, but I suspect that it will be dealt with on Tuesday, Sept 7 and be on its way to the Governor soon after.

Please consider doing the following asap: Phone the Senate Rules Committee, 916-651-4120. Urge that they retain AB 1542 within the Rules Committee. I called on Labor Day and was able to leave a message. I will keep you posted as to the final outcome.

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by Camille Giglio

Today we are concentrating on education bills. It is through the school system that Master Planners and their cohorts are building bridges, connecting themselves to our children directly, to override parental authority and set standards for the planned outcomes of raising children.

When Educators and Legislators talk about the development of education master plans they always start out by referring to the 1960’s creation of the once in a lifetime created California Master Plan. From there they make it appear that any current activity in this regard is just a mere adjustment of those plans and goals.

The original Master Plan set standards for, basically, what type of educational programs the various levels of state schools, especially, colleges and universities would concentrate on offering plus linkage of all education, K-18, into one smooth exercise in accessing entrance.

It also addressed issues of equal opportunities regardless of social and economic levels, and easing of access regulations for all students in California.

Today’s goals for an Education Master Plan go way beyond that to determining in the early years just what educational channel each child will walk through throughout the child’s educational years ending in the pre-planned and desired college graduation outcome and into workforce enrollment.

In Sacramento there is the legislative Joint Committee on the California Education Master Plan. It’s committee is composed of the legislators who most often are the authors of all the touchy/feely pseudo education; social studies programs or after school, health care, workforce development bills.

This committee periodically holds hearings on education, the latest being in March of this year. John - I’m ok, you’re ok - Vasconcellos, former Santa Clara legislator and chairman of the Education Committee that wrote legislation to re-do the Education Master Plan was one of the presenters at that March hearing.

The latest Education Master Plan legislation, AB 1901, Post-Secondary Education Master Plan is authored by Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, (D-Sta Clara). It has passed both houses and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. He has until August 31 to sign or veto this bill. I would urge a veto.

Here is the goal of this bill:

1. California has now passed the threshold of becoming a state with a new multicultural majority as the ethnic composition of the population is changing dramatically. Our state’s future economic, social, and cultural development depends upon ensuring that all its citizens have opportunities to develop themselves so that they can contribute their best to society.

Note that the emphasis is on contributing to society, not to one’s personal, academic and intellectual development in order to more efficiently direct one’s own life.

AB 1901 continues:

(2) Current estimates indicate that California will need to prepare more than one million additional graduates by the year 2025 in public higher education institutions to meet our workforce needs. [emphasis added] California needs to prepare now for the projected enrollments in the 21st century. And, if the goals of the master plan and its subsequent updates are to be fully achieved, especially if groups that are historically and currently underrepresented increase their rates of participation in higher education, enrollments will most likely exceed even these projections.

(3) California must support an educational system that prepares all Californians for responsible citizenship and meaningful careers [emphasis added] in a multicultural society; this requires a commitment from all to make high-quality education available and affordable for every Californian.

(4) To accomplish these goals, California’s system of higher education will need to expand.

1. It is the intent of the Legislature that the work completed by the master plan review committee be used to guide higher education policy.

The only supporter of this bill is the Post Secondary Education Committee itself yet it passed both houses with flying colors. Also an accompanying Assembly Committee Resolution was passed favoring passage of ACR 184 which means that all the legislators approve of this bill without having to put their signatures to it.

This bill very much needs to be vetoed. However, it is the community organizations, stakeholders as they are referred to, who latch onto bills like this in order to promote their programs as those which will most benefit the ultimate goal of an outcome planned student.

It is in the following type bills that we see who will prosper under the elitists efforts to create the future adult most beneficial to society.

SB 798, Mark DeSaulnier, Before and After School Programs.

Since the school day is already so taken up with academics plus programs it is necessary to expand the school day through before and after school programs in order for the Stakeholders to gain access to the students.

This bill addresses the financing of programs but not the specifics of content. It allocates $25,000 a year for five years per after school site if that site conforms to approved 21st Century Community Learning Programs. This is a group which has been given approval by the state to develop programs.

This bill is supported by Children Now, a conglomerate of reproductive rights and parental controls organizations along with Invest In Kids, another umbrella family intervention program.

A DeSaulnier companion bill, SB 1157, Education: Healthy Schools Act of 2010, is a sop to the Environmental groups who would enter the schools and get goals and standards for running the schools according to politically correct standards.

It is sponsored by Parents for Safer School Environment and San Francisco Bay Keeper, both approved for Obama’s Greening of America objectives regardless of the costs to taxpayers or states. It also maintains after school programs on environmental issues for students.

SB 1381, Joe Simitian, (D-Sta Clara) Kindergarten: Age of Admission. Amends the age at which is a child admitted to Kindergarten and or first grade. Age is now 6 for First Grade but will be dropped to age 5 and places the student in a transitional class of older aged kindergarteners and First graders. This will have the effect of dropping the age for regular kindergarten and open the options for even younger pre-school.

One of the supporters of this bill is the California Association of School Psychologists. Recall that we have written articles about SEnator Leland Yee’s and Sen. Mark Leno’s bills regarding mental health problems of students all of whom need professional direction including monitoring pregnant women to insure that their preborn child is born mentally healthy. If the psychologists can’t get the babies at birth, at least they can try to start getting them at age 3 and 4.

sb 1380, Loni Hancock, School Facilities: Construction.

This bill sounds harmless. It addresses various needs for school construction and modernization, but it is endorsed by a group entitled California Association of Leaders of Career Preparation - CALCP. It seeks funding and authorization through Bonds to direct school construction towards buildings, etc that will facilitate career development not academic preparation. This is not your old auto workshop or home economics with sewing machines, etc.

If you think all of this is just pie in the sky silliness, I would direct your attention to the years of planning that the city of Vallejo put into developing a City Master Plan for Children, birth to 18 years. Every agency they could think of got involved in setting up goals for everybody else’s child including training teachers to conduct home visitations, mentoring, etc. before and after school activities, etc. Just google Young Master Plan to see all the programs.

While we are all agonizing over mythical homosexual plans for marriage, Ex-Governor Blagojevich’s guilt or innocence, saving turtles, etc, the legislature is planning on ways to take over the parental duties. Every child is be considered the state’s foster child.

All of these bills are sitting on the Governor’s desk or waiting for a final Assembly floor vote.

There is little time left to defeat these bills.

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Erica Carle
August 7, 2010
NewsWithViews.com

Using Children For Community Takeover

Legislators, School Boards, Parents, and Teachers — BEWARE! "Whole Child Education" is here and it is dangerous. In fact, all education that claims to be "child centered" should be avoided. It is toxic to everyone involved. A better name for child centered education would be "Psychological Vandalism."

What does child centered education mean? It means that to the "educator" the child is a product. The product must be judged according to universal standards. It must learn to adapt to the global environment in which, it is told, it later will have to work and live. The New World Order needs obedient robotic human responders, not self-controlled individuals who have internal standards.

"Whole Child" is a really stupid term. Try to figure out the meaning. What is a half child? What is a third of a child? Dumb!

But the term does make sense to NWO curriculum planners. To them it means taking control of a child’s social and emotional development, spiritual foundation, economic condition, physical and mental health, education and environment from kindergarten through high school. The goal of whole child education is controllable adults, control of the environment, and a community obedient to the demands of the New World Order.

Instead of defining course content with specific information such as: anatomy, physiology, biology, algebra, geometry, English, grammar whole child education decides how a child must be affected by his education. The ideal type for life in the new world order is a human automaton with no internal standards. A robot can’t say no. It is controlled by whatever environmental signals are used to activate a response.

Child centered education turns the classroom into a robot factory for the creation of obedient followers who can’t say no to the behavioral standards of curriculum planners.

Devvy Kidd in her E-mail alert of July 16 provided us with the address for the Whole Child curriculum that is being considered by the Helena, Montana public school Board of Trustees. The curriculum was put together by an organization called the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Fifty five people, headed by work facilitator Teresa Burson were listed as participants. The whole outline of 62 pages is probably long enough to discourage Montana Legislators and Helena School Trustees from paying too much attention to the contents. At any rate, look it over. Here is the web address Devvy provided.

I checked it out, and I can understand why parents in Helena are outraged by the sex education recommendations for their whole children. Do you want your whole child fifth grader to "understand that sexual intercourse includes but is not limited to vaginal, oral, or anal penetration?"

Do you believe that your whole child sixth grader should know a bit more and "understand that sexual intercourse includes, but is not limited to vaginal, oral, or anal penetration, using the penis, fingers, tongue, or objects?" ASCD believes they must understand that and more. However, I expect the "more" is reserved for classroom discussion when parents are not present.

Since I was checking out whole child education I decided to look a bit farther. Oh my! I might have guessed. There are hundreds of Whole Child web sites. Now we can understand what happened. "No Child Left Behind" is a failure just as we expected. But failures never bother the management gurus. There is always a new and more comprehensive replacement. Follow the money! Your beloved whole child is also the community organizer’s new cash cow.

The danger for protesters focusing on sex education for the whole child is that one could easily overlook the other areas where the whole child gimmick is involved. It is being used not only to take over education, but also the child’s family, the community, and the environment. To see how this is done enter "whole child connections" on your search engine.

Children and communities worldwide are being managed by setting up standards for education of the whole child. All types of facilitators are invited to interfere with the child’s social and emotional development, spiritual foundation, economic situation, physical and mental health, education, and the environment in which he lives.

It is only the beginning. Be alert for attempts to install Whole Child education in your community.

[Read Erica Carle’s books: Why Things Are The Way They Are. and "Give Us The Young"]

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZING:
Where Religion and Politics Embrace

I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
You shall not have other gods before me. Exodus 20:2-4. New American Bible, 1982-3 Ed.

With a foot in both worlds, PICO provides precisely the kind of
democratically controlled links from society, to the faith-based community,
and to the state, that are so scarce in contemporary American society.
Faith in Action: Religion, Race and Democratic Organizing in America, Richard L. Wood, 2002.

The next time a politician or a priest tells you that politics and religion shouldn’t mix, tell him or her about Richard Wood’s 2002 book “Faith in Action: Religion, Race and Democratic Organizing in America.” The book details the successful raising of community organizing for political power to the heights of religious fervor. Though Wood is a proponent of community organizing, he writes a powerful expose of the goals, objectives and tactics of direct action programs.

Community organizing became a common catchphrase with the presidential campaign of Barack Obama and questionable voter registration activities conducted by a group called ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Even so, little has been written about what this and similar groups actually do and how they organize.

Religion and politics have been mixing it up long before President George W. Bush’s administration created funding for the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and certainly well before President Obama, on February 5, 2009, expanded it to include neighborhood partnerships.

A good example of a community organizer is found in the popular 1957 musical production “The Music Man,” which tells the tale of Professor Harold Hill arriving in a small town. Unbeknownst to the townsfolk, he is a musical instruments salesman. And he cons the entire town into believing that the best way to keep their youngsters out of trouble is by starting a boys’ band, adding for emphasis, “I mean they need it right now.” He gets the townspeople’s hopes up and they buy his band instruments, even as they wonder how they are going to form a band when the would-be musicians can’t even read music. They trust him so much that they believe him when he tells them that they don’t need practice; they just have to have the confidence that they can succeed.

That’s basically what a community organizer is. He plants dreams and hopes into the minds and hearts of selected communities and then convinces these people that their personal hopes and dreams are what the entire community needs. What the good citizens don’t realize is that this community organizer’s own priorities are always uppermost in his mind. And these priorities always encompass more laws, taxes, legislation and government interference in private lives.

Just as Professor Hill sounded the cry for a boys’ band, today’s community organizer would have you believe that what your town needs is affordable housing. (“And I mean you need it right now!”) Or maybe it’s health care that he’s selling, telling you that you have the right to demand it from the government right now. I’m sure you can recall the slogans. “What do we need? Health care. When do we need it? Now!”

In so doing, the organizer takes a thesis, creates an antithesis from which oozes forth a synthesis. In other words, he takes the people as they are, creates a yearning in them to strive for something that they most likely will not be satisfied with in the long run, i.e., affordable housing, (the antithesis) and the community ends up with a synthesis (a dislike of officials and burdensome laws). Or, put another way, he victimizes them, causing them to blame the government for what they now view as their oppression.

There are four main federations of community organizing agencies. Two of them – DART, Direct Action and Research Training www.thedartcenter.org; and ACORN, www.acorn.org – focus on secular and political organizing of the most marginalized people and neighborhoods. This includes the recent immigrant, the welfare recipient and the racial and ethnically victimized.

Gamaliel, www.gamaliel.org (named for a minor, rather shadowy figure in the Old Testament), and PICO, Pacific Institute for Community Organizing, www.piconetwork.org, emphasize organizing within religious communities and are often referred to as faith-based entities. These groups tend to search out the lower to middle income faith-based citizens who are members of ethnic and racial minorities, recent immigrants and those church members who are anxious to do the Good Samaritan work that their ministers and pastors have been preaching about for years.

It can be said that the direct-action folks soften up the politicians and that the faith-based groups make the politicians feel ashamed that they are preventing the people from living the America-as-Utopia life that was presented to them.

All of these groups share a common base from the Saul Alinsky Industrial Areas Foundation method of training for organizing communities. Alinsky began in Chicago in the 1920’s with the help of a Jesuit priest to organize the “back of the Yards” neighborhoods around Chicago’s slaughterhouses. Their first success was in bullying the banking industry to provide housing loans to the local residents who, basically, had little or no collateral to put up.

Jesuit priests John Baumann and Jerry Helfrich were two Alinsky-trained organizers. They came to Oakland, California, in 1972 and formed PICO. Baumann retired as PICO’s director in December 2008. During those years PICO grew to involve more than 50 organizations in the United States, Central America and Africa. Here are Fr. Baumann’s praise-filled words:

“PICO’s success points to the powerful role that faith communities play in shaping our nation. Across the U.S., people from all varieties of religious traditions are hungry to put their faith into action, and PICO has helped channel this energy into concrete wins for working families.” http://www.piconetwork.org/news-media/news/archive?id=0413

PICO started out, according to Wood’s book, relying strictly on their skills as community organizers to rouse up the neighborhood residents to demand change. They had only minor and scattered success until they began to realize that they were ignoring the very people who would best respond to their call to be organized - the faithful, church-going community. And, after all, they were Catholic priests; they had a natural entry into the churches.

PICO set up its first local organized affiliate within St. Elizabeth’s Parish in East Oakland in 1982. St. Elizabeth’s is a mostly Latino neighborhood parish of lower income and welfare recipients.

To quote from Wood’s book (pg 51):

“But when faith-based organizing is successful, many factors contribute simultaneously to that success. Such factors include trained leaders, astute strategy, professional staff organizing, the legitimacy accorded by church affiliation and clear pastoral support, the cultural resources of church life and of American traditions…makes faith-based organizing unique.”

It is somewhat easy to recognize a PICO affiliate at work in your community. Its name tends to reflect the title of its parent organization, using words such as “community organizing” or “interfaith organizing” or “reform now.”

East Oakland’s local PICO affiliate is called COR, which stands for Communities Organizing for Reform. This group tends to focus on local community issues of affordable housing and workforce development in the school setting. The official newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Oakland continually reports on COR’s activities within the parishes and general community.

Groups that operated in West Oakland and other parts of Alameda County are collectively referred to as OCO, or Oakland Community Organizations. OCO tends to work on organizing around statewide issues of education, health care and jobs while also working on the parish level. PICO also promotes charter schools.

Often, in tracking state legislation, I have seen PICO and CCISCO (Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Communities Organizing) listed as supporters of health care bills or workforce development and education bills right along with Planned Parenthood and the California Catholic Conference.

Another of PICO’s early pioneers is Jim Keddy. He was a student at the Berkeley-based Graduate Theological Union when Fr. Baumann came to give a talk about PICO. He now is a PICO director based in Sacramento, working closely with the CCC.

PICO, like the other organizations, is a parish or fraternal membership organization. The fee for joining is anywhere from $200.00 to $1,000.00, depending upon the size of the group. However, the major portion of their funding comes from large donors, foundations, gifts and, especially, the annual Catholic Campaign for Human Development. This is a nationwide fundraising endeavor conducted annually. The CCHD, both nationwide and locally, has been held up to close scrutiny for a few years now due, in part, to its funding of both ACORN and PICO.

In the adjoining county of Contra Costa, where CCISCO is based, the organization periodically makes slight changes to its name, but the acronym stays the same.

CCISCO is very busy in Richmond, Concord and Antioch, cities with dense ethnic and lower income neighborhoods. A young, Latina community organizer proudly stated to me recently that she was working within four of the five Catholic churches in Concord. The pastor of Queen of All Saints Church is so enamored of CCISCO’s efforts that he has included their logo on his parish letterhead and provided the young lady with an office and a committee.

They have also captured the heart and soul of the Catholic Community of Immaculate Heart Parish in Brentwood, where the pastor, formerly an Episcopal priest and registered nurse, has openly embraced their presence, placing his signature on CCISCO letters, even though he knows that abortion and contraception is a main thrust of CCISCO’s health care advocacy. The same is true for the Antioch parish of St. Ignatius.

So, what’s wrong with all of this organizing of communities and parishes? Haven’t we all, at some point, prayed that our churches would wake up to the need to address the state of politics and human struggles? Aren’t we constantly reminded that we are a nation of immigrants and we should, like the Good Samaritan, help our neighbor who may be, figuratively at least, lying alongside the road with no one to come to his aid?

The answers to these questions can be seen in the following story. I recently attended daily Mass at my parish, during which the Gospel reading was Matthew 12: 1-8. This is the passage about the Pharisees complaining to Jesus because his disciples were breaking a Sabbath law.

Our pastor said, in his homily, that in the Old Testament many of the laws had become too burdensome to follow. These laws were inflicting suffering on the people. Jesus, on the other hand, had encouraged his disciples to go into the field and pull off the heads of wheat so that they would have more to eat – a clear violation of the law. In other words, as told by our pastor, Jesus favored setting aside laws that were burdensome. In telling this story as he did, I believe our pastor endorsed – whether directly or tacitly – the violation of current laws that are equally burdensome, including immigration laws. While we’re at, just for sake of argument: Aren’t all laws, civil and religious, somewhat burdensome to those who do not wish to follow them?

Father continued with his sermon, saying Jesus came to preach love, not to support burdensome laws that were causing His people suffering. What did it matter which side of the border these people of God came from; weren’t God’s laws, His new way of life, for all people?

This very nice priest, an admitted anchor baby, sees restraints on illegal immigrants as a sin. He openly advocates for amnesty, the sooner the better. I asked him if he thought abortion couldn’t also be considered a burdensome law on the faithful. He said of course abortion is wrong. I reminded him that when groups like PICO and CCISCO organize groups of parishioners to travel to Sacramento and Washington, D.C. to lobby for health care they are, in fact, lobbying for abortion. They are lobbying for the very thing that our church declares immoral. At that point, the good Father responded as any non-religious person might. ”Oh, so, what, we shouldn’t have health care? You would deny health care to sick, poor people just because it has abortion in it?”

He is not the only member of a religious organization who has uttered such words. A church spokesperson once told me that abortion is a given in California. The people need health care and they need it now. If a patient chooses abortion, that’s not the church’s fault. And so, the church is selling out its soul for a few doses of medicine. It is symbolically placing health care on the high altar of worship. It is no longer God who saves His people, but the almighty federal bureaucrat.

Many immigrants risk their lives and their health to come here to have the good life, or so they believe. What happens is that they become pawns in the hands of unscrupulous activists who lead them to the very bondage from which they tried to escape.

It’s as if Professor Henry Hill were telling them that the answer to their troubles can be found in new band uniforms and musical instruments. Only, in this case, it’s the community organizers convincing them that their salvation can be found not in God, but in government.

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by Camille Giglio

The Contra Costa Times, a member of the Bay Area News Group - BANG, has now completed a two part series entitled: “How Bills are really passed.” or “How Our Laws in California Are Really Made.” It is a very informative series and I would encourage you to read it on line.

It would appear to be an expose of the somewhat incestuous relationship between legislators and lobbyists. Or, as the article refers to lobbyists, “sponsors” of legislation.

The article details how anywhere from 30%-40% percent of bills are actually developed, written and promoted by special interests with the legislator’s role being only one of accommodating the lobbyists by lending their name to a bill and speaking for it with lobbyist prepared statements, in session. The Times article focused only on private business and industry type groups.

An amusing sidelight is that the Newspaper Publishers Association is one of the “sponsors” of a bill on which we have been reporting. Senator Leland Yee’s, SB 438, Charter Schools: Freedom of Speech and of the Press. The bill has little to do with freedom or speech and everything to do with promoting the homosexual agenda in the Charter Schools.

That set me to examining 138 of the bills we have been tracking in the area of education, health and workforce development. Forty of the bills are sponsored by non-profit, community organizer type agencies. I am working on an article which I hope to publish soon detailing the close association of community organizing agencies, the politicians and the churches with legislation as the ties that bind. I am thinking that the title should be, Community Organizing: Where politics and Religion embrace.

Under the guise of guaranteeing to students a constitutionally protected Right of speech this bill sets up criterion for when and where speech rights can be exercised on the Charter School Campus as an diversity (sex, gender, religious, racial equality) issue and sets the school personnel as the authority over the exercise of this Right.

One of the areas of special interest in the State House not mentioned in the article is the use, by a legislator, of their position to enhance and expand their own area of special interest and or former business or profession. Senator Leland Yee, (D-SF) a psychiatrist in his former life, is one of those constantly promoting more mental health counselors in the schools.

Senator Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat and LGBT activist, has a bill, SB 543, Minors: Consent to Mental Health Treatment. This bill’s special interest groups are a little more cleverly listed. The National Association of Social Workers (a lobby), the Gay-Straight Alliance and Equality are listed as sources. That means that they provided all the so-called facts and figures.

This bill would delete the requirement for parental consent for minors, 12 and up to receive drop-in mental health treatment. According to these groups “parental consent for mental health services can create a barrier, especially in prevention and early intervention programs where the youth may not be experiencing serious physical or mental harm.” The supporters go on to argue that “This barrier is especially harmful to certain populations of youth ioncluding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. All of which means that your child or grandchild is be able to leave the classroom for drop-in counseling at the local Gay/Lesbian center in order to help them identify their sexuality. The latest phrase is “bi-sexual curious.”

I also just noticed that one of the supporters is listed as State Board of Equalization District one Chairwoman Betty T. Yee, (D). She is listed online as having a degree in Social Work. Is it possible that she is related to Leland Yee, Psychiatrist? One of the authorized counselors is a board certified psychiatrist as well as clinical social workers.

This is the type of bill that Leland Yee would ordinarily carry, but perhaps it could prove embarrassing to his career if it was learned that a family member would benefit from his sponsorship of this bill. The answer, get your seat mate to author it.

Yee helps Leno get favored status in Charter Schools with his gay/straight alliance promotion and Leno helps Yee get more psychiatrists into association with schools. Who says legislators don’t work hard?

Leno’s bill, SB 543 succeeded in passing 4 committees and is on the Assembly floor. It has been held in the inactive file due to concerns over the costs. When the next budget is settled this bill may go quickly to the Governor. It is up to you to see that it dies on that floor. Contact your Assembly Member.

SB 438 by Leland Yee has gone through 5 committee hearings and is awaiting a vote on the Assembly floor. It has received support from both Democrats and Republicans because they are afraid to turn down anything even remotely resembling a freedom of speech and press right. Contact your Assembly-member

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COMMENTS.

Perhaps it is time to review the mission and goal of this monthly Legislative Report that we have titled State of Things - SOT.

Ca. Right to Life is dedicated to preserving and protecting the right to life from conception to natural death. We have been active in the educational and legislative arena since 1980. We realize that there are many fine pro-life groups doing marvelous life saving work. We are merely one of many such dedicated organizations in the state and nation.

There are at least 7 different ways to protect and defend human life: Sidewalk and pregnancy center counseling, educational, legal (court cases) political; and, also through religious associations as well as providing for the post abortive mother and father.

CRLC chose the legislative arena, which, though the most seemingly remote from the work to save lives, is, in fact, one of the most direct. It was California legislation (mid-1960’s) that brought abortion to our state followed by the 1973 Roe v Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, it has been the legislature, state and federal, which has enabled abortion’s expansion to a point where it is now considered a mainstream, well-funded industry. The defeat of anti-life/anti-family legislation has the potential to save untold numbers of lives just as surely as the actions of sidewalk counselors.

It has been my experience during the 20 plus years that CRLC has researched legislation, that even those elected officials professing their allegiance to the right to life cause approach legislative tasks with blinders on. They see each bill as an island unto itself without understanding the broader implications of either harm or protection for innocent human beings. The legislators are bombarded daily by lobbyists promoting their anti-life cause. Legislators are wined and dined and catered to and made to feel that they are on a level with the gods. If they never hear from the pro life people in their own districts they begin to believe their own press.

With the Democrats holding a simple majority of the votes in the California legislature it is a foregone conclusion that abortion is safe, well funded and protected. Now that the legislature has gained control, so to speak, over who gets into the world, they have moved on to organizing and planning the lives of those who can be referred to as abortion survivors.

Author Thomas Sowell refers to these people as the Intelligentsia or The Anointed which he describes as those elected officials and Think Tank elitists who believe that only they have the foresight to guide the path of human endeavor.

This, I believe is the motive behind all the health care plans, the workforce development plans, the universal education plans (otherwise known as core standards) and all the other plans being referred to as “best practices.” They do all the heavy thinking and none of the active work of providing services.

It is also pro life work when we confront the elected officials with our rightful demands to protect and respect innocent human life. We have to show these elected officials what lies behind the seemingly innocuous legislation that they are voting for. If we don’t it underscores their belief that they have a right, given by the citizens who elected them, to direct our lives comprehensively.

Now, then, enters the lesser gods of humanism, the handmaids of these Anointed, who can be described as opportunistic. They see a personal profit to be made in delivering the unsuspecting citizen into the hands of the idealists, by performing the work of the state in delivering prescribed, tax funded “services” to these, now government dependent, human beings.

How many times since 1973 have we heard that abortion is better for us than childbirth?

That freedom from sexual restraint is a good? Now we are being deluged with opinions from pseudo-scientific outfits, that placing our 3 year old babies in professional day care/preschool is their only hope of ever being prepared for a place in the global world.

How many times have we heard from so-called Women’s advocacy groups that it is better for a woman to be in the workforce than in the home? And, now, of course, that the mothers are out in the workforce, do we hear, from the same groups, that since they are out of the home it is bad for the children, therefore, professional groups have to get tax money to develop school-based after school programs for the children to make up for that lack of a mother in the home.

And, of course, there are the community organizers. Many of these groups have infiltrated the churches with their promise of assisting parishes to obtain the goals of the diocesan Social Justice Committees. Of course, these groups do not work for nothing. They are salaried through tax funding, foundation grants, church membership fees and partnerships with labor and industry. Their goals are always the same, immigration, jobs, affordable housing, health care. Not the salvation of souls, but the pseudo improvement of temporal needs through government services.

Legislation and the courts have helped to create and sustain the abortion/ population control industry. We, the pro life citizens are the only ones, acting as individuals or in concert with pro life and pro family organizations, who can defeat this insidious population control industry community by community.

When we read of abortion clinics closing we don’t cheer. We ask ourselves where have they gone? Why don’t they need that clinic anymore? We exist to tell you where they have gone and how they are continuing their insidious and destructive activities.

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TEENAGE PRO LIFE SURVIVAL CAMP.

Those of us who have worked long and hard in the pro life/pro family arena can take heart in the fact that many young people are standing up for life and learning the ways in which to legitimately defend life.

Jeff White, formerly of Operation Rescue, has developed a teen summer survival camp now in its second or third year. It is held in Southern California each summer for about 6 weeks. It is a training ground for activism in witnessing to life. Some students and parents from Contra Costa County have attended this program. It could always use your financial support.

Recently, while on an assignment to be witnessing to life a group of Survivor Camp students set up a display in downtown Los Angeles where there happened to be an outdoor televising of a local TV show called the Jimmy Kimmel show.

It seems that the camera crew hired for this broadcast taping took a dislike to the students display and attempted to intimidate and disburse the students. The students declared their freedom of speech rights only to have the crew turn their extremely hot kleg lights on some students holding a large banner. The lights were so hot they singed a couple of the students, almost melting a plasticized arm band.

Heated words were exchanged between adults on both sides causing the police to intervene. It was finally settled, an apology was issued by the Kimmel Show producers and the students were vindicated of any wrong doing.

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZING.

Recently I had the opportunity to interview a local, young, Latina Community Organizer who is working within a Catholic Parish in the Oakland Diocese. The Pastor with whom she is working is so enamored of this group, CCISCO, (Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community of Organizing) that he has placed their logo on his parish letterhead stationery and provided this woman with an office and committee within the parish. Parish committees are referred to as Local Organizing Committees - LOC. The committee at this particular church is an all Latino committee “because we can’t get anybody else to join” she said. The Chancery takes no position on the development of these groups within the parish and, therefore, within the diocese.

The young woman stated that she is working with 4 of the 5 Catholic parishes in Concord. CCISCO is also working with other Contra Costa based Denominations and local legislators as well. Outside of Contra Costa County, in Alameda County, other community organizing groups are active within churches. Community of Renewal - COR - is one of these groups.

Depending upon the size of the Parish. Each provides a donation to CCISCO anywhere from $200.00 to $1,000.00 for the privilege of working with CCISCO. This is standard. Community organizing groups do not volunteer their services. They use local residents and parish members as volunteer protestors for hidden agendas. They also engage in verbal virtuosity, as Thomas Sowell says by substituting kind, compassionate words and phrases for reality, i.e. undocumented instead of illegal.

This young woman proudly informed us that only the previous week she had taken a busload of parish school students to Sacramento where they assembled at the Catholic Cathedral prior to going off to lobby the legislators for health Care and Immigration issues. http://.ccisco.org.

During our interview the Community Organizer talked about CCISCO’s work in the area of immigration reform. They focus on the “undocumented” immigrant, the one who is not eligible, so she said, for a social security number and, therefore, a decent paying job. She mentioned working with the City of Concord in the hopes of finding employment for this group of undocumented (illegal) residents in the building trade area particularly in the town development of the former military base. She stated very firmly that due to a person’s status as an undocumented, that person is never able to become a naturalized citizen and, therefore, never able to get a decent job. That is why, in reference, she was working to get recognition and citizenship for this group of people. [Note: Diocesan Social Justice Committees and the state office of Bishops, in Sacramento are constantly working to produce a change in the immigration laws allowing illegals to obtain almost instant legal status. This is referred to in legislation as The Dream Act.]

I checked with the United States Customs and Immigration Office in San Francisco regarding her claim. It is not quite accurate. I make no claim to being well informed about immigration laws. but, according to a USCIS representative, there are ways for anyone reaching the age of 18 years, to begin application for naturalization. Few of them requiring deportation of the individual or his/her illegally established parents.

It has been pointed out in previous legislative reports that Planned Parenthood and PICO have often been listed along with the California Catholic Conference and or Catholic Charities, in support of legislation. Also, in an earlier SOT we reported on a Parish Nurse’s activities in an Antioch, Ca. Parish in which she admitted that she referred young people to Planned Parenthood for reproductive services. She didn’t mention working with Birthright or Pregnancy Crisis Centers.

An article in the most recent Catholic Voice, the official publication for the Oakland Diocese, reported on a South Alameda County faith-based organization entitled COR and how it is working to help youth. The article also quoted a community organizer with a group called “Youth Up-rising.” Checking this group online shows that they connect youth to Planned Parenthood’s clinics for abortions and contraceptives.

So, we have the situation of the Bishop stating his pro life concerns while the parishes are, at the same time, coordinating their efforts with groups who promote abortion and contraception to the youth of the parishes. And, don’t forget the dues that these parishes are paying for the “privilege” of working with these groups.

In addition, while researching this article I came across a community organizing group in the Monterey area referred to as COPA - Communities organizing for (relational) Power in Action. They are also working in Catholic and Protestant parishes and are planning a meeting with Monterey’s Bishop Garcia, on June 20. Researching this group online brought me to a Maryland based site called CASA de Maryland, located in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, which lists COPA as one of its action item committees. CASA is an affiliate of La Raza which also works with Planned Parenthood. So an organization headquartered in the nation’s capitol masquerades as a local, social justice type ministry on the California shores.

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AN EXAMPLE OF VERBAL VIRTUOSITY.

SB 438 by Sen. Leland Yee, (SF-Dem) is entitled Charter Schools: Freedom of Speech and of the Press. It has sailed right through 6 Senate Committee hearings obtaining the votes of Republicans and is now passed out of its second Assembly committee hearing. It is on its way to the floor and then to the Governor.

This bill has nothing to do with freedom of speech or anything else. It has to do with clamping controls just a little tighter on Charter Schools. The Charter School Assn has opposed it. Another bill, by Assemblywoman Brownley placing restrictions on Charter Schools has been withdrawn due to lack of votes. I suspect that the reason for its withdrawal is that SB 438 is moving ahead and will eventually obtain the same results.

Our office received a phone call from recently elected Assemblyman Chris Norby regarding our position of opposition on SB 438. He said that since pro life people fight so strongly for our free speech rights we shouldn’t be opposing this bill. What he doesn’t understand is that this bill has been cleverly devised to make it appear that it is a freedom of speech issue when, in fact, it is not.

Charter Schools have been created by state legislation as an alternative schooling for parents who are dissatisfied with the public school system. They are referred to as voluntarily chartered by like minded groups with their own local official and parental controls. Even many private schools and Catholic schools have applied to become Charter schools in order to obtain the tax funds needed to survive.

It has never been the intention of the legislature to leave these schools alone to prosper in competition with the regular public schools. The legislature has been slowly writing legislation that is drawing these schools into an ever tighter state control from which, because of the funding, they will never leave. Even President Obama is now suggesting that Charter Schools are an answer to the educational dilemma.

Legislators like Asm. Norby do not look beyond the nice words on the page. He sees Freedom of speech and thinks, okay that’s a Republican Principle, I should vote for that.

He fails to understand that wiser and craftier legislators than he have learned how to use language to dissemble. He can tell his constituents that he voted for freedom of speech when, in fact, he has voted for restriction of conservative speech on Charter School campuses.

You can still stop this bill by contacting your assembly member and urging a “NO” vote on SB 438. Most likely we will ultimately have to direct our urgings to the Governor because of the Democrat majority in the legislature.

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OBAMA APPOINTS A PLANNED PARENTHOOD FAVORITE.

President Obama has, during a Congressional recess, appointed Donald Berwick, MD, as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The National Partnership for Women and Families’ Campaign for Better Care is just delighted that Obama has snubbed the proper political process of Congressional approval in order to install someone who believes in rationing health care as a means of re-distributing the wealth. He seems to also be enamored of the British Health System.

Didn’t the President promise that there would be no rationing in health care?
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Published by: California Right to Life Committee, Inc, 1920 Monument Blvd, PO
Box 309, Concord, Ca 94520. (925) 899-3064.
Your comments, suggestions and thoughts on items for inclusion in this report are earnestly requested.

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by Camille Giglio

 
 
The above quote was taken from a commentary entitled “Our future depends on boosting interest in science,” published in the San Jose Mercury News for 5-20-2010. Ms Hardy’s words parallel the goals and mission of the latest federal Five year plan for expansion of the National Science Foundation mission and budget.

The House of Representatives has just today, May 28th, passed a major piece of work entitled the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2009 which is a bill to fund the National Science foundation. (see the official press release at the end of this article).

The National Science Foundation reauthorization lingered in the U.S. Congress’s Committee on Science and Technology for the last year while 52 Amendments were fought over. The bill was authored by the chairman of the committee, Tennessee Democrat, Bart Gordon. It is a 120 page bill. The original bill number, HR 5116 was changed to HR 5325 because of the need to make several amendments. However, the just issued press release refers to it by its original number of HR 5116.

“The stated purpose of the bill is: “To invest in innovation through research and development, to improve the competitiveness of the United States, and for other purposes.”

HR 5325 represents the goals and objectives of the Obama White House in establishing an energetic and urgent public policy on environmental “green” issues, workforce and education partnership issues and Al Gore’s favorite, global warming. Though it is not an appropriations bill, it contains requests for billions of tax dollars to implement.

There are four California legislators on this 41 member committee: John Garamendi, (D-Contra Costa), Lynn Woolsey, (D-Sta Rosa), Brian Bilbray, (RSolano Beach) and Dana Rohrabacher, (R-Huntington Beach).

Here is a sample of committee member, Lynn Woolsey’s statement in support of the bill, as given to the Committee hearing:

“I believe in science — and that with enough support — our scientists can solve almost any problem put in front of them. But at the end of the day, this bill is about jobs. Investments in basic and applied research, green manufacturing jobs, and high risk, high reward technologies will help lay the groundwork for a clean energy economy and create thousands of new green jobs in our country.”

Should the bill succeed in being signed by the President (it has two other House Committees in which to be heard - Education and Labor and Energy) it will be put before a finance committee to work out the financing. This financing of specialized activities within various branches and departments within the federal government, is in addition to the main mission and budgeting of these departments. So, the several billion dollars being sought through this Act could be added to the costs of the various departments which will be affected.

Any funds appropriated for these activities will not be funneled through the various departments but will go directly from the White House in the form of grants, mostly, to universities, non-profit foundations, local and state federal workforce development agencies that have been planted in each state.

As a side note, California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Poizner lists as one of his White House Fellowship interests, the subject of science and technology as an important public policy.

The bill either creates new workloads on government agencies or amends and expands current Acts pertaining to science and technology in seven, different areas of governmental agencies. It establishes oversight and partnerships (also referred to as contracts) between government and the private sector in industry, educational curriculum and workforce development. It, therefore impinges on the mission and duties of several branches of Government such as Dept. of Energy, Dept of Education, Nasa, Noaa.

When speaking with members of either the Science and Technology Committee or with a representative of the National Oceanographic and aeronautics Committee, they quickly assure me that neither NOAA or NASA are involved in this. However, when I remind them that the bill says that these agencies will be represented on Advisory Committees, they say, “oh, well, yes.”

Regarding the Department of Education, this Act seeks to establish greater federal involvement in the development and direction of pre-K-16 classroom studies in workforce preparation, Charter schools and STEM Education - science, technology, engineering and math.

This ambitious federal education/workforce development program is reflected in numerous state bills in California and, especially in creating scholarship opportunities for high school students to specialize in certain areas and, those who declare an interest in attending colleges with engineering programs.

A third way, as stated in the bill is for those students who achieve post secondary degrees in STEM subjects, but do not find jobs in those industries, to return to college for teaching degrees to become STEM teachers in the classroom.

HR5325 also attracted 52 amendments including one that prohibited any person found guilty of housing pornography on his/her computer from obtaining funding under this bill.

It was further amended to reduce the intended 5 year plans for implementation to only 3 years since it was determined that 5 years of budgeting for these programs was too expensive.

This bill is on a par with the national health care legislation in so far as it adds further federal authority and direct Presidential oversight over controlling major areas of human health, social, academic and work life.

Both the bill and the Science and Technology Committee have very interesting histories.

In the 1950’s when the National Science Foundation was first created, the expressed reason was fear of other countries obtaining the Atom Bomb. The U.S. came up with the idea of a program of mutually assured destruction - MAD. This, we were told, would protect us from ever having to face the threat of nuclear attack from a foreign and hostile government, by meeting any such force with a similar or greater force. Today the government would have you believe that as we approach global unity we are in a similar situation of hostility from not only outer space, but inner space.

We must conquer the inner space mysteries of nanotechnology, global warming, environmental threats, a seeming dearth of adults competent in all areas of science, technology, engineering and math. And, we must do it before other countries get to the top of this latest race for dominance on the global playing field.

In fact this is the most ambitious plan to be offered so far. Congress is attempting to initiative a massive outcome based educational program that requires scouring the classrooms pre-K-16 to find certain types of students who will fit the government’s needs, train those children from Kindergarten to graduate school and place them in preconceived positions to give the United States supremacy through science and technology to capture global leadership in physical, economic, environmental and sustainable population development. This could well be the new meaning behind the old saying “our children are our future,” or everybody working for the good of society.

Already state legislatures, especially California, are loaded with education bills calling for totally remodeling the system of education in order to place California as the state most capable of racing to the top; mandating various types of technology class requirements for high school graduation. Those children who do not quite qualify for the post secondary education in science, technology, engineering or math will get those green jobs designed as “shovel ready.” And, if the student does make it to a master’s degree in STEM but can’t get a job they will be offered an opportunity to return to school, get a teaching credential and teach STEM education to other students.

This is all contained in a section entitled STEM Education and Workforce Training or Integrative Graduate Education and Research Trainee (IGERT) Program. This will be funded through a National Science Foundation - NSF - Robert Noyce Scholarship Grant Program which will favor students completing International Baccalaureate Programs in high school. There are now about 300 or more public, Charter and Academy type schools in California featuring International Baccalaureate programs or variations thereof.

One section of The Act contains the requisite demand for gender equity and data collection for keeping track of the workforce by race and gender.

The bill further calls for using every idea available from the simplest to most wild-eyed plan imaginable through harnessing nanotechnology. In future the NSF will not just research and create programs but will form partnerships in the private sector to move their ideas out of the lab into the community for development and implementation. Title 1, sec. c-1, Nanotech Partnerships: recruit and help prepare secondary school students to pursue postsecondary level courses of instruction. This is referred to as the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and development Act, S 189 by Sen. Ron Wyden. This, like the 6 other titles, is all contained within the NSF re-authorization Act each with its own budget in the $millions or billions.

The final, total budget for this re-authorization is nearing nine billions.

Today, the very same people, scientists and educators, who in the 1950’s called for a national, tax funded all out effort to gain supremacy in conquering the mysteries of the atom and outer space are once again behind this effort to not just be equal with the rest of the world in science and technology, but now, through conquering inner space to Race to the Top of the global world competition and cut it off.

I suggest that this is the true goal behind all the calls for increased educational funding and reform efforts. The No Child Left Behind education Act promoted by Clinton and Bush has been declared a failure. The NCLB has been renamed Race-To-The-Top funded in part by ARRA money, to claim today’s student as tomorrow’s mad scientist.

One segment of The Act is devoted to development of environmentally sound green technology development. Senate and House leaders are talking about “green” jobs, the California state legislature has numerous Workforce Development green jobs creation bills. In the last two years California has created a massive bureaucracy with state and local Workforce Development Centers which is setting priorities for jobs and partnering with schools to begin training students through job shadowing and summer placements, and strong emphasis on STEM classes.

This section is all part of Al Gore’s global warming push. Title 1, Subtitle B creates the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act which amends the original 1991 High Performance Computing Act which Al Gore dubbed the Information Superhighway.

The health care bill was fought over for months, this bill just sails right through because the American citizen’s attention is being diverted. Americans are now so hungry and anxious for jobs and income that we are not listening to what those jobs and educations are intended to do.

This bill, HR 5116, submitted to both the house Committee on Science and Technology and to the House Committee on Education and Labor, on 4/22/2010 has, astonishingly, passed the House in a month’s time with almost no debate, no public hearings. The Health Care bill was fought over for months. This bill is every bit as important, but no one seems to know about it. In fact a House Resolution, HRES 1344 by Ed Perlmutter (D-Co) was submitted and passed in one day calling upon all the legislators to hurry up and pass the National Science Foundation Reauthorization Act.

The original idea for a National Science Foundation Act, HR 4846, was begun under President Roosevelt and was passed and signed by President Harry Truman on May 10, 1950, following almost five years of debate and planning.

The idea for a national, government directed, science foundation was attributed to the thoughts and reports of Dr. Vannevar Bush (involved in the Manhattan Project) then Director of the Wartime Office of Scientific Research and Development.

One website describes the NSF mission as “devot[ing] its funds and talents to research and education in non-medical science and engineering - the National Institute of health is its counterpart.”

Another segment of the bill, Title lV, is a total reorganization within the Department of Commerce. This section, originally called the Office of Standards and Technology, is referred to as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act of 2010. It addresses the issue of ownership of any patent rights to discoveries. Whether it is a university or private research firm, if it is funded with tax dollars the patent rights belong to the federal government. This is under the Commerce section of the bill and refers to Intellectual Property Rights which are defined as “management of scientific collections of physical specimens, living or inanimate for the purpose of supporting science.” It also refers to the development of international data bases, conformity standards and security systems and includes bio manufacturing, environment, bioscience (DNA) and human identification. It is, in a sense, putting sensors on the information highway, or setting speed traps for unsuspecting trespassers. The budget for this segment for 2011 is set at $991,100,000.00 ending in 2015 with a budget of $1,191,955,000.00.

Title lll STEM Education is subtitled the STEM Ed Coordination Act of 2010. It creates a Commission to coordinate federal programs and activities setting up Science, Technology Engineering and Math - STEM - education. It draws members from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, NASA, National Oceanography and Aeronautics Agency, Department of Education and includes private sector and non-profit groups.

Title V is entitled Stevenson-Wydler Innovation Act, 1980, (S.1250 signed 10-21-1980 by Jimmy Carter).

This Act is amended, retitled and placed under the Department of Commerce to be referred to as the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Members of this committee will be appointed from the Departments of NSF, Department of Energy.

Title Vl, Department of Energy is subtitled: Office of Science; Department of Energy, Office of Science Authorization Act of 2010. This segment sets a budget for 2011 as $5,247,000,000.00. This Act declares, in part that it’s mission and goal is:

a) MISSION The mission of the Office of Science shall be the delivery of scientific discoveries, capabilities, and major scientific tools to transform the understanding of nature and to advance the energy, economic, and national security of the United States.

(1) Science for Discovery to unravel nature’s mysteries through the study of subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules that make up the materials of our everyday world to DNA, proteins, cells, and entire biological systems;

(2) Science for National Need by –

(A) advancing a clean energy agenda through research on energy production, storage,
transmission, efficiency, and use; and

(B) advancing our understanding of the Earth’s climate through research in atmospheric and environmental sciences and climate change.

This segment restricts any experimentation on human biology.

Sunday, May 23, CBS’ 60 Minutes program did a segment called “Waiting for Superman.” It was an infomercial type program on a new prototype of schools called “Seed” Schools. There are two, one in Washington, D.C. and one in Maryland with many more in the works. President Obama has visited the school and proclaimed its great potential. Oprah Winfrey is even promoting it. Information about Seed schools can be found at www.seedfoundation.com.

There are other seed type schools which are advertised on San Francisco Bay Area television and on signs on the highway; DeVry University which is made up of five colleges of STEM type programs and The Phoenix school. All of these are designed to begin early in a child’s life to search for and nurture the scientifically oriented student.

Public school classes on STEM Ed are being developed. Teachers are being sought who will consent to being retrained to teach specific STEM classes and Charter Schools and/or Academies are developing to prepare students to work in the new, global economy of government centered, scientifically based environmentally sound future jobs.

Understanding what is contained in the federal health care bill and placing it side by side with the Science Foundation Re-authorization Act one is able to gain a better understanding of the immense all consuming and overreaching designs planned for citizens by federal government and private industry leaders.

The bill will now go to the Senate which will present its version of reauthorization.

Here is today’s official press release:

Innovation Legislation Clears the House With Bipartisan Support

(Washington, DC) – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5116, America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 by a vote of 262 to 150. The bill, which has over 100 cosponsors and more than 750 endorsers, makes investments in science, innovation, and education to support employers today while strengthening the U.S. scientific and economic leadership to grow new industries of tomorrow, and the jobs that come with them.

“If we are to reverse the trend of the last twenty years, where our country’s technology edge in the world has diminished, we must make the investments necessary today,” said Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). “The path is simple. Research and education lead to innovation. Innovation leads to economic development and good paying jobs and the revenue to pay for more research. And as private firms under-invest in research and development because the returns are too far off in the future, there is a clear and necessary role of government to help our nation keep pace with the rest of the world.”

Over 750 organizations have endorsed the legislation including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable, the Council on Competitiveness, the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities, the National Venture Capital Association, TechAmerica, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American Chemical Society, and others, including nearly 100 universities and colleges.

To maintain a pipeline of ideas, the bill puts basic research programs on a path to doubling authorized funding levels over ten years at: the Department of Energy Office of Science, the single largest supporter of research in the physical sciences in the U.S.; the National Science Foundation, which supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering; and the National Institute of Standards and Technology labs, which conduct research to advance the nation’s technology infrastructure and support industry.

The bill will help foster innovation in new energy technologies by: reauthorizing the Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is pursing high-risk, high-reward energy technology development; and authorizing Energy Innovation Hubs, which are multidisciplinary collaborations with a single technological focus that currently presents a critical barrier to achieving our national energy innovation goals.

The bill will also help ensure U.S. leadership in emerging and growing fields, including nanotechnology and IT.

The bill supports local efforts to form Regional Innovation Clusters, which will strengthen regional economies and advance the work done in a given field by leveraging collaboration and communication between businesses and other entities.

The bill addresses immediate needs by creating Innovative Technology Federal Loan Guarantees to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers access capital to make necessary updates to become more efficient and stay competitive.

The bill will also assist industry by ensuring that the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) better reflects the needs and challenges facing manufacturers today. In addition, the bill reorganizes NIST labs to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of technology and better meet the needs of industry in the 21st century.

The bill also will help improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by reauthorizing the Noyce scholarships, which help give K-12 teachers a strong grounding in their fields, so they can more fully engage students. The bill also addresses coordination of STEM activities across the federal government, and improves STEM education at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels.

“Throughout the Committee process, there was a lot of legitimate discussion about federal deficits. I agree that we must address the challenges presented by our deficits, but we must also invest in our country’s future. I remember Newt Gingrich saying one of his greatest regrets was not doubling the funding for NSF when he put NIH on the doubling path,” said Gordon. “During committee consideration of this bill, we made some significant changes to the bill’s authorization levels—cutting them by over 10 percent. Though we will maintain a doubling path for our research accounts, we do so on a slightly less aggressive trajectory.”

After a few minor setbacks over the past two weeks, the House proceeded today with further consideration of H.R. 5116. When consideration resumed, Chairman Gordon moved a division of the question on the amendment included in the Republican Motion to Recommit passed by the House on May 13. This effort allowed the House to consider and vote separately on several parts of the Motion to Recommit.

“As I’ve said before, this bill is too important to let fall by the wayside. Today, we took the action necessary to see consideration of this bill completed. And we allowed the Members of the House to be on record voting on provisions gutting funding for our science agencies, voting on whether we should eliminate programs that will help create jobs, voting on whether to eliminate programs that will make us more energy independent, voting in opposition to federal employees watching pornography, and voting on whether universities that ban military recruiters should receive federal research dollars. We have provided all Members, in a reasonable manner, with the ability to vote on each of these items separately instead of all together,” said Chairman Gordon.

For more information on the Committee’s work on COMPETES, please visit our website.

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This listing is not to be considered as a recommendation for any one particular candidate. This listing contains information on the pro life/pro family position of candidates where we were able to obtain any information either through website statements, voting records, or other sources.

Where we have no information on any candidates running in a particular district we did not include it. In some instances we only knew that the incumbent was not pro life and needed to be removed and replaced by (almost) anyone else.

The information is listed in two sections. The first section, regarding congressional, state Senate and Assembly, lists the Republican candidates. The second listing is for Democrat incumbents who are known to be abortion activists and or carried legislation inimical to life or family values.

GOVERNOR:
Jerry Brown, Democrat. Pro abortion

Meg Whitman:
Pro abortion. Whitman claims to oppose federal funding of abortion and partial birth abortion. In reality her campaign is headed by former Gov. Pete Wilson who was decidedly pro abortion. Also her statement that she opposes federal funding of abortion leaves out the question of the millions in state funding that goes toward abortion. Also one should understand that this ban does not prevent PBA, but merely the funding of it.
She has also created controversy over her use of EBay to develop a site dedicated to the online sale of pornography.

Steve Poizner: He has publicly stated to the Ca. Federation of Republican Women that he opposes all governmental funding of abortion. He also supports Parental Notification. He thrives on challenges. He is self absorbed, highly motivated to achieve results. Seems to believe that business tactics can be applied to Government.

His book, Mount Pleasant, about his year of guest teaching an American political History class to low income students in a San Jose Public School is a good indication of what he would emphasize as Governor.
_____________________________________________
LT. GOVERNOR
Sam Aanestad
Sam Blakeslee, of Santa Barbara is running for two positions. He is also running for a special election on June 22 for the Senate seat vacated by Abel Maldonado. He should not be running here against Sam Aanestad.
______________________________________________
ATTORNEY GENERAL
John Eastman
__________________________________________
SECRETARY OF STATE
Damon Dunn
______________________________________
TREASURER
Mimi Walters
____________________________________
CONTROLLER
Tony Strickland
________________________________
TREASURER
Mimi Walters
____________________________________
BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
1st District - Rae Williams
2nd District - Barbara Alby
3rd District - Michelle Steel
____________________________________
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Lydia Guttierez
_______________________________
U.S. SENATE

Chuck DeVore, recorded pro-life votes in Sacramento.

Carly Fiorina, Her published statement that she is “Proudly Pro life” has no substance behind it. When I asked one of her representatives how she would vote on the Mexico City Policy, as an example, he didn’t even know what that was. That’s the ban on U.S. funding of international abortions which Barbara Boxer helped overturn. Fiorina is being endorsed by a variety of pro life groups over Devore which is a shame.

REPUBLICANS

CONGRESS

1st Dist. - Loren Hanks
2nd Dist. - Wally Herger, incumbent
3rd Dist - Dan Lungren - incumbent
4th Dist - Tom McClintock - incumbent
7th Dist. - Virginia Fuller and Rick Tubbs running against George Miller
8th Dist - Dana Walsh
10th Dist - Buddy Burk
11th Dist. - David Harmer
12th Dist. - Mike Maloney
18th Dist. - Michael Berryhill
19th Dist. - Richard Pombo
20th Dist - Jim Costa
21st Dist. - Devin Nunez
22nd Dist. - Kevin McCarthy, incumbent
24th Dist - Elton Gallegly, incumbent
25th Dist. - “Buck” McKeon
37th Dist. - Star Parker
40th Dist. - Ed Royce
42nd Dist. Gary Miller
43rd Dist. - Scott Folkens - Apple Valley TeaParty recommended
44th Dist - Chris Riggs
45th Dist - Clayton Thibodeau
47th Dist. - Van Tran
51st Dist. - Nick Papaditch
52nd Dist. Duncan Hunter
___________________________________________
ASSEMBLY

1st Dist. - Karen Brooks
2nd Dist. - Jim Nielsen
3rd Dist. - Dan Logue
5th Dist. - Andy Pugno, lead counsel in support of Prop 8.
7th Dist. - Doris Gentry.
8th Dist. - Michelle Connor
15th Dist. Abram Wilson
21st Dist - Greg Conlon
27th Dist. - Linda Black
28th Dist - Allen Barker
29th Dist. - Linda Halderman
36th Dist. - Steve Knight
63rd Dist. - Paul Chabot
64th Dist. - Brian Nestande
72nd Dist. - Chris Norby
75th Dist. - Nathan Fletcher - has supported some homosexual legislation. Responds “yes” when asked if he is pro life, but whispers it.
_________________________________
STATE SENATE

2nd Dist. - Lawrence Wiesner
4th Dist. - Doug LaMalfa
10th Dist. - Rob Maffet - Tea party Candidate
16th Dist - Phil Wyman
36th Dist. - Joel Anderson, currently Assembly member, running for seat of termed out Dennis Hollingsworth.
__________________________________
DEMOCRATS

ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERVISOR
2nd Dist. Nadia Lockyer. This woman is Bill Lockyer’s wife. she is, according to her own words, “very pro choice.” Further, she is endorsed by Cong. Pete Stark’s wife also an abortion activist.
____________________________________
DEMOCRATS

CONGRESS

1st Dist. - Mike thompson - incumbent as are all the following listings.
6th Dist - Lynn Woolsey
7th DIST - George Miller. Chrmn Education and Labor Committee.
8th Dist. - Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
11th Dist - Jerry McNerney.
13th Dist. - Pete Stark, also pro euthanasia
28th Dist - Howard Berman, Original state abortion legislation pre Roe.
30th Dist - Henry Waxman, partnered with Berman to re-direct California’s portion of federal tax funding for abortion to the private sector abortion industry.
33th Dist. - Karen Bass, former state Assembly Speaker. Diane Watson is termed out. While in the state Watson was chrmn of the state Health Committee and treated pro life speakers ruthlessly.
34th Dist - Lucille Roybal-Allard
35th Dist. - Maxine Waters.
36th Dist. - Jane Harman
39th Dist. - Linda Sanchez
47th Dist. - Loretta Sanchez
49th Dist. - Howard Katz
________________________________________
ASSEMBLY

6th Dist. - Jared Huffman
11th Dist - Susan Bonilla
12th Dist.- Fiona Ma. Her office has display of Planned Parenthood awards.
13th Dist. - Tom Ammiano
15th Dist. - Joan Buchanan
18th Dist. - Mary Hayashi
24th Dist. - Jim Beall
27th Dist. - Bill Monning
40th Dist - Bob Blumenfield
42nd Dist - Mike Feuer
44th Dist. - Anthony Portantino. Carries several workforce/education partnership bills.
49th Dist - Mike Eng
53rd Dist. Mitch Ward. Anti Prop 13.
55th Dist - Warren Furutani, also carries workforce/education partnership bills
62nd Dist - Wilmer Amina Carter, supported by Planned Parenthood.
challenger, Gil Navarro, also Planned Parenthood endorsed.
69th Dist - Jose Solorio
_____________________________________
SENATE

6th Dist - Darrell Steinberg
8th Dist. - Leland Yee, supports mental health services in school clinics without parental notification.
10th Dist - Ellen Corbet
20th Dist. - Alex Padilla
26th Dist. - Curren Price
32nd Dist - Gloria Negrete McLeod, carries parent/school partnership contract bills.

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Today’s Public School student is failing to receive a good, solid, academic education. Charter schools and home schooling has increased. Many students have left public school to attend the more expensive private schools. Many others, bored with education have just dropped out.

Is the formerly cherished California educational system cheating the students as parents and critics complain or is it right on target according to the educators and Think Tanks?

Well, its a little of both.

California education underwent a major sea change beginning in 1960 with passage of the first Master Plan for Education also referred to as the Donahoe Education Act. Clark Kerr, later to become Chancellor of Cal Berkeley, takes credit as does former legislator John Vasconcellos, for creating and furthering the Master Plan.

Kerr addresses his goals with a more intellectual approach couching his ideas in lofty, aesthetic terms. Vasconcellos uses the patois of the hippy era, blaming mainly parents, and church for a failure to prepare and nurture their children for the hard realities and the pleasures of life.

The original Master Plan was that period’s California Dream Act, long on ideals, short on ways to attain those ideals and lacking in funds. The main premise, however, was that schools must become accountable for the children that parents and society were failing.

What was missing in this plan was a pathway to attaining those goals. The legislators and educators knew that The Donahoe Act was only a beginning. Over the years legislation has been submitted that has tweaked and amended this Act until the Education Code is now several hundred pages long and containing 101,060 numbered sections.

In 1993 Clark Kerr addressed the California Postsecondary Education Commission created by the 1960 Act. The title of his talk was: “Who will take responsibility for the future of California Higher Education.” Once again, it was concern over the latest crop of This caused Clark Kerr, in 1993, to urge creation of a new Master Plan referred to as a Resource Master Plan for Education. He addressed the California Postsecondary Education Commission. The title of his talk was: “Who will take responsibility for the future of California Higher Education.” college aged baby boomers, inadequate educational facilities and funding.

He proposed that a new master plan be written entitled a Resource Master Plan for Education.

Every term dozens of education related bills are submitted to the legislature. Some of these bills are developed by legislators. The majority of them are created by special interests such as unions, community and non-profit organizations, business community, think tanks. This has created partnerships between education and business and community interests, all, now called Stakeholders. Everybody has been invited to jump in and contribute to the preparation of the student for his/her chosen place in the life of the global community.

Education has become the new market place for competition and experimentation in who or what will be able to fulfill the goal. The prize for the competitors is the prestige of being chosen to participate in this lofty idea as well as the financial gain and guaranteed employment. The students? Well, if it doesn’t work there is always life long learning or re-training for the new skills needed in the market place.

The conversation about the future of education usually quickly turns to the realization that not all students will succeed in college. Not all students are academically minded. Most will graduate high school and go into trades or office work. The educators and legislators say, on the other hand, Oh, no, all students have the right to a college education. We must help them attain that. They must at least get to two years of community college at.

On top of that they have to be healthy, physically fit, mentally sound and willing to acknowledge their responsibility to their community and be prepared to fulfill the employment needs of that community. You’ve heard the old phrase - our children are our future? Did you ever think it meant a planned future prepared by the school system and not you? Your job is to be a partner with the school and enforce the school’s plan inside the home.

California recently lost its bid for Race To The Top federal education legislation, but is trying again. The money to be realized would provide the fuel to set the whole humanistic education program well on its way. Also the Education Master Plan is due for re-authorizing later this year.

The irony here is that California considers itself to have been the leader in creating the New goals for education.

Visit the online California Postsecondary Education site: www.cpec.ca.gov and click on a section entitled Accountability; March 22, 2010. Look for their Legislative Update with contains information on 50 education bills that they are tracking.

Also look for their report called STEP - School to Employment Pathways System.

All these education bills are filled with mandates to firmly establish partnerships with Workforce Development legislation mandates, Health clinic services and corresponding nutrition and gardening programs, humanistic character education programs, after school programs, targeted work preparation programs led by unions offering job shadowing in union shops and community organizations beginning in junior high school. Eighth graders are being urged to determine their career lives and being assisted in that by promotional programs from community groups.

Academics such as history and english composition and languages is being re-focused to be merely support for the chosen career path. One must know how to read the manual or research the computer for one’s chosen field of endeavour or prepare reports to one’s supervisor. One must also understand that their future employment might well be within their community, but that community may be global.

Also, the classroom and its instructor will change. It’s called distance learning or individualized learning and it means learning via computer. Your student may be sitting in a room full of students but each may be getting a different version of an education through the computer from a classroom half way across the country.

Most of the current crop of bills are sitting in suspense files in the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees awaiting the fate of the next budget fights. These bills come with high demands for new taxes in the form of bonds for which there need be only a majority vote in either the legislature or the ballot box.

Beware of candidates calling for education reform and more jobs. They may be planning something far different than you understand.

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by Camille Giglio
 

“What some have even called a ‘preferential option" for the poor, does not free us from the need to prudently and wisely consider the most appropriate ways in which this obligation is to be carried out. we do well to reject the confusion that equates a preferential option for the poor with a preferential option for the state.”

Rev. Robt, Sirico, Detroit News, 12-20-1992.
The Church: Lobbyist for the welfare State.

 
"For the first time churches have become aware that they actually have the potential to be communities of health," says Granger Westberg of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center. 

Last Acts Campaign to Improve End-of-Life Care, 1998.

 
The Parish Nurse Program was the brain-child of Chicago based Lutheran Minister, Granger Westberg. Early in his ministry which began in the mid 1950’s, he accepted assignment as a hospital chaplain and began to perceive a need for both hospitals and church ministries to form a sort of holistic healing partnership ministering to the whole person - mind, body and spirit.

During his hospital chaplaincy and later while on fact-finding tours in third world countries, he observed that patient/doctor relationships were missing an important element of communication.

This brought him to the conclusion that churches, along with ministering to the soul should develop an expanded ministry to the physical and mental needs of parishioners. In other words, creating health clinics within the parish context which would act as a type of preventive health care service.

In his observations he saw that:

1. Patients often had social and emotional problems underlying the physical ills which they needed to share with an understanding and compassionate person. The doctors were too busy for this.
2. Parishioners were not comfortable speaking with their ministers about their daily concerns, aches and pains.
3. Patients felt more at ease speaking with women, especially nurses.
4. What if Nurses could be established within parishes thereby creating physical and emotional healing centers right along with the Pastor’s spiritual healing?

And, so, began a life long mission for Pastor Westberg creating parish nurse training programs within the college setting.

This concept was well received within many Christian church circles but received its greatest promotion during the 1990’s when President Clinton and his wife, Hillary, became involved with the promotion of universal health care.

By the late 1990‘s the concept of establishing health clinics within the church setting was further expanded by the passage of legislation authored by then U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft, known as the Faith Based Initiative. This initiative authorized non-profits, which included churches, to receive federal tax funding for partnering with the government to provide health clinic services to the general community.

Parish nursing, funded mainly with private Foundation grants, became eligible for tax funded grants. California, however, resisted what its legislators saw as mixing church and state until a Southern California Republican legislator succeeded in obtaining passage of a bill that mandated California’s participation in funding non-profit and church based government welfare programs.

In 1998, while still a state Senator, Diane Watson, (later a U.S. Congresswoman) Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, penned a memo sent out to all interested state and local school and community groups informing them of their opportunity to form partnerships with the state in delivering health services through establishment of health clinics which could be used to gain new applicants for the newly formed Healthy Families Program.

An interesting sidelight to creation of the Healthy Families Program was the involvement of Hellan Roth Dowden, state employee and former Director of California’s Planned Parenthood, as well as numerous other Feminist organizations and unions such as the SEIU. On Watson’s memo Dowden is listed as the contact person for Healthy Families. Her current associations and activities can be found by googling her name.

The memo explained just how community organization volunteers could qualify to become Applicant Assisters and be eligible to receive the $50.00 fee (increased from the previous $25.00 fee) for successfully completed applications for Healthy Families.

Volunteers working in a church setting assisting parishioners to complete Healthy Family applications also qualified to receive this fee. The Assister could either receive the fee or designate her church to receive the fee.

What began as perhaps a very well meaning and compassionate idea of ministering to the whole person, with the Good Samaritan as the prototype, has now assumed the mantle of the big government promotion to burrow into the churches accessing the unsuspecting faithful in the pews for a new source of welfare applicants. And, a nurse shall lead them.

Literature on the Parish Nurse Program indicates that this Parish Nurse person need not be an actual registered nurse although she often times is. If the Parish Nurse is not an actual nurse she must develop a corp of volunteer registered nurses for programs such as blood pressure screenings, vaccinations and other actual medical type services the parish nurse might want to provide that, by law, require a nurse or a doctor.

The foremost qualification for this position is a compassionate disposition, an ability to gain the confidence of parishioners, the time to spend listening to people recite their litanies of mental, emotional, financial and physical woes and, most importantly the ability to reach out and partner with a wide variety of community service provider organizations to which the parish nurse can direct the parishioner for assistance.

The position of Parish Nurse is considered so vital to the well being of the individual within the church that she is given a position of prominence within the parish equating her position with that of the Pastor.

Funding to carry out this program is often provided initially by an outside, non parish, non governmental funding source from which the parish nurse may take a remittance. Often she chooses not to. At some point the outside funding source expires and it becomes necessary for the parish to come up with the funding even to the point of applying for government assistance to continue what has now become a permanent entity within that parish. The parish has now become a partner with the state for the delivery of non religious, humanistic social services.

In 1992, this move toward encouraging church leaders to advocate for government funded welfare and health care programs within churches caused the Reverend Robert A Sirico, Director of the Acton Institute, to write an editorial entitled The Church: Lobbyist for the Welfare State, published in the Detroit News for December 20.

The editorial stated, in part:

“Polls indicate that there is a preference among Americans for social programs to promote self-sufficiency, not dependency. Yet, when Michigan Gov. John Engler last year acted to fulfill his campaign promise to reduce the size of government and proceeded to eliminate 80,000 able-bodied general assistance recipients from the roll, his most vocal critics were welfare advocacy groups headed by prominent mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic religious leaders.

It would be another matter altogether if these governmental transfer payments were actually effective in ameliorating poverty and minimizing crime. Yet, just about everyone, regardless of political stripe, seems to agree there is a crisis in the welfare system and that the massive welfare state doesn’t work - just about everyone, that is, except perhaps a few ill-tutored theologians.

With all the use of that terribly obscure and unnecessarily narrow phrase ‘family values’ in this past election season, perhaps the real issue we are attempting to get at is functional values or how we go about fostering a society whose members learn how to function well and productively.

There is a growing body of literature indicating that governmental programs, owing to their political nature, instill a sense of dependency in those they are designed to help. They create the very situations they profess to cure. With the failure of socialism in central Europe and the intellectual and moral bankruptcy this represents for Marxism, the current debate shifts to the moral legitimacy and practical effectiveness of the welfare state. The welfare state fails in its objectives for the same reason that socialism failed in its - a rejection of sound economic thinking. The key practical problem with the welfare state is the presupposition that it can observe all social problems and needs, and is able to regulate the necessary sectors of society in such a way as to best meet those needs. But no one group of planners, no matter how wise and sensitive to human needs they may be, can see the deepest needs of the human soul, which frequently are at the root of economic problems.

The specific problem this confusion presents to the church is that it disintegrates charity into an entitlement and collapses love into justice. If all relations are based merely on state-enforced justice, what becomes of the virtue of love? Especially when viewed from a religious perspective, the disadvantages of an expansive welfare state are sadly apparent. Promoting the government as the resource of first resort lessens the incentive of people in the pews to become personally involved in needed projects and relegates the church to the role of lobbyist.

To the extent that the church functions as a lobbyist, rather than itself clothing the naked, feeding the hungry and performing the other traditional acts of charity, the church loses a rich source of its own spiritual nourishment. This has, in turn, led to a secularizing of the social assistance systems (schools, hospitals, orphanages, health clinics). This development minimizes the moral influence of religious mediating institutions which are so critical in helping to stabilize troubled families.”

I recently interviewed a parish nurse who had been featured in the Oakland Diocese Newspaper. She had attended a parish nurse training program in her former state of Wisconsin but could not find a position there. She later moved to her current location and recently found acceptance as a Parish Nurse in her own parish in Antioch, California.

She shared her enthusiasm for her work in a community consisting in large part of recent immigrant parishioners of low income and somewhat poor health and nutrition. Her parish and Pastor are well recognized for partnership activities with a community organizing group entitled Contra Costa Interfaith supporting Community Organization - CCISCO which is itself a partner with a statewide community organizing lobby group called PICO - Pacific Institute for Community Organizing. These groups along with SEIU and the California Nurses as well as Planned Parenthood, have spearheaded lobby days in Sacramento to advance the cause of universal health care.

I asked this Parish Nurse if she refers parishioners to the Healthy Families program? She said yes. She, further, affirmed that referrals to Planned Parenthood were also included in those references. I then asked her why a Catholic Church would be referring its parishioners to an organization that promoted abortion and family planning which are in opposition to the Catholic Faith teaching? At that point her whole demeanor changed. She stated that she merely made referrals to those agencies most appropriate for type of service needed by the parishioner. It was not her responsibility as to what services the parishioner actually accepted.

Several years ago a parish in Concord, California, also within the Oakland Diocese provided assistance to the county health department in the refurbishing of an old van to be used as a mobile medical services van for residents of the Monument Corridor. This area is heavily populated with legal and illegal residents. Members of the Concord Parish saw this van as a way to obtain needed health services unobtainable any other way. This Van parked at a local shopping center and at various neighborhood grade schools to deliver health care and referrals. People volunteered to drive patients to referral sites if necessary. Planned Parenthood was one of the referral organizations.

When I inquired about the morality of a Catholic Parish facilitating its parishioners attendance at abortion and family planning programs I was told that providing services to needy people was the first and foremost concern. Abortion was not their problem.

Genesis chapter 3 contains the story of how the devil seduced Eve into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. He didn’t suggest that Jesus was lying about the fruit. He didn’t suggest she should ignore Jesus warning. He merely pointed out the advantages to her of consuming this fruit. The opportunities it would present to her to gain knowledge which God didn’t want her to have. You know the rest of the story. Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge assuming to herself the right to make her own decisions without outside guidance. Chapter 3 is entitled: The Fall of Man.

So, too, the seducer of the mind has approached the churches to suggest that there is nothing wrong with taking the money from the government. The work of the government is good. It provides social justice to the worker, the poor, the underserved. The church should be able to participate in this work of human mercy and reap the rewards of recognition and acclaim.

Does your church have a Parish Nurse?

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GOVERNMENT MICRO-MANAGEMENT: Or, How I learned to Love the Nanny State.
by Camille Giglio
April 23, 2010

On 4/22/2010, I wrote an article entitled “ Obama Care may not be Socialistic, but Sen. Mark Leno’s SB 810 is.”

In that article I analyzed the bill pointing out its intended merger of the departments of Health, Education and Labor into one partnership in order to deliver a full slate of pre-planned community level family intrusive services to residents. It’s actually called building the sustainable community. It’s Hillary Clinton’s “It takes a village..” mantra and raises it a notch.

Today I have two real life examples of this program.

The San Jose Mercury News, 4/23/2010, page A3, has a brief article entitled: “ SCHOOL SCENE: Career fair for kindergartners.” The article states that “About 1,500 kindergartners attended their first career fair Thursday, visiting with cosmetologists, scientists, paramedics and other professionals at a ‘Kinder Caminata.”

At this four hour fair, children from San Jose’s Alum Rock School District “wore badges declaring their ambitions: firefighters, veterinarians rock stars, etc. and visited booths focusing on environmental themes, to honor Earth Day” and to foreshadow their future college goals. The majority of the children attending were Hispanic.

Notice the title of the fair - Kinder Caminata - a combination of german and Spanish. Taking a stab at translation I’d say it stands for child pathways. Career Pathways is the new name of the education game .

In yesterday’s article I spoke of the education/workforce development partnership contained in SB 810, in which schools would focus more on the goals of becoming training centers for future labor force entrants rather than academic centers of learning.

This is not just some cute little idea thought up by a kindergarten teacher to amuse her tiny students. There is an entire industry developing that claims it is important to begin developing the minds of babies, shaping their brains and thinking in infancy, to be the future leaders of the world. There are numerous proponents and opponents of this re-wiring of the brain, so to speak. Rob Reiner with his “I’m Your Child” campaign has provided the greatest promotion of this way of thinking. This is the major motivation driving the movement to get government funded pre-k programs for 3 and 4 year olds. They would really like to have your kids by the time they are potty-trained. To see the whole program click on www.brillkids.com.

The next article was published in the Monterey Herald, 4,23,2010, and titled: Community health plan spells out goals, priorities.” It is written by Jim Johnson of the Herald Salinas Bureau. Here are the first three paragraphs:

   “A community-authored plan aimed at improving
   health and safety in East Salinas is in place, and
   backers are already working on a management
   structure and putting the plan into action.

   The plan is part of a 10-year, multimillion-dollar
   initiative backed by the nonprofit California
   Endowment. It is contained in a 29-page report that
   lists priorities, strategies and a blueprint for
   promoting what organizers call "sustainable change"
   in the community.

   The document is the result of nine months of work
   by more than 400 community members and
   organizations after the endowment’s selection of
   East Salinas as one of 14 low-income communities
   in the state invited to participate in the initiative.
   The endowment, which formally accepted the plan
   earlier this month, is expected to provide as much
   as $10 million for the local effort.”

To read the whole thing go to: http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_14943653.

The article reports that three community organizations have been selected to “host” this community changing mega-nanny control plan (basically, direct the lives of this unsuspecting community. The community, non-profit groups are the Alisal Healthy Start Family Resource Center (early childhood), The Action Council of Monterey County, www.actioncouncil.org (community activists for women and girls) and Second Chance (anti-gang intervention. Probably early release youth offenders).

The goals, as stated in the article, are: 1. Children and families safe from violence in their homes and neighborhoods. What this means is home visitation programs and mandated training sessions. 2. Health and Family-focused human services focused on prevention. This is where Planned Parenthood and it’s pregnancy prevention, abortion and family planning agenda comes in. 3. All Children have health coverage. This is enrolling them in the government Healthy Families and or Medi-Cal programs which are little more than family planning programs. 4. Families will be assigned to a “health home.” This is where the contract or partnership between the health department and the individual comes in. A health home means that one organization will be assigned to oversee all aspects of personal physical, mental and emotional development. Children entering these programs are viewed as independent contractors for their own services. This is where Senator Lelend Yee’s efforts towards using the schools as mental health counseling and evaluation centers for all students comes into play. 5. These organizations will be charged to oversee the “economic welfare of residents.” “Efforts must see to the economic inequities that exist in this community.” This is the Workforce Development aspect of the overall SB 810 and Obama Health Care agenda. The article finishes up by declaring that these “gross economic inequities” and “significant levels of distrust” between residents and law enforcement are obstacles which must be overcome in order to bring about a “systems change” in community life.

And, not to be overlooked is the arrogance of a statewide, non-profit Think Tank full of intellectuals being allowed to decide that there are certain counties and communities of residents in need of their special protection and nurturing.

The residents of East Salinas are not going to be the ones to profit in the long run. It is the non-profit employees who will have well paying jobs and the freedom to develop as they see fit, not the poor unsuspecting residents who believe that America is the home of the free.

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OBAMA CARE MAY NOT BE SOCIALISTIC
BUT CALIFORNIA’S SB 810 BY SEN. MARK LENO CERTAINLY IS.
by Camille Giglio

Senator Mark Leno ,(D-San Francisco), has draped himself in the health care mantle worn previously by LGBT caucus member Sheila Kuehl. For years Kuehl authored a Single Payer version of health care coverage. She took it over from former state legislator now Congressman Pete Stark,(D-Fremont). The current Leno bill is SB 810 Single Payer Health Care.

His 61 page bill, according to the state legislative analyst’s office carries a $200 million price tag and is filled with approximately 12 layers of state and regional advisory oversight committees along with an appointed Health Czar and all the stakeholder special interest groups it can think of.

The bill has passed the California Senate and is awaiting assignment to an Assembly Committee for hearing. Democrats support it, Republicans do not. One Democrat’s Aide, in an attempt to deflect concern stated that: “Oh, it’ll pass both houses, but the Governor will veto it.” Don’t bet the farm on it. This year has shown just how anxious the Governor is to cater to the Democrat Administration in order to get more money for our financially crippled state.

All the afore mentioned layers of governance created by SB 810 are filled by non-elected business, bureaucrat and special interest appointees creating a protective firewall between the elected officials to whom they report and the citizens whose lives they are charged to regulate.

This bill, further, creates a clear understanding of the meaning of partnership as expressed in political terms. The government plus groups like Kaiser Health Foundation would have you believe that there is a union, a partnership, a contract between the deliverers of health care and you, the consumer of health care. You and your health care provider are strolling down a pathway to good health and productivity through preventive medicine.

Just how loving and caring can it get?

Have you noticed that you are no longer referred to as a patient? You are now buying health care as you would buy a house. You sign a contract with a mortgage company to do such and such. You will soon be signing a contract of some sort agreeing to abide by the health care requirements set up for you by the health care industry.

In reality the partnership is between various branches of government joining together to coordinate their pre-planned delivery of services to you the consumer. In this case the partnership is between the departments of Health, Education and Workforce Development. They are training their sights on your child.

President Obama, to paraphrase several talk show hosts, has been having fun countering all the health care opponents who claim that his health care plan is socialized medicine.

Well, in one way he may be right. The socialized part of the medicine is contained in the state legislation. The Public Option, pulled from the original Obama Care bill and labeled as “possibly deserving a socialist” label is in SB 810.

Here’s what the bill mandates:

• Establishes a new California Healthcare System - Single Payer type.

“This bill prohibits the existence of a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy, except for the CHS, that will be sold in the state that provided for the same services as the system. This will reduce the California health plan and insurance industry to either third-party administrators for the system or entities that would provide coverage for benefits not covered by the system.”

• Creates a statewide Agency under the direction of an appointed Health Care Commissioner as well as local and regional agencies groups by two or more counties.

“It will be administered by the California Healthcare Agency under the control of a Healthcare Commissioner appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.”

• Makes eligible all California residents regardless of legal residency status.

“To provide affordable and comprehensive health care coverage with a single standard of care for all California residents.”

• Creates the Office of Patient Advocacy - Sec. 140102.

[the Health Care Commissioner]Oversee[s] the establishment of locally based integrated service networks, including those that provide services through medical technologies such as telemedicine…..This shall be accomplished in collaboration with the chief medical officer, the Director of the Office of Health Planning, the regional medical officers, the regional planning boards, and the patient advocate.

• Creates school/health partnerships for the purpose of establishing educational programs designating “qualified community agencies to serve as health provider centers.”

This section is very vague. This will authorize placement of school centered health clinics on every campus and provide groups like La Raza and Planned Parenthood direct access to your child as deliverers of health care, health care education and/or instruction of teachers to teach their brand of “medically accurate” facts (forget about morally principled) on sexual habits.

Here’s the exact wording of the bill:

"Health care provider" means any professional person, medical group, independent practice association, organization, health facility, or other person or institution licensed or authorized by the state to deliver or furnish health care services.”

It further describes this facility as:

“[Is] fully integrated operationally and clinically to provide a broad range of health care services, including preventative care, prenatal and well-baby care, immunizations, screening diagnostics, emergency services, hospital and medical services, surgical services, and ancillary services.”

Further on it also refers to mental health services. Most school centered mental health services bills are carried by San Francisco Democrat Senator Leland Yee whose occupation, prior to being elected, was as a child Psychologist.

What kind of education and for what purpose? Here’s one possibility. The website for the National partnership for Women and Families (formerly the Women’s legal Defense Fund) www.nationalpatnership.org , under its section on Reproductive Health: adolescent health, describes an educational program that they have completed for the state of North Carolina, created by the School of Government University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, entitled: Legal Guide for Minors and Families. This educational program has five component parts: Legal guide for Adolescents, for pregnant and parenting adolescents, for schools and pregnant and parenting adolescents and a health care guide for pregnant adolescents. AIl of it is intended for the classroom. The NPWF further states that it is also nearing completion of a similar educational program for California and Florida.

This Guide goes into great detail about the legal rights of minors to obtain comprehensive - all inclusive - health care coverage as their right without parental involvement or influence. It instructs the student in his/her obligation as a minor to comply with parental authority and sets down the rules for parental obligation to their minor children. It further coaches the students in how to obtain legal court bypasses for abortions along with treatments for sexual diseases.

There is also a section in SB 810 authorizing schools to deliver vaccinations as deemed appropriate by the FDA and other third party so-called medical experts. There is no parental notification or opt-out opportunities. This will mean that your daughter and son will be subject to vaccinations against sexual diseases. We citizens thought we had defeated the bills authorizing Gardasil for 11 year olds and up, but they merely moved it into a little noticed segment of SB 810.

This treats the parent/child relationship as a mere contract enforced by government officials. It would also have the effect of encouraging children to turn in their parents to authorities if they, the child, feels that the parent is not fulfilling their government mandated duty.

This is the whole intent of other bills submitted periodically creating parent/teacher compacts or partnerships. Parents, especially those who are low-income, welfare, immigrant, shaky legal status, are especially sought by schools in an effort to gain these parents confidence and enable the teachers to conduct behavior modification programs on the parents, with the objective being to overcome their lack of trust in authority and allowing the schools to influence the home activities, nutrition, work efforts. etc.

1. Creates regionalized health delivery centers and attaches them to the already created Work Force Development regionalized centers - Sec. 140205.

The budget for the system shall include…:
Workforce training and development budget pursuant to Section 140222.

1. (a) The commissioner shall establish a budget to support the training, development, and continuing education of health care providers and the health care workforce needed to meet the health care needs of the population and the goals and standards of the system.

On Tuesday, April 20, I visited the office of Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, (D-Antioch) and spoke with his Chief of Staff, Richard Zeiger. The subject was Torlakson’s Resolution ACR 82 on supporting what is called S.T.E.M. legislation - Science, technology, engineering and math. This is what is becoming known as the new pathway to a better education resulting in participation in global leadership, and is being funded and promoted by the federal Race To The Top legislation - RTTT. RTTT has taken over the formerly named No Child Left Behind legislation promoted by Bill Clinton and advanced by George Bush. It is federal education stimulus funding designed to merge the education, health and workforce preparation branches of government into one super bureaucracy. As a part of that discussion we began talking about the benefits to be derived to students of a school system that enables a child to enter the work force better prepared to function in the business and industry world.

Mr. Zeiger, speaking on behalf of his boss, Tom Torlakson, spoke glowingly of the advantages of a school system that would have the authority to supervise and guide a child’s career goals even beginning at the early stages of education. He spoke of the need for schools to be better funded so that they would be better able to bring the world’s choices to the student enabling that student to decide upon a career, especially in the areas of science (health), technology (computers), engineering (construction) and math.

He even included the advantages of a health care system that would be the enabling source for a minor to decide for herself her reproductive future.

Tom Torlakson wants to be your next State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Who are the co-sponsors of this legislation?

The California Nurses Assn, Ca. Health professional Students Assn, Ca. Teachers Assn, Health Care for All - California, Ca. School Employees Assn, League of Women Voters. It further includes an entire page, tightly worded, of groups such as the ACLU, SEIU, Ca. Maternal and Child Health Dept., multiple local Democrat clubs, The AFL-CIO, the Union for Reform Judaism, several mainline Protestant denominations, local and specialized civil rights organizations and a host of community non-profit groups who will attempt to cash in on this lucrative source of funding.

The subject I have tried to describe for you is huge and all encompassing. There is much more involved than I felt could be absorbed in one report. What I have tried to convey is a sense of what will be the true intent behind the nice slogans of educational reform, jobs formations, the so-called right of everyone to be provided with health care and a peek at what that health care really entails. If it could be summed up in a few words it means that the government is taking over what was formerly the role of private enterprise in the areas of health, education and employment. It is a merger creating one entity directing the lives of every citizen, staffed by non-elected bureaucrats who will have the power to determine what your health outcome will be, what your nutrition will be, your exercise and your lifestyle choices; education will be directed more toward preparing children to enter into pre-planned workforce training designed by partnerships between business and education and, of course, the employment itself. There is much contained in education and workforce legislation that talks about students who attend the proper classes and are cooperative being able to obtain Certificates of Mastery enabling them to be assured of placement following graduation.

The sad thing is that while the Democrats favor the health care issues and the Republicans vote against it; the Republicans and the Democrats favor the workforce legislation. This results in both sides appearing to placate the desires of their Party constituents while, in reality, bringing about the change so urgently desired by the Obama Administration.

SB 810 needs to be defeated. The Democrat legislators need to hear from the voting and legal citizens who will be the ones funding all this socialized government. Attending Tea Parties is fine, but while they’ve kept you are out there on the street corner the legislators are in their chambers passing all this stuff and feeling pretty smug about it.

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April 12, 2010

Please consider taking action on the two bills listed below:

AB 2478, Anthony Mendoza, (D-Norwalk) School Safety: Disruption: Pupil’s Safety.
POSITION: OPPOSE.

Bill’s intent:
Amends existing law that provides that a person who comes into any school building or school ground, or adjacent street, sidewalk, or public way, whose presence or acts interfere with or disrupt a school activity, without lawful business, or who remains after having been asked to leave, is guilty of a public offense. Applies to any person [who] willingly creates a disruption with the intent to threaten the immediate physical safety of any pupil arriving at, attending, or leaving any preschool or school.

The author seeks to amend this law to include sending “threatening messages” so-called, to students, k-8, that might result in physical harm to these students.

There are severe penalties of $500.00 for a first offense and possibly jail time and a fine for subsequent offenses

BACKGROUND:

In 2008 the Center for Bio-Ethical Reforms, Directed by Gregg Cunningham, drove its highly identifiable truck, upon which is posted vivid photos of aborted babies, around the perimeter of a southern California middle school between 7:15 AM and 7:45 AM when the students were coming to school.

The author declared that students were so traumatized that they were placed in harm’s way by stopping in the street to stare at the truck, crying and getting angry. The school called the local Sheriff’s office to the campus with the request to remove this group from the vicinity of the school.

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform countered with a lawsuit that went all the way to the Ninth Circuit Court which found in their favor based on the freedom of speech issue. However, the court made one loophole concession.

The Court declared that if the legislature were to pass a bill making it unlawful to distribute unsettling material on the sidewalk, campus, driveway of the school, etc. they would abide by that legislative action.

This bill was introduced on Feb 19, 2010. It passed the Public Safety Committee on a 6 to O vote including two Republicans, Danny Gilmore of Hanford and Curt Hagman of Diamond Bar.

It awaits a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, chaired by Felipe Fuentes, (D) Connie Conway, (R-Visalia) V. Chair. Letterhead letters should be directed to Ms Conway, C/o Assembly Appropriations Committee, State Capitol, Sacramento. 95814.

OBJECTION: This is a deliberate attempt to silence the free speech rights of one segment of the community, the pro life complement of citizens while the opponents, the pro abortion groups, receive full first amendment rights on and off campuses to distribute literature and products to students.

This bill would have the effect of making criminals out of anyone who, attempting to exercise his/her freedom of speech, should approach a student on the city street near a campus or hold up a pro life sign near a campus.

The Appropriations Committee only looks at bills for the costs to the state. So, this bill would increase the costs to local law enforcement groups and to the courts. The costs consisting of a misuse of the law enforcement people as they are called out to restrain the first amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, the costs of court and judge time not to mention citizens jury duty time when there are important and violent crimes to be dealt with.

Both Assembly-members Hagman and Gilmore should receive calls and letters protesting their YES vote on this bill in the Public Safety Committee.

SB 438, Leland Yee, (D-SF) Charter Schools: Freedom of Speech and of the Press.
Makes provisions of existing law regarding free speech and expressive activities of public school pupils applicable to charter school.

The subject is an attempt to protect the homosexual speech rights of students on Charter school campuses. This bill is related, in a way, to the previous bill. It attempts, in this instance, to silence Christian students in Charter Schools who would wish to respond to those students expressing support for what the Christian students would find offensive and immoral. At the same time this bill would allow and even encourage those students with homosexual interests to freely express their position in school newspapers and bulletin boards. It would also protect the teachers who allowed material offensive to one segment of the school - pro life students - from being called to account for lack of direction and counsel in this matter.

There are two problems here. Charter schools have been presented to the public as schools where parents have the authority to set standards for conduct as well as academics. While supported by tax dollars, the schools were to be considered independent of state education controls.

There are Charter schools developed by Christian families and there are Charter schools created by ACORN and PICO associated parental groups. Each group might well have a different standard for what constitutes acceptable and appropriate speech on the campus bulletin boards and newspapers. This bill is sponsored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association and by the American Civil Liberties Union.

This is a definite attempt to intervene in one type of Charter School to control the speech rights of students and to interfere with parental authority mandating that parents submit to the state on this issue while protecting speech rights in other Charter Schools

Senator Yee should receive letterhead letters as well as personal letters, opposing his bill for his attempts at denying freedom of speech. The Hon. Leland Yee, C/0 State Capitol, Sacramento, Ca 95814.

I urge letterhead stationery because only letters from organizations get printed along with the bill analysis. Letters from individuals are listed as merely, for example, 5 letters.

Legislators are required to send all correspondence received to the committee next in line to hear the bill.

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by Camille Giglio

In the last few days I have seen two ads, one on TV and one on the internet, promoting elements of the universal health care plan.

AD 1: (I am paraphrasing) DEMOCRATS, VICTIMIZED FOR DEFENDING THE POOR AND NEEDY. This could well be the title of this Ad.

This Ad positions the Democrats in Congress as victims of those opposing the recently passed health care plan. The ad claims that Democrats have received threats, nasty phone calls, etc. It urges the reader to please, quickly send a $5.00 donation to the following address to help overcome this unpleasantness and help inform the people of the good work to be done by The Plan, yadda, yadda.

In truth the phone calls, if any, are probably from constituents who have a right to oppose a vote cast by their legislator and the so-called threats are, most likely, vows to defeat the legislator at the next election.

This is exactly the routine followed by Planned Parenthood. They position themselves as victims at the mercy of a well-funded but vicious pro life community which is spreading false information about the work of Planned Parenthood. They spend a fortune (of our tax dollars) sending out fund raising letters urging people to send money to aid in their “education” program. They claim to have been victimized by pro lifers and have no other way to respond but through your urgently needed donation, yadda, yadda.

You are supposed to feel sorry for these poor, brave defenders of social justice who need your protection.

AD 2. DIGITIZING MEDICAL RECORDS.

This TV Ad shows a man sitting on an examining table in a doctor’s office. The doctor wonders, out loud, if the patient has ever been checked for____. The patient shrugs his shoulders and suddenly the scene changes to include a large audience. Members of the audience start jumping up proclaiming that the patient has had this any number of tests.

Then a voice-over begins to talk about the advantages of medical record keeping and sharing.

This is the promotion of digitizing everybody’s medical records and assigning patients, without their approval or knowledge, apparently, to a Medical Home. I have written about this in the last legislative alert.

Now, this may be, to some extent, a good idea. Kaiser has this sort of organized record keeping. Instead of spending time looking through poorly written paper medical records, the doctor just has to press a button and up pops the info on whatever test or medication they ask for. Any Kaiser doctor or nurse with privileges or on a needs basis, using the proper pass code can look up your record.

Years ago I worked for a County Child Protective Services Agency. Occasionally we would learn of some client jobbing all the county services without each department knowing about the other. We would talk about how great it would be if we could somehow automatically share the information in order to find out if client A is getting the same service or payment from several agencies.

However, their is a down side to this. Just how far afield would Obama’s Administration wish to share your information? Does your employer or your child’s teacher need to know about your bladder infections, your nasal drip, your appendectomy?

There have been 5 bills so far in the 2009-10 California legislative term authorizing Medical Homes for just about everyone. Two failed, one was enacted, one was gutted and replaced with housing language and three are awaiting hearings.

AB 1037, by Bonnie Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod and Norma Torres, all Democrats.
This would have established a Medi-Cal Managed Care Pilot Program for Riverside and San Bernardino counties with access to a medical home.

By the way, there is no definition of a Medical Home in California law. apparently, because SB 966,Welfare and Institutions: Medi-Cal, by Sen. Elaine Alquist, mandates development of a definition to coincide with the 2008 Physician Practice Connections-Patient-Centered Medical Home standards and Guidelines established by the National committee for Quality Assurance.

So, these legislators are authoring bills and they don’t even have a working definition of what constitutes a medical home.

AB 6 d, Noreen Evans, Medi-Cal, was chaptered on 7/28/2009.
Provides, in order to maximize federal claiming under the Medi-Cal Hospital/Uninsured Care Demonstration Project, that the Department of Health Care Services have broad discretion to claim federal reimbursement. Authorizes the seeking of all available funding including under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Requires an application for a project federal waiver. Requires an implementation plan for such waiver. Requires the formation of a related stakeholder committee.

AB 1542, Medical Records: Homes, authored by the Assembly Health Committee.
This does carry a definition of a Medical Home.
Defines a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) as an approach to providing health care that originates in a primary care setting and fosters partnerships among the patient and health professionals to promote coordinated care, ensure quality and access to care, and to improve health. This bill will create a partnership agreement between the Health Care Professional (notice it never says doctor) and the patient to provide access to “high Quality, comprehensive care.”

I advise caution when faced with the word “comprehensive.” That is a favorite word of Planned Parenthood’s and it means family planning and abortion. This time it will include obtaining the patient’s consent to agree to a set plan of preventive measures to which the patient will be pressured to adhere.

This bill appears to have ties to a federal bill, S. 1303, Women’s Medical Home Demonstration Act by Robert Menendez, (D-NJ). This bill consigns all women to a Women’s Medical Home for the delivery of health care which does include family planning, venereal diseases and abortions.

If this passes you could be assigned to the same medical home as the town hooker and you will probably be paying, with your taxes, for her medical care.

This is an area of equality and diversity never mentioned in the pro Obama health care press.

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STATE OF THINGS FOR MARCH 23, 2010

1. Federal and State Legislation
2. Parish Nurse Program
_______________________________________

There is a 30 day waiting period between the end date for filing new bills and having those bills show up in committees. That waiting period is about expired. Also, very likely little activity has been occurring on legislation, especially health and education bills, until the Obama Care bill is signed. So, beginning this week or next bills may be starting to move.

In the meantime here are two bills to carefully watch.

STATE

AB 1542, Medical Records: Homes.
This bill is authored by the Assembly Health Committee. It establishes the Patient-Centered Medical Home Act pilot project. This creates the authority to assign every health care client’s medical records to a specific location. It further assigns the patient to that location, or medical home, creating a patient/doctor partnership. A team of medical personnel form a contract with each patient to oversee and guide that patient’s health care, mostly preventive care.

This home is sort of the gatekeeper approach to health care somewhat like the procedure for Kaiser patients, it would seem.

AT this time the bill carries no penalties for a patient’s failure to live up to the agreements of the health care contract. There is other legislation establishing peer review boards to track the performance level of the personnel, denying them new patients or payments for failure to provide appropriate care which could be used to punish those who fail to secure the compliance of the patient.

This bill has been sitting in committee since July, 2009, and is now beginning to see action. It has passed the Assembly and is now awaiting action in the Senate Health Committee.

The main selling point of this bill might be that this would be one way to restrain the costs of health care in the Obama bill.

FEDERAL

S. 1303, Robert Menendez, (D-NJ), Women’s Medical Home Demonstration Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a three year pilot program for a women’s medical home demonstration project to guide the redesign of the health care delivery system for women to oversee the delivery of “targeted, continuous, coordinated, confidential and comprehensive care to eligible individuals” beginning at age 13, or for any woman on MediCaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program - CHIP.

• This project can be headquartered at a medical facility or clinic.
• It can include family planning services.
• Preventing cervical cancer by immunization. That means vaccination of teen girls with gardasil.
• Overcomes “health disparities for minority women.
• It will reward (or punish) the management of the care through performance-based bonus payments, incentive payments.
• It will create a woman’s medical home advisory council consisting of 13 stakeholders, as they call it, representing various aspects of government and private health care professional levels.

There will be a continual analysis and assessment of which women, based on “demographic facts, such as age, race, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status benefit the most from participating in a women’s medical home.”

Cost savings to MediCaid, CHIP and other federal programs will also be evaluated.

At this time there is no indication of who is sponsoring or supporting this legislation, but I have little doubt that Planned Parenthood is behind this. Becoming the controlling agent for women’s health and reproductive activities has always been their goal.

SECURING JOBS
Now that the Health Care Insurance seems securely in place you may have noticed that President Obama is calling for a jobs bill. This is workforce development and it fits right into the health care over all plan just like the medical home. A healthy person is a healthy worker. A healthy worker is a happy worker. One can become a healthy and happy worker by submitting his working desires to a government controlled jobs and career training program either in a one-stop career center for adults or through technical education in the schools.

More about this as it develops.

PARISH NURSING.
A Lutheran trained Minister named Granger Westberg first conceived of the idea of delivering government services to citizens by accessing the people through churches. He had accompanied a U.S. Health Department fact finding trip to China in the early 1980’s, and saw the resistance of the people to direct contact by government officials. Being a minister he realized two things, A) people would have more trust in their minister than in a government official, B) people, especially women, have more trust in a woman than in a man and would confide in that woman much more easily than to a man or to a minister. He is credited with developing the delivery of “services” to parishioners in what is now termed faith based health care ministries. This is total, comprehensive health care; social, emotional, spiritual and physical.

This parish nurse, though often an actual registered nurse, can be anyone with the ability to have a pleasing personality and good listening skills. The Parish nurse often starts out as a non-paid, volunteer member of the church, but, in fact does not need to be either of the same faith or non-salaried.

The position of Parish Nurse is elevated to one of authority right alongside the pastor. She is designated as an essential provider of spiritual, physical and emotional wellbeing for the parish. She establishes a partnership with community organizations and attempts to match parishioners with what she determines to be needed services of a community agency.

According to one Catholic church parish nurse that I interviewed she even refers women to Planned Parenthood which is merely one of the community agencies with which she establishes a rapport. Though she started out all friendly when I asked her how it was possible for a Catholic parish nurse to refer a pregnant teen to Planned Parenthood she instantly became very reserved and spoke very distinctly, saying that: it was not her position to be judgmental. She was there merely to provide information about agencies and what they provided. It was up to the person to decide which services to use and what agencies to contact.

Though the parish council may give approval for this it is seldom to never fully explained by the parishioners. It starts usually with a questionnaire being given to those attending Sunday Services. It asks parishioners what they would like to see in the way of assistance from their church and other types of somewhat invasive questions. From this they create a foregone conclusion that parishioners are “needy” and can only be brought to spiritual and physical wholeness through the aid of government programs. It has happened that parishes have received payment for directing parishioners to sign up for MediCal or Healthy Families.

This parish nurse said that she brought the program to her pastor who took it to the parish council which approved it. The Bishop was not contacted for approval.

The Parish Nursing Program is endorsed by Planned Parenthood and can receive startup funding through the federal faith-based initiative legislation. Within a period of time the outside funding disappears and the parish is required to take up the costs of running this government representative-in-the-parish program.

This hands-off attitude by church officials regarding associating with Planned parenthood but not approving abortion and family planning is standard operating procedure in many Dioceses in California and elsewhere. This thinking is what enables Catholic Pastors to form associations with ACORN and PICO and its affiliates. It’s sort of the Pontius Pilate syndrome. Wash your hands of the whole abortion thing, look the other way while the vulnerable are sent off to Planned Parenthood but applaud the affordable housing, community organizing training, help for immigrants, etc.

Find out if your church has a Parish Nurse Program. Also ask if your church is a member of the the local branch of PICO or any other Community Organizing Program. During my interview with a parish nurse I asked if her pastor was active with CCISCO, the Contra Costa County, Ca. branch of PICO? She said: “Oh, Yes, he is heavily involved with CCISCO.”

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Since the beginning of the second half of the 2009-2010 term we have been following over 100 bills dealing in various aspects of education and health for their effects on the right to life and family privacy rights as well as other public policy issues.

As of today many of those bills have failed or been held in committee. Two have been signed by the Governor. Today I present you with 17 bills affecting education and family. Please pass this information on to others; your pastors, educator friends, clubs. Above all please notify your elected representatives of your position on these bills.

Everyone has a right to submit their position on a bill, even non-profit, tax deductible organizations. This is public policy not campaigning.

We take a moment to recap our concerns over education bills and family primacy and privacy.

The following is a very brief and simple explanation of developments in education.

The US Department of Education was formed in 1965 out of the bowels of the then Health and Human Services Administration. The current Obama appointed Director is Arne Duncan who stated, upon his appointment that: :Education is the Civil Rights issue of our generation,” and, further that: “education is an economic imperative.”

Creation of this cabinet level office has always been viewed as a federal power grab of what was traditionally local educational programs and standards. Part of the State’s Rights segment of the Constitution. View the website for the US Department of Education to see the 27 committees and offices within this monster Department.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/or/index.html

In 1972, a very powerful piece of legislation was passed entitled Elementary and Secondary Education Act - ESEA. This Act has been centrally figured in bringing sex education into the schools. It also brought federal funding to state and local schools with the resulting establishment of expanding federal rules regarding priorities in education.

In the late 1980’s under the George H.W. Bush Presidency a program of America 2000 was created along with an education agenda to bring us into the 21st Century. Under Clinton and with the assistance of Sen. Ted Kennedy, America 2000 morphed into Goals 2000 which in 2002 was renamed No Child Left Behind-NCLB. The ESEA/NCLB is due for re-authorization in the near future.

Little did anyone realize that this signaled a broad change in the purpose of education establishing partnerships between education and labor to produce pre-determined outcomes for students. It became known as Outcome based education.

Parents became wise to what was happening with OBE and so under George Bush,2, the name was changed to Workforce Development. Thus has begun for America, the greatest transformation in educational goals in partnership with labor. Rep. George Miller, (D-Martinez) is Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

One woman, Charlotte Iserbyt, a former department of education employee set about verifying all these changes referring to it as the “Dumbing Down of America.”

The driving force behind this proposed transformation of education was, during the Clinton Administration, Marc Tucker, Director of the National Center for Education and the Economy - NCEE. He wrote a report to Hillary Clinton setting down the guidelines on the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce - Tough Choices or Tough Times.

The final product or mission of education is now to produce shovel ready students to match the shovel ready jobs that Obama is pledging. This is the purpose of the Race to The Top education funding legislation. If states and school districts apply for the RTTT federal funding, (which several are now refusing to do) they are also agreeing to transform their educational system into one that focuses on preparing students for jobs, jobs that these Workforce Development Boards, established in every county in California, are now planning. This further removes any local control from education. It further sees the parents role in all this as little more than a partner in encouraging the child’s workforce training potential which has been pre-determined by all the longitudinal data analysis and collection software now being developed. And, finally, this is the meaning of a seamless education, or life-long education requiring pre-K thru junior college continual reinforcement of the goals set for each student.

The role of parents is being diminished, the value of our children is being determined by their ability to promote the United States’ global achievements, special interest groups including Planned Parenthood are being given privileges to access our children in the schools for the self interests of these organizations. These are the fruits of the loss of respect for the right to life of every individual. When and if we support these objectives of education and labor and health elitists, we reinforce their belief that people are expendable. Recall what was supposedly presented by the apostles in the bible: if a person doesn’t work he doesn’t eat? Well, now, if a person is not useful, from birth, to society, he/she has no God given right to existence. Here is a list of bills needing letters of opposition. Letters. postal cards or emails are requested to be sent either to the legislator or certain committees. Address is The Hon.___, C/o State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Email addresses can be found at www.leginfo.ca.gov. Bills can also be read in full on that site.

AB 35, Warren Furutani, (D-Fresno) Education: Workforce Development. Declares the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to develop a strategic plan in the education system for workforce preparation and career technical education. Requires the State Postsecondary Education Commission to develop a strategic plan for connecting education and workforce development in the state. Current Status. Has passed the Assembly, waiting in Senate Rules for assignment to a committee.

AB 465, Joe Coto, (D-San Jose) Schools: Parent Involvement. Encourages school districts to review and contract with nonprofit community-based organizations that have a proven track record and can demonstrate their success in educating parents and building direct collaboration with school districts, administrators and educations, and would be required to demonstrate and provide a culturally and linguistically competent parent involvement program. Encourages a low-performing district to submit a report showing efforts to promote parent engagement and the outcomes. Current Status: Passed the Assembly, awaiting a committee assignment in the Senate.

SB 436, Leland Yee, (D-San Francisco) Charter Schools: Freedom of Speech and of the Press. To allow charter school students the right to express their opinions in the school newsletter or bulletin boards and also to protect the school personnel from any law suits or reprimands for allowing this unsupervised freedom of speech and press. Current Status: passed the Senate, awaiting hearing in Assembly Judiciary Committee.

SB 1e, Darrell Steinberg, (D-Sacto) Public Schools: Race To The Top. Authorizes certain agencies to enter into agreements in order to facilitate the implementation of a longitudinal education data system. Establishes the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Career Technical Education Educator Credentialing Program. Provides for teacher evaluations, certain requirements for low-achieving schools, revised academic content standards, a plan to secure federal Race to the Top funds, and the sharing of certain wage data with the Department of Education and other entities. Current Status: the Governor signed this bill on 1-7-2010. This was a mandate of the federal RTTT in order for a state to show compliance with the federal RTTT application for funding.

SB 2e, Joe Simitian, (D-Palo Alto) Pupil Data. Signed by the Governor 1-7-2010 Authorizes the Department of Education to conduct pupil data management on behalf of local educational agencies. Authorizes the local agencies to access specified data via the Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System and to share specified data via the system. Requires the establishment of an education data team to respond to all requests for pupil data. Authorizes the release of data to a nonprofit scientific research entity. Establishes a child care and development program reporting process.

SB 4e, Gloria Romero, (D-LA) Public Schools: Race to the Top. Signed by Governor 1-7-2010. Establishes the Open Enrollment Act to enable pupils residing in the state to attend public schools in school districts other than their school district of residence under certain conditions. Relates to implementation of the federal Race to the Top program. Require a local educational agency to implement certain reforms for schools which are subject to corrective action and continue to fail to make adequate yearly progress. [note: This is especially worrisome because of the implication for sending students away from home and across school district borders.]

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Judge Allows SoCal Obstetrician To Keep Practice
ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) ― A judge ruled Thursday that a Southern California obstetrician may continue to practice medicine while regulators seek to revoke his license, saying the doctor didn’t violate a court order that limits the kind of procedures he can perform.

The ruling is a setback for the California Medical Board in its efforts to stop Dr. Andrew Rutland from practicing after a 30-year-old woman under his care died last year, but it’s not the final word. Another proceeding on whether Rutland should permanently lose his license is expected this year.

Administrative Law Judge James Ahler said his January order that limited Rutland’s activities did not extend to chemically induced abortions, as regulators believed it did. He clarified that his order only bars Rutland for doing surgeries and delivering babies.

The judge was reluctant to open a debate on whether chemically induced abortions jeopardized patients.

"Folks, this is not a referendum on abortion," he said.

Kathleen Nicholls, the medical board’s southern area commander, was disappointed by the ruling and called Rutland’s conduct "dangerous."

"How many patients have to die before a doctor is shut down?" she said outside the hearing room. "It’s unfortunate someone else is going to have to die to change this order."

Rutland, 66, first surrendered his license in 2002 in a high-profile case involving the deaths of two infants. In 2007, he convinced the board that he had been rehabilitated and regained his license.

New troubles surfaced after the 30-year-old woman visited Rutland’s San Gabriel clinic last July for a second trimester abortion and was injected with lidocaine. According to court records, she went into respiratory distress and died six days later.

The medical board said that Rutland offered a chemically induced abortion to an undercover investigator who visited his Chula Vista clinic in suburban San Diego this month.

His attorney, Paul Hittelman, said Rutland had problems in the past but that he deserves to continue practicing.

"He’s had such a long history of successes," Hittleman said after the hearing. "I don’t represent people who I don’t think merit my services."

Rutland, who is based in Anaheim, did not appear at the hearing.

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In a previous report on Workforce Development the acronym STEM was mentioned. This stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. It is the core component of the new educational focus as mandated by the Obama Race To The Top federal education standards. California, if it qualifies for Race funding, stands to receive something like $4 billion. This is funding contained in the latest stimulus package.

Creating new jobs and building new infrastructure technology to go along with the jobs is the latest government mantra. Well, what does all this mean in reality?

Here are some examples.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

(a) If California is to retain its premier position in stem cell research and fully realize the medical and economic benefits of regenerative medicine, stronger links are needed between California public schools and this emerging industry.

California bill SB 471, by Gloria Romero, (D-L.A.) Stem Cell and Biotechnology Workforce Development was signed into law by the Governor on 10/11/2009.

As you may recall, Proposition 71 creating the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine - CIRM was passed in November of 2004. It was sold to the public on the premise of awe inspiring cures for otherwise incurable diseases and disabilities.

This proposition guaranteed $3 billion in state bond funding to the Center for Regenerative Medicine to research cures through the use of embryonic (pre-born baby) stem cells. As of May, 2009, the CIRM had spent nearly $700 million in research and facilities grants. (Most of it went for facilities and salaries).

During this time many promising pieces of research using adult stem cells have been produced, but in California no cures have been forthcoming from Embryonic stem cell sources. And, apparently the CIRM is finding it difficult to find people even willing to work in this Frankenstein-esque industry. At the time of its creation the CIRM refused to consider any research in the field of adult stem cells.

SB 471 was approved in order to provide it with authority to enter into agreements with educational programs, in the field of science, to train more workers for the embryonic stem cell research programs.

This is considered a jobs creation incentive. It will have nothing to do with curing or ameliorating disabling illnesses, but it will meet the national criterion of Science and technology mandates. Instead of developing realistic cures the stem cell industry will be creating educational programs and questionable ones at that seeing that this is a dead-end industry. Where will these students go when they graduate? Will it be right back into more training academies for whatever is then the current fad research?

Regarding infrastructure changes:

GPR 1, State Government Information Technology, the Governor’s own bill, and ACR 88, an Assembly Concurrent Resolution, by Tom Torlakson, (D-Antioch), Education, Science, Technology, Engineering, Math. (STEM)

GPR 1, makes drastic changes to the Welfare and Institutions Code, the Government Code, the Public Contract Code and the Revenue and Taxation Code. This is a 38 page bill submitted on 3/10/2009 and adopted on 5/7/2009.

This is a massive reorganization of government offices creating the office of the state Chief Information Officer within the Cabinet and moving many government branches under the Governor’s direct authority. This removes these offices from public access.

One of the things I find most troubling about this reorganization is the creation of a Council of Governors created by the Obama Administration. This Council will be advisors, so to speak, directly to the President or, from the President to the people through the Governors.

Resolutions do not carry the authority of bills, but they do indicate the sense of the legislature indicating what the legislature would like to see happen.

Torlakson’s Resolution, ACR 88, does not need the Governor’s signature. It passed out of the Assembly and awaits a committee hearing in the Senate. It is only 3 pages but carries great significance for its cloning of Obama’s and the United Nation’s global education standards.

This sets out the principle components of a state level STEM Task Force consisting of 11 members. It’s purpose is to call attention to the citizens of California about the “distressing shortage of Californians prepared to contribute to the state’s future technology workforce.” And, further, that it shall be establish[ed] “for the purpose of raising awareness of educational issues and shall be nonpartisan in nature.”

Notice the emphasis on the state’s future, not the students futures? Does this truly reflect the mind of the legislature? Isn’t the legislature supposed to reflect the mind of the citizens who elected these people?

Does anyone else see a disconnect here?

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1. Legislation
2. Churches and secular influences.
___________________________________

“Why has the Lord permitted us
to be defeated today by the Philistines?
1 Samuel 4:3

There is a flurry of activity now in the state legislature. My time has been quite taken up with research, interviews of legislators or their aides and reading books on policy subjects. One book I would recommend for those who like heavy reading is “Politics for the Greatest Good: The case for prudence in the Public Square,” by Clarke D. Forsythe former Director of Americans United for Life.

Prudence, in this instance, is not compromise, but the gifts of discernment and wisdom as to what can be accomplished at any given time in the public arena and what should be tried to accomplish. Sad to admit but there are ever deepening dependencies both in the private and religious realms of dependency upon financial funding sources and power sources tied to activities and funding sources that would ordinarily be inimical to both. Sometimes asking for the whole enchilada can be more destructive than just taking that enchilada one bite at a time as in working for parental notification for a minor child’s abortion rather than a Personhood Amendment in a single bill. This is my example, not one offered in the book.

I have also taken some time to “walk the halls” in Sacramento, talking to legislative Aides, especially Republican Aides. It is instructive to understand what dynamic is going on when we see Republicans such as Republican Assemblyman mark Wyland, endorsing Democrat bills such as the Obama Administration promotion of “Race to the Top” (G. Romero, (D) SB x 45) education funding and restructuring bills. No Wyland employee was willing to speak for the record as to the reason a Republican co-authored a Democrat bill. The Republican federal No Child Left Behind education goals and agenda has now been supplanted by the Race To The Top legislation.

Here is my observation of the current cooperative attitude between Democrat and Republican legislators in Sacramento: there has been a decided choice on the part of Republicans not to think of this as a Democrat or federal funding takeover of local educational matters. Rather they preferred to think of it as a needed improvement of educational standards. These so-called improved educational standards are, in reality, nationwide, standardized core subject standards. This then brings national standards into the local community denying parents a right to involvement of what their child learns, places the national standards within the international (global) standards as sought by the United Nations and effectively makes every child a student of the global goals and standards. This further threatens the autonomy offered to Charter School parents and students as well as I will demonstrate further on in this report.

Did you know that ACORN and PICO have created Charter Schools as well?

This new attitude of cooperation in the legislature brings with it legislation already signed by the Governor authorizing Open Enrollment policies for the Public and Charter School, especially in economically deprived communities (read black and Hispanic).

Open enrollment policy states that a child who is failing in school may apply to any other (approved) school in the state. I asked one Aide if that meant that, for example, a 4th grader might only be able to improve his education by attending a special school that is several counties away from home? He said, yes, if the parents chose that. I asked, if, in the case of this school being only across the district or the county, who would be accountable for living arrangements for out of county placements and or transportation arrangements? Again, the Aide hedged but eventually affirmed that it would be up to the parents to make the living arrangements to board the child somewhere.

Regarding transportation I asked who would be responsible for getting the student(s) to these distant schools especially if poor parents have no means of transportation? He really hedged at that, but admitted that it would probably be up to the school system to arrange for transportation. Can’t you just picture the expanding number of buses needed to drive students of all ages around to schools? Talk about traffic jams!

This Aide further rejected the idea of Open Enrollment leading to internationalization of education, but, stated, instead, that what might happen is one state cooperating with 4 or 5 other states to set standards. I asked if he was referring to regionalization of education? He preferred the words collaboration or cooperation. But he did not deny the idea of regionalization. This fits in with workforce development standards and Master Plans.

And, by the way, everything is thought of these days as the necessity of forming Master Plans. Master Plans for workforce development whether it be in the health care fields, education arena, technology, science, teaching, elder care, transportation. All these plans mandate the formation of state and county advisory or oversight committees of local politicians, business people, non-profits, community organizing groups, unions, etc.
_________

LEGISLATION - State

AB 535 - Tom Ammiano, (D-SF) Elder Death Review Teams: Information Requests.

This bill has passed both the Assembly Health and the Asm Long-Term Care Committee with both Dems and Reps, in some instances voting for.

Ammiano’s Aide said, in passing, that the medical directive for health care that the bill would work with is called Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment - POLST. This is a program prompted by the Compassion in Care group which was the major supporter of the latest attempt at passing Physician Assisted Suicide.

The official sponsors are the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform and the California Senior Legislature (a private, non-profit lobbying group.

While this would appear to be an admirable piece of legislation seeking to provide the fullest protection against elder abuse and discrimination, a look beneath the nice words presents a different picture.

This is the Master Plan for elder care. It will create state and local elder death review advisory panels for all skilled nursing facilities - snf. These panels consisting of distinguished local elected, legal, community, medical and non-profit groups will have the power to mandate in-depth reporting and analysis of the manner in which patients die. This information will be shared with all the agencies connected to the death review teams. There will be an electronic data collection system developed or put into use. The stated purpose is to act as a monitor for any actual or suspected elder patient abuse, physical, medical, mental, social or financial.

The bill is, in my estimation, suspect for being used to monitor whether or not facilities are complying with any right to die mandates that are not being complied with especially since the bill promotes the POLST. www.finalchoice.org.

Location of Bill: 1/14 it passed out of the Long-term Health Committee and is going to the Appropriations.

REQUEST: Please write to the author, The Hon. Tom Ammiano, c/o State Capitol, Sacramento 95814 with a copy to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, same address. PLEASE use letterhead organization stationery if you have any. Only that way will your opposition get on the record.

Since this is appropriations which means funding, they are not swayed (much) by moral or religious persuasions. The fact that it is going to appropriations means that it is believed that it will have a fiscal impact even though the author denies any impact. One could easily state that this bill would negatively affect the smooth flow of medical and personal care to patients if there has to be a continual use of personnel to fill out state forms and to be on-call to any of the local death panel team members for information and analysis.

This team could also, especially with the advent of Universal Health care, be a means of rating these facilities as to whether or not they will be denied new patients and or whether their employees or medical staff will be subject to law suits for failure to comply promptly with reporting mandates.

SB 438, Leland Yee, (D-SF) Charter Schools: Freedom of Speech and of the Press. On 1/14/ this bill was gutted and amended from a health care bill to its current status as an education Committee free speech bill which will include Charter Schools under the Public School freedom of speech and school newspaper press rights.

It is being promoted as merely an adjustment to the law drawing in the Charter Schools under its protection, but it has an interesting twist.

Charter Schools have become popular with both conservative and Christian families due to its presumed freedom of families to be involved in setting education goals and standards.

This bill would protect the right of students to publish in campus newspapers anything they chose as well as put notices on bulletin boards (that’s where freedom of the press comes in). It also has the potential for protecting staff from law suits for allowing student free speech.

This would begin to be a limitation on parental rights to set standards and goals whether it would be a case of promotion of homosexuality, abortion or in the case of an ACORN Charter School, some student who would want to write about supporting the right to life. LOCATION: Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee awaiting hearing due to change of focus and different potential for costs to the state such as law suits.

Letters of Opposition should be sent to the author, The Hon. Leland Yee at the state Capitol address and a copy to the Senate Appropriations Committee. In this case it would be appropriate to make reference to the potential for placing limitations on Charter School parental involvement rights along with stating that this is a nuisance type piece of legislation interfering with academic learning leading to court challenges of parental rights.
______________________

Thank you to all who contributed to our support during December and January. There is one clarification that we wish to make regarding donations. At one time and for many years, California Right to Life Education Fund, IRS 501 (c) 3 and California Right to Life Committee, Inc. IRS 501 (c) 4, were two phases of the same organization. Right around 2000 we split into two separate organizations. CRLEF retained its non-profit, tax deductible status and maintains a separate office and identity. I took over the Committee, Inc. or Public Policy Advocacy activities. Money donated to the one organization does not benefit the other organization. We both hope and pray that you continue supporting both of us but, please, with separate checks.

Donations to Committee, Inc. are used to defray the costs of research on legislation and mailings. It is still considered educational activities but with the added emphasis of providing the citizen with the tools to access their elected officials and advocate for life in the public square. This is not political activity or support or opposition to candidates. That comes under an entirely different branch of IRS rules with which neither of us are connected.

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This was the title of a page 3 article in the 12/20.2009, Contra Costa Times. It was about culling trees unworthy of life from a grove of more desirable and stately oaks. It should have been the title of an article about the most despicable piece of legislation since Roe v Wade.

Senator Ben Nelson betrayed his pro life supporters and all babies waiting to be born, and chose special monetary perks for his state with the same cavalier manner as the tree cutters taking their chain saws to certain trees - sorry, baby, you gotta go.

This Obama Health Care legislation is about a lot of things other than abortion, its true, but whereas, TARP and the ARRA have been used to bolster the banks and auto industry, health care money will underwrite the abortion Planned Parenthood industry which is already awash in state and federal funds, not to mention the blood of millions of unborn human babies.

Will this be enough for the population controllers? Apparently not. No sooner was there an announcement about Ben Nelson’s cave-in than Debra Ness, Director of National Partners for Women and Families issued a statement declaring: “[a]greement reached in the Senate today on abortion services would be a huge step backward.” Further, “[it] creates an unworkable impediment to women’s ability to access reproductive health coverage.”

The abortion industry will never be satisfied until they control every aspect of human reproduction. Margaret Sanger and her original Birth Controller’s group set themselves up to be the ones to determine which human lives get culled from the ranks of the more stately humans and they didn’t care how they did it. The current crop of legislators also don’t seem to care how they wrest control of human lives away from individuals and gather it to themselves. They promise health care for all but the result is universal control of all.

But, make no mistake, this health care legislation is not just about cleansing the population of so-called undesirables horrible as that is. The legislators want to clean up and reform those humans allowed to live.

Over the years many pieces of legislation that have started out as beneficent have become instead a means of control. The 1960’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act has given us sex education in the schools and all that that created. Title X of the Social Security Act has brought abortion funding and now Workforce Development which places control of jobs and businesses in the hands of government.

The No Child Left Behind Act, which originated with the First President Bush in a well-meaning attempt to ensure that no child was deprived of a good education has turned into a further means of government control, government advisory bodies, centralization of education and is now planned as a means of drawing homeless children into the noose of Obama Care.

Something called the McKinney/Vento Act was added to the NCLB providing a definition of what constitutes a homeless child for the purpose of ensuring that homeless children received an education equal with that of any other child. Now Congress is seeking to expand that definition of homelessness into the arena of health care which means placing them in the hands of Planned Parenthood for their Responsible Reproductive activities co-authored by Sen. Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer. Sort of a Civil Rights Act for children.

For the purpose of McKinney/Vento a homeless child is one who: shares housing with other people, experiences economic hardships, living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, emergency shelters or was abandoned in hospitals, etc. and includes migratory children as defined by the ESEA of 1965.

HR 4173 by Barney Frank is yet another omnibus human control piece of legislation. It seeks to reform Wall Street by claiming that it will be the Consumer Protection Ac-t of 2009. This is another 2000 page plus bill, beginning with numbered section 1000 and ending with section 8004.

The U.S. Senate with Harry Reid leading the charge has been debating HR 3590 a 2000 page guide to controlling the population, but Reid also has 66 bills of his own, of which, at least 12 directly effect various aspects of daily human life. And he isn’t the only legislator carrying such bills. All these bills have been sitting in committee, most of them since January 6, 2009, just waiting for passage of this omnibus Universal Care (control) bill.

Here are some of the more egregious bills:

HR 3253, Carl Levin (D-Mi) Advance Directives Promotion Act of 2009. Provides funds to states to advertise and expand the use of advance directives in end of life planning by amending Titles XVlll and XVlX of the Social Security Act. It will create hot lines for decision making counseling, promote decision making educational programs for the general public. Life long learning may become life shortening learning.

S. 1, Harry Reid, Economic Growth. This proposes to create jobs, restore economic growth, strengthen American’s middle class, modernize the nation’s infrastructure, enhance American’s energy independence, expand educational opportunities (this is career technical education - school to work) improve affordable health care, provide tax relief and protect those in great need.

S. 2, Harry Reid, Middle Class Opportunity Act. This bill is what is called a “sense of Congress” bill. It urges the President to sign legislation to improve the lives of middle class families and provide them with greater opportunity to achieve the American dream, meet retirement needs, help families acquire education and training, promote child and elder care, and freedom to unionize which is further referred to in the bill as providing “fair pay for all workers.” In other words one will not be paid for the work done or how much effort was put into preparing for the job but what the government wants you to have.

S. 3, Harry Reid, Homeowners and Consumers. Reduces foreclosures, ensures availability of credit for homeowners, business and consumers and reforming the financial regulatory system.

This falls in line with Barney Frank’s Wall Street reform bill. Government bureaucrats will determine who gets to open businesses, who gets loans, who works at those jobs and who lives where.

In regard to who lives where we refer you to all the Smart Growth, Sustainable Development legislation that seeks to reconstruct communities according to government elitists ideas of the most efficient means of providing affordable housing to everyone, placing like groups of people, economically and age wise together. Senior citizens are already being urged to move into cluster type housing and surrender their homes to those whom the government has declared need them more. I think the clustering of seniors is more for the advantage of all the community service providers who won’t have to drive very far to “service” all the so-called needs of the aging boomers.

S. 4, Harry Reid, Health Coverage. Another sense of the Congress to guarantee affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans.

S. 5, Harry Reid, Economy and Security of United States. This will be provided by reducing the dependence of the US from unsustainable energy sources and the risk of global warming. S. 6 is about providing national security. This, like most of these are basically spot bills. They are brief, say little and can be used at the last minute for amending into other bills or expanding to include other bills.

S. 7, Harry Reid, Educational Opportunities. Early children education and after school programs, advancing reform in elementary and secondary education, strengthening math, science and making education more affordable. This is the true dumbing down of America. Affordable doesn’t mean financially. It means sending all students through 16 years of schooling to insure that the behavior modification stays firmly rooted.

S. 21, Harry Reid, Womens Health Care. This 26 page bill is a rehash of a multitude of abortion funding bills over the years. It amends Title X of the Public Health Service Act to create an education program entitled “Responsibility about Life Act.” Even if abortion funding had been removed from Obama Care, this bill would get pushed through thereby providing the funding for abortion. Guess what non-profit radical feminist group would be charged with developing this curriculum and training the teachers? One would not have to legitimize prostitution, all young people would become volunteer prostitutes doing their duty for their country. Can you imagine your beautiful little girl receiving outcome based education to be a prostitute? Don’t laugh.

S. 968-IS, Harry Reid, Secondary School Innovation Fund Act. According to this bill: “The nation has failed to educate enough students to meet workforce demands.”

Did you understand all these decades that this was the job of education? Was education always meant to be little more than a sausage factory spewing out pliable, compliant bodies ready for work? I surely didn’t realize this. This is how Harry Reid and others see our precious children, merely widgets in the gristmill of capitalism.

HR 4072, Walt Clifford Minnick, (D-ID-01). Federal Job Training and Career Education Programs. Requires certain federal job training and career education programs give priority to programs that provide a national industry-recognized and portable credential.

This is a direct attack on home schooled children. If the graduating student does not have the government mandated required mind set for becoming a member of the workforce in a position that the government has determined is needed, then that student might as well forget about working.

When man attempts to practice the corporal works of mercy but without consideration for the spiritual needs of man; when legislators perceive that they can govern men’s lives through science and touchy feely psychology producing the perfect society but without a consideration of God’s plan for man’s eternal salvation this is the result. Many countries have lived behind the Iron Curtain of Communism. We, in America, may well end up living within the padded cells of smothering nannyism.

This is the Christmas Season. This is the time to recall that God has promised to always be with us. He can not take his eyes off of us, His beloved created beings. We must always hold precious the understanding that all, each and every, human being is precious in God’s eyes and that we are called upon to be a messenger of that love and compassion to all our neighbors no matter what the government mandates.

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Two words seem to dominate our lives these days. Those words are universal and health. Do we have a clear understanding of these two words as they apply to health care legislation in Congress?

According to Wikipedia, in 1948 the World Health Organization
WHO-submitted the definitive understanding of health as it relates to human beings. Health is: “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

They further provided definitions for the words physical, mental and social. Social determinants of well-being are “economic and social conditions or lifestyle choices of individual human persons.”

See also the WHO Healthy Cities Project http://www.euro.who.int/healthy-cities which states that:
The WHO Healthy Cities program engages local governments in health development through a process of political commitment, institutional change, capacity building, partnership-based planning and innovative projects. It promotes comprehensive and systematic policy and planning with a special emphasis on health inequalities and urban poverty, the needs of vulnerable groups, participatory governance and the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. It also strives to include health considerations in economic, regeneration and urban development efforts.

In other words, one can not have a healthy city without healthy people and one can not have healthy people if the city isn’t healthy. Further, the only way that we can have both healthy cities and healthy people is for a centralized global or universal government body to take charge and define and direct the proper health services to citizens globally.

The so-called benefits of globalization of governance already exists within the United States. Take the U.S. Supreme Court Decision of Roe v Wade and its companion case of Doe v Bolton.

Roe v Wade swept away any recognition of human life in the womb giving all rights and protections to born women. Then The Supreme declared, in Doe v Bolton that abortions would be permitted to protect the health of the mother defining health in the broadest of terms along the lines of the WHO definition of health.

This allowed special interest groups to submit legislation to the various states declaring that since abortion was merely one option in a series of reproductive health options parents couldn’t intervene in their minor daughter’s abortion. States were allowed to fund abortions if they funded birth, Informed consent for this health procedure became a sham, illegal immigrants could have tax funded abortions just like ordinary citizens. Down’s Syndrome babies and those with disabilities could be aborted, multiple conceptions could be chemically or surgically reduced (selective abortion) to protect the mother’s health, stem cells could be harvested from preborns for the use of other humans, anyone rich or poor could have a tax funded abortion if the pregnancy was stressful, or for the fear of job loss, or school time lost. Now doctors and hospitals are faced with penalties if they refuse to participate, nurses could lose their jobs if they refuse to participate.

With Roe v. Wade our country surrendered the control of who comes into the world to the government. If the Universal Health care plan passes we will be surrendering many of our constitutionally protected rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness to government guidance as well.

All surrendered in the name of health and well-being. All contained in the Obama Health Care objective.

As for an understanding of healthy cities we need only read the daily papers to see the doom and gloom predicted unless we get out of our gas operated cars, don’t burn wood in our fireplaces, turn all work opportunities into green jobs to save little creepy crawly critters while suppressing human rights to own and manage their own property. People like Al Gore are making millions out of creating panic with global warming while we citizens are being systematically pushed out of parks and forests and rivers and jobs and farms.

And, in the area of preserving mental health the legislators, think tanks, community non-profits and schools are having a ball writing legislation to create multiple layers of government bureaucracies to manage centralized government planning for sustainable jobs. An employed worker is a happy worker, a happy worker is free of mental stress and therefore, a healthy worker. And, lastly, a happy and healthy worker is a productive member of the sustainable, global community.

How does one get to become a sustainable worker? Like the lion in the Wizard of Oz, he is given a piece of paper declaring how brave he is. In this case it is a certificate of performance which he/she carries around to every job opening as government planners get new insights into what constitutes sustainable jobs. And, how does this worker earn this certificate? Why he/she begins learning about sustainable jobs and community needs in kindergarten with classes prepared by public/private partnerships of government and private (approved) enterprises who are tasked with what sort of jobs, homes, roads, etc. every community needs in order to be sustainable. This equates to just the right number of humans in every community for the right number of jobs, classroom seats, locally or regionally grown food, etc.

You think those weekend farmers’ markets are kind of cute now, wait until you have to shop there for all your food required.

The emphasis in schools now being placed on math, technology and science isn’t, according to the writings of educators and business leaders, for the academic benefit of students but for the benefit of the community.

Much of this information may be new to you, dear reader, but it is not new to the intellectual elitist planners. Here is one small example from The introduction to Polytechnical Education: A Step: “The Soviet Union, and countries closely allied with the USSR, [1964-1984] have developed a curriculum known as polytechnical education. It is one of the leading efforts to establish a school in which there is what in English writing on education is termed “parity of esteem” of vocational and academic preparation. Soviet polytechnical education is rooted in the Marxist-leninist ideology, which remains a powerful influence despite a move toward an economy responsive to the market.”

The fifty page report designed to promote the Soviet polytechnical type of education is offered as “just a step” in its advancement.

The Obama Health Care legislation now being fought over in Congress is intended to be “just a step” in developing the womb to tomb total oversight of the personal health of every American citizen. I would suggest that President Obama’s urgings for passage are tied into the UN’s mandate that he merge the goals and end objectives of the United Nations Agenda 21 program, the WHO’s Healthy Cities program, the special interests (who helped buy the presidency for Obama) objectives of providing all the services or, one might say, monitoring of every citizen in order to obtain compliance with the program.

Between the federal level legislation and the state level legislation on this whole subject I have counted about 100 active bills just waiting for passage of the Health Care bill, with or without abortion coverage. On the federal level these bills could be considered as earmarks or amendments riding on the coattails of the health care legislation. The legislators don’t want to create them as amendments because they would be discovered and the true purpose of the health care legislation would be exposed so they craft them and the attached funding as separate bills.

On the state level, for the federal funds to come through to the state, county or local government, legislative authorization must be approved.

Here is a listing of some of the more egregious pieces of legislation

FEDERAL

HR 26, Biggert (R-Il-13. Eating disorders. Cites Title V of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act as basis for establishing programs in the schools to detect eating disorders in students and “for other purposes.” Its those other purposes that worry me.

HR 795, Edolphus Towns (D-NY-10) Greatly expands the role of School-to-Work.

HR 1152, Rosa DeLauro, (D-NY), National community Service Act Grand Program. Provides funds and support for the encouragement of expanding the role of volunteers in community programs.

HR 1388, Carolyn McCarthy, (D-NY- 04) Reform of National Service Laws. Signed by President Obama.

HR 1551, Barbara Lee (D-Oakland ) Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy HIV rates. The Responsible Education About Life Act. Debunks the need or usefulness of abstinence education replacing it with more Planned Parenthood feel good decision making about sexual activity with no parental involvement.

It’s amusing, these so-called educators constantly propose legislation and programs to involve parents in the math, technology and science school work of their students, but fight like heck to keep parents out of their students reproductive learning and decision making classes and “homework”.

HR 2184, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-14) Pre-Kindergarten. Three to five year olds in government all day schools prior to kindergarten.

HR 3247, Brian Baird, (D-Wa-03) Social land Behavioral Science Research Program. To gain acceptance of these programs in the schools.

    A.     206, Barbara Boxer, (D-Ca) Pre-School year before kindergarten.

HR 1710, Mark Souder, (R-In-03) Public School Mental Health Services. Seeking authorization under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act - ESEA- for provision of mental health Services to students during class time and without parental involvement.

HR2667, Jim McDermott, (D-Wa-07) Home Visitations. Cites Part B, Title lV of the Social Security Act as basis for establishing workers to visit homes seeking disfunctional families for delivery of social services. There are a total of 13 related bills in Congress including HR 2205, Danny Davis, (D-Il-07) Early Childhood Home Visitation. For the purpose of determining the mental health of the home’s inhabitants.

HJR by Jesse Jackson (D-12-02) Equality of Rights and Reproductive Rights. This resolution supports the United Nations attempts to establish abortion over the world.

Other bills would establish protections for sea otters, B. Boxer, S. 1748 as companion to Sen. John Kerry’s Clean Energy Economy bill.

HR 4072, Walt Clifford Minnick, (D-ID-01) Federal Job Training and Career Education Program. Would provide for a certificate or industry recognized and portable credential.

This is only a partial list, it goes on and on. I haven’t even begun on the state legislation which reflects the federal legislation. They all need funding. If they pass without funding approval then they sit there waiting for a time when funding becomes available and then they are initiated into the stable of super governance.

These bills can be stopped. It takes the will of the people to stand up and declare they will not accept this intrusion into every day life. One must take time out of busy days to write the letters of opposition to the legislators, the newspapers, your church officials. The Catholic Bishops are making a lot of noise these days opposing the abortion funding contained in the health care legislation but they are silent on all the rest of it. They need to hear from you. This too needs to be resisted with all our moral and patriotic fiber. If this health care passes any restrictions on abortion funding will be lost in the rush to conform.

Footnotes

1. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States1 (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948. (This definition has never been changed)

2. PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES: A National Action Plan for Workforce Development in Behavioral Health. ps.psychiatryo2nline.org July 2009 vol. 60 No. 7. This outlines seven strategic goals in developing a public/private partnership to recruit, train and expand behavioral health workers.

3. National Center for Research in Vocational Education: Polytechnical Education: a Step. Published by the University of California, Berkeley. Supported by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Dept. of Education. Sept.1990. Funding by the Carl D Perkins Vocational Education Act P.L. 98-524. Title Vl of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is referenced as the basis for the idea of “parity of esteem.”

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by Camille Giglio

STATE OF THINGS FOR NOVEMBER 15, 2009

The following quotes are from a press release reported in Yahoo News on 11/12/09 provided to POLITICO by the National Republican Committee spokesperson, Gail Gitchko.

“Leading up to passage of the House health care reform bill last week, 176 House Republicans joined 64 Democrats in voting for the so-called Stupak amendment, a measure that prohibits federal funds from being used to buy health insurance that covers elective abortions.”

Gitchko, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee – the campaign arm for the House Republicans –said further that “The policy does not cover abortions unless the life of the mother is in danger.”

Where has the RNC been these last 36 years? Life of the mother is a vague undefined term, expressly so, in order to dodge around political goals. Life of the mother under the 1973 Doe v Bolton US Supreme Court Decision, companion to Roe v Wade, established that this phrase encompasses her entire existence from social, educational, work related, lifestyle related, financially related areas of activity and everything in between.

The lawyers within the RNC should have known what Roe v Wade said. Few obviously remember Doe v Bolton except abortion lobbyists when it comes to writing up legislation, in which case they carefully enclose abortion around emotional, meaningless words like “life of the mother.”

Even though Gitchko said that “[T]here is no indication that any RNC employee used the abortion coverage, “ the very fact that they use CIGNA or any insurance coverage that has an abortion package, they are helping to pay for abortions for everyone else in that plan.

What allows them to get away with this deception is the fact that no legislator has dared carry a bill that addresses the Personhood of the pre-born child. American Life League headquartered in Stafford, Va. has been attempting to get Congressional legislators to sign on to a personhood amendment.

And, why isn’t it allowed? Because the pro life community of national and local organizations with a few exceptions, has done a very poor job in educating its members to attack the root cause of abortion in our country - the courts and the elected officials.

It is also one thing to allow someone to chose to pay for abortion coverage, it is entirely another matter for legislators to require everyone to accept responsibility for paying for reducing the population by killing the human being in utero which is what will happen with the ObamaCare program.

Here is another aspect to this so-called health care for all concern………

“Let’s foster personal responsibility in health care.” This is the title of an article by Robert J. Laskowski (11/09/09). Dr. Laskowski is the president and chief executive officer of Christiana Care Health System. This is a hospital system serving the greater Delaware suburbs. A brief review of the website indicates that this is a very politically correct and connected hospital with a multitude of community services including teen pregnancy prevention (4 out of the 5 service agencies represented are abortion related) and home visitations for expectant and new mothers which is included in HR 3962 recently passed by the House of Representatives.

Dr. Laskowski commiserates with all those who find it so hard to lose weight. He presents the attitude that those living in “poor” or immigrant communities find it difficult to buy fresh food or to avoid highly salted canned foods; also, some people just can’t help it, he says. It’s in the genes. So society should help these people get their obesity under control.

This of course immediately negates his book’s title of personal responsibility. He suggests we (through legislation) make healthy food more affordable, i.e., control the food industry, Make exercise more enticing by creating more sidewalks alongside highways and more bicycle lanes. This is already being done in many areas because the local office holders will gain more tax funding if they can get people out of their cars, thereby, helping with the global warming. Just how much of a third world country appearance should we acquire?

I really like this one; Have health insurers provide customers with breaks on their health premiums if they lose weight. You know, the old, make them an offer they can’t refuse?

And, finally, create incentives for doctors who successfully alter their patients lifestyles. “Let’s find a way to compensate doctors for keeping people well. Let’s train doctors in medical school how to talk about quitting smoking and losing weight.”

None of his suggestions are new. A couple of years ago I watched a local town hall type TV program on which one woman insisted that health care insurance should pay the monthly dues for health clubs (saunas, jacuzzis, spas, jazzercize, etc) for overweight people.

The article concludes with “[W]e can beat obesity in America–but only if we find smart and creative ways to help people help themselves.”

Can you imagine the thought of someone like Congressman Barney Frank authoring legislation to tell you and me how to fight obesity?

A corollary to this program is drug abuse treatment. John Coppola, executive director of the New York State Association of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers, has penned an article entitled “Fallout more costly than treatment.”

His idea is to fund the continual supply of drugs under government mandates to drug abusers with tax dollars rather than pay the costs to society of the effects of drug addictions. In other words, if someone has a disease he/she deserves to be treated with the proper medication. drug addiction is a disease so rather than denying the addict the “treatment” he so desperately needs, supply him with an appropriate level of the drugs in a controlled and monitored manner in a prescribed setting. Anyone remember “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?”

This could all be handled, according to New York Governor David Patterson through additional taxes on alcoholic beverages. This delights the community organizations who will receive the funds to service the addicts, gets the drug suppliers off the hook, and manipulates the addict to conform to the demands of the new supplier in town.

If we are going to tax alcohol to pay for drugs then do we tax candy makers to pay for alcohol addiction treatments? Will I be able to stop by my friendly drug store to get my nightly prescribed shot of alcoholic beverage of choice?

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On Saturday, November 7, 2009, deep into the night members of the House of Representatives, goaded on by their various supporters, struggled with the question of abortion funding. The result? Bart Stupak’s pro life amendment to the health care bill emerged victorious accompanied by shouts of joy from the pro life and Catholic community and ominous threats from the pro abort community.

But, wait. What, exactly was that Amendment? It was the Hyde Amendment, you say? Well, what’s the Hyde Amendment?

The Hyde Amendment,[1] passed on September 30, 1976 by the U.S. House by a 207-167 vote, is a limitation amendment barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortions through funds allocated by the annual appropriations bill for Health and Human Services. It was so named because its chief sponsor was Republican Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois. The measure was introduced in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing
abortion, and represented the first major legislative success by abortion opponents in the United States. Contrary to popular conception, the Hyde Amendment does not ban all federal funding for abortion. The legislation only bans funds from appropriations for the HHS budget from going to that purpose. [Wikipedia] [note: The HHS was and is the main conduit for abortion funding.]

There are two problems with this Amendment in today’s world. The Hyde Amendment will not have any bearing on the new health care coverage plan and, the Hyde Amendment, over the years has been so amended itself as to be almost meaningless. Abortions can be paid for with federal tax dollars if it is determined that the pregnancy will impair the health of the mother and/or if the pregnancy occurred from rape or incest This was the language contained in the 1973 Roe v Wade companion decision entitled, Doe v Bolton handed down by the US Supreme Court.

Doe v Bolton provided a broad and generalized understanding of health. It meant the social health of the pregnant woman as well as her educational health, her employment health and her mental health. Soon after this Decision came into being the number of rapes reported increased significantly. Over the years reports of abortion funding have shown that about 90% of abortions could fit under this definition.

What this late night action did produce was an inside look into the true feelings not only of the Congress but also of the Catholic Bishops who, for the most part, have mounted a campaign against abortion funding that appears to be too little, too late.

So, is Bart Stupak, (D-Mi) brilliant or was he duped by Pelosi and company? Was he used by Pelosi and company to produce an appearance on the part of the Democrats For Life group to be supportive of the Right to Life? Did he do this deliberately in order to save the seats of all those Democrats residing in heavily pro life districts, letting them cover themselves with the appearance of upholding the Right to Life while they knew all along it was meaningless?

It has also been learned that since 1990 the National Republican Committee has been providing abortion coverage for its employees in its CIGNA health insurance coverage. Chairman Michael Steele says that will stop now that he knows about it. Don’t hold your breath.

And, lastly, and the saddest thought of all, it looks like the United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops - USCCB - went along with it all.

Not only the Bishops, but many of the national level Pro Life Groups as well are keeping up the pretenses of victory. All week long my email box has been filled with pleas to just send this or that group your $50.00 or more and all the babies will be saved. Every group knows the answer to protecting life, but after 30 plus years we are further into the calloused disregard of human life. Now human beings are becoming the target, the solution for global warming. Just don’t have anymore children, then along with the reduction in the numbers of the elderly, there will be fewer people breathing out carbon dioxide and the world will be saved.

If Obama and the Democrat Congress have their way and eventually pass a universal health care coverage it will mean the complete surrender of our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

If the citizens of this country are to achieve the desired goal of good health, whatever that may be, no one can be left to figure out their health care regimen by themselves. We will have womb to tomb bureaucratic governance over every aspect of our lives. This even includes supervising pregnant women to prepare them for the politically correct parental guidance required under the new society.

HRu 2205, by Danny Davis, (D-Chicago) is entitled Early Childhood Home Visitation Programs.

This huge bill establishes and funds ($150,000,000.00 for just 2010 with added amounts as determined necessary in the next four years) ) a wide variety of agencies at all levels to become, basically, snoops in the household. They will through partnerships between government agencies and non-profit community agencies be given authority to contact pregnant members of the armed services, wives of the military, welfare mothers, English as second language women and any woman whom they wish to designate as in need of their “best practices” methods of achieving the ultimate successfully reared child.

There have been several similar type bills introduced in the California legislature over the last several years under the guise of providing assistance to families in which their child is underperforming in the school system. They have been listed under parent/teacher partnerships. There are currently eight bills in the legislature designated as providing home visitation services for a variety of needs.

They will follow this child and the whole family for a certain period of years until that child enters school. This makes Sen. Barbara Boxer’s mandatory pre-kindergarten year of school even more pernicious.

More than likely this bill will not pass out of the House as an independent bill, but its intent will find its way into the final version of the health care bill late at night from within the bowels of Congress.

Prayer, contacting legislators to protest this take over of the family and individual lives and urging your church leaders to wake up to the true purpose of universal health care are still the best means of protecting us from Big Daddy Government.

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by Camille Giglio

“Now on to jobs and quality of life.” Barack Obama following the House vote on Health Care. 11/07/09

Flowery talk about improving our quality of life may sound nice, but what is really implied? Yes, Government can improve the quality of our lives it just requires every US resident to surrender certain of our freedoms to the government. Is that what we are doing, accepting third party control over our lives our destinies at the cost of surrendering our freedom of choice over our own lives?

Barack Obama and the House leadership are acting, for the public’s benefit, as though this health care legislation is over and finished. It isn’t. This is just the end of the beginning. Further legislation must be enacted to address all the issues contained in this purposely vague and generalized health care legislation. There are commissions and boards to be authorized, oversight committees and staff to be established, the full spectrum of just what is meant by health care has not even begun to be addressed.

President Obama has provided us with hints as to what is ahead. He said it again following the passage of the House version of the health care bill in the deep of night. Jobs and Quality of Life are next on the agenda.

In the mind of the Democrat bureaucrat one can not have quality of health without a supervised, mandated quality of life Master Plan to direct the shaping of the new citizen of the global world.

HR 3962, by Cong. John Dingell, Affordable Quality Health Care for All People,
www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/11/02/new-federal-bureaucracies-created-in.
creates one hundred and eleven of these quality of life oversight boards, committees, commissions, etc. just at the federal level. This will generate creation of regional and local bureaucracies. Workforce Development, referenced 6 times in this bill is already active in every county in California. This legislative term the Governor has signed AB 271, Youthbuild with several more such bills still pending and referred to as Career Technical Education. CTE uses the classroom to prepare students to be future workers in our planned Sustainable Community society. Everyone who cooperates with the system will have a guaranteed job. Not having to worry about your employment will result in better mental and physical health, won’t it?

Centralized planning means that it is at a distance from the targeted groups, therefore, state, regional and local bureaucracies must be established to see that the Plan’s goals are carried out. Schools will be held accountable for delivering properly prepared students to the job market - AB 1164, Van Tran, (R) Maintenance of the Codes, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger.

See also Contra Costa For Every Generation http://www.foreverygeneration.org/ who’s motto is: “With every generation working together to meet the changing needs of Contra Costans, we will truly make our communities good places to age – for everyone.”

This particular program was developed about 6 years ago using Contra Costa County as a prototype or a blueprint for other counties to follow. This was not created directly through legislation It was the result of a lengthy statewide needs assessment commissioned by the California legislature and conducted by the California Institute of Public Policy Analysis at taxpayer expense. It’s mission was to make plans for every citizen of Contra Costa County, where we should all live, where we should work, where schools should be placed and what jobs should be developed, etc. Every member of this Board represents some government or private sector tax supported special interest.

We have federal and state Constitutions. We believe that these documents protect our rights. The federal government and state governments conduct daily business based on certain civil and criminal codes. Most of us feel that this set-up protects our God given and Constitutionally protected rights. What we don’t realize is that every year these codes are amended, re-written, changed through legislation. This has a profound effect on how the government views its accountability, its areas of governance and our rights as citizens of a state and country.

The official count for bills submitted and actions for the first year of this two year session 2009/10, shows that 2,731 items were submitted, 2,422 of which were bills or resolutions. The Governor signed 400 Assembly side bills and vetoed 177 bills. In the Senate there were 968 bills introduced, 232 enacted and 63 vetoed. The rest of the bills either died in committee or are still pending.

For every veto the Governor attaches a veto message explaining his reasoning. His over all veto message on the bills that I was tracking was that he supported the end goal of the bills, but felt that these were, at this time of budget deficits, too expensive, duplicative of effort or just not the right time. He would, however make his office available to assist legislators in writing bills that would succeed.

Most of the 100 plus bills that I tracked came under the category of education with the rest focusing on health issues or health care insurance. While health care and jobs appear to be the main national focus, the classroom and the student is the main gate through which to achieve the re-shaping of society if we are to eventually submit to the elitist . The main focus of the education bills centered on the classroom as the site for reforming the student’s values, goals, health, nutrition, lifestyle and future productivity in the job market.

Federal and state legislation closely parallel each other. What the feds propose the states carry out through a myriad of bills. You may recall reading that the Governor has insisted that what the feds propose they should also pay for rather than requiring the state tax dollars to pick up the tab.

Here is a brief overview of a few of the federal bills that are reflected in the state bills:

HR 1388, Carolyn McCarthy D-NY Reform of National Service Laws signed by Obama on 03/09/2009.
SUMMARY: Reauthorizes and reforms the national service law expanding and strengthening service-learning programs bringing more students and retired professionals into volunteer community service programs partnering them with community and non-profit agencies.

It also sets the stage for Obama’s call for everyone to become a volunteer in some aspect of working for a better society. It is also the latest channel through which churches are being recruited through faith based tax funding and support to turn their focus toward social work rather than the work of eternal salvation.

HR 1551, Barbara Lee, Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy HIV Rates
LOCATION: House Energy and Commerce Committee. It carries a price tag of $50,000,000.00 a year from 2010-2014. It would then fall to the states to continue the programs.

“Provides for the reduction of adolescent pregnancy, HIV rates, and other sexually transmitted diseases and for responsible school education about life.” Paragraph 8 states:

8. Most young people have sex for the first time at about age 17, but do not marry until their middle or late 20s. This means that young adults are at risk of unwanted pregnancy and STIs for nearly a decade. Therefore, teens need access to full, complete, and medically and factually accurate information regarding sexuality, including contraception, condoms, STI/HIV (Ed. note: meaning Gardasil vaccinations) prevention (meaning abortion), and abstinence (from physical penetration). All of this taught during classroom time by Planned Parenthood trained facilitators.

In the 2006/7 legislative term two bills were hotly contested and subsequently failed, regarding mandating vaccination for all girls ages 9-18 against Genital herpes infections - HPV using a Merck Pharmaceutical product called Gardasil. Now the legislators and lobbyists are very cautious about the wording of these type bills. HPV can only be contracted through direct sexual relations so HPV is not an air born communicable disease, therefore, the wording now appearing in education bills is, adhering to the FDA approved regimen of vaccinations for disease preventable vaccinations. They are now also calling for gardasil for boys and a new, GlaxoKlineSmith vaccine called Cervarix for girls. This is market share competition played out in the lives of our young children with the effects unknown.

HR 1585, Ron Kind (D-WI) Elementary and Secondary Education Act - Fit Kids Act
LOCATION: House Education and Labor Committee
SUMMARY: Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve standards for physical education.

This will authorize the schools to evaluate your children for the latest craze - overweight students so that the schools can deliver the proper services on nutrition, weight loss and intensive P. E. programs. School teachers, no better informed than the average citizen will be determining if your child is fit according to community standards of fitness and establishing a daily regimen for them to follow.

HR 1589, Linda Sanchez (D-L.A.) Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities
LOCATION: House Education and Labor Committee
SUMMARY: Amends the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to authorize the use of grant funds for gang prevention. (this is where many state bills focusing on community activity, student volunteering and counseling and summer jobs for youth fit.)

This bill is reflected in state legislator Bill Monning’s AB 1- Teachers: Programs of professional growth which the Governor vetoed: “ While I understand the importance of negotiation and conflict resolution skills, this bill is unnecessary since nothing under current law prohibits districts from offering these courses as part of their professional development programs. This turns the classroom into a counseling center.

HR 1649 Kendrick Meek (D-Fl) Reduction of Core Curriculum Classes in Schools
LOCATION: House Education and Labor Committee
SUMMARY: Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to reduce the size of core curriculum classes in public elementary and secondary schools, and to provide students and teachers with an educational environment more conducive to optimal student performance.

This will employ more teachers, create more teacher union jobs and dues, provide more intensive focus for indoctrination opportunities and encourage the students to adopt a sense of community or “family” as the legislation states. It also makes it easier to deliver mental health services to a small group of students.

S. 209 Barbara Boxer, (D-Ca)Expansion of Education System
LOCATION: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
SUMMARY: Establishes a program to help States expand the education system to include at least 1 year of early education preceding the year a child enters kindergarten.

This in addition to bills that authorize an expanding series of after school programs would mean that children would be “in school” from ages 3 up to 18 for up to 8 hours a day. State Assembly member Warren Furutani (D- Long Beach) has AB 36, Readiness year program which would create a mandatory year for 3 year olds.

HR 3962, John Dingell, (D-Mi) Affordable Quality Health Care For All People.
LOCATION: This 1900 page bill, submitted on 10/29/09, sits in 8 different House committees, Energy & Commerce, Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Oversight & Government Reform, House Budget, Rules, Natural Resources, and Judiciary. It creates one hundred and eleven new boards, commissions and programs covering the environment, community development, jobs, employment, youth programs, sex education, vaccinations, Indian affairs and gaming, preventive and wellness and anti-obesity programs, and 6 new workforce Investment Act boards. It covers all the bills I’ve mentioned so far and the 100 or so bills I’ve been tracking in the state legislature.

Though John Dingell is the listed author of this bill Nancy Pelosi is being claimed as its mentor. Of the bills I tracked 4 were chaptered:

AB 271 by Solorio (D) Youthbuild Program, funding and design. This turns underachieving students over to the unions during the summer to work at menial skilled jobs for low wages and provides them with career technical education credits for graduation or transference to a junior college for further CTE education.

An article appeared during late summer in the Contra Costa Times about just such a program. One of the student’s interviewed exclaimed: “Wow, I didn’t know I could get a job with a union.”

AB 1025, Connie Conway, (R) Schools, Employees and Volunteers; Activity Supervisors. Though this duplicates much of the activities agenda it emphasizes the idea of the school as a Community Classroom or training center for all residents. This is the One-Stop job centers featured now regularly in the media.

AB 1164, Van Tran (R-Costa Mesa) Maintenance of the Codes. Though the language is politicalese it focuses on allowing high school students and potential drop-outs to proceed to junior college with credits in Career technical training. In other words, just keep kicking them upstairs.

SB 471, Gloria Romero, Stem Cell and Biotechnology Workforce Development Act. Develops as a state priority to promote stronger links among industry sectors, the state Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and public schools. In other words, manipulates young minds to focus on future work areas desired by the state.

There are 29 bills still pending. This means that these bills passed their house of origin, but were held back in the second house for lack of funds, support or time. These bills must be dealt with by January of the following year - 2010.

Each of these bills is important for its ability to fill in one piece of the reformation of education and society, but the education picture can be completed with just a few core bills in place. As President Obama and his minions have been telling us, they are creating new jobs and they are for the most part “green” or environmental jobs or health care or stem cell research industry jobs. This will be one of the largest sources of employment in the near future.

A review of all the remaining pieces of pending legislation reveal what is planned for the future worker of our Sustainable” community

SB 569, Career Technical Education, and SB 725, Regional Occupational Centers: Apprenticeship Program, both by state Sen. Loni Hancock.

SB 569 Requires school districts, regional occupational centers or programs, and community college districts, as a condition of receiving federal funds provided under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1998, to demonstrate that a percentage of the course sequences offered for students are linked to high priority workforce needs in the career sectors identified by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency or the Labor Market Information Division.

Workforce Investment Act as re-authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Education Act states in part:

Signed into Law on August 7, 1998, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA– –P.L. 105–220) reforms Federal employment, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation programs to create an integrated, "one–stop" system of workforce investment and education activities for adults and youth. Entities that carry out post-secondary vocational and technical education activities assisted under the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act are mandatory partners in this one–stop delivery system.

Title I of WIA authorizes workforce investment programs and activities that are administered by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. Learn more about the implementation of Title I of WIA.

Resources Available to Support Local One–Stop Delivery Systems

A wide range of Federal programs activities are mandatory and optional partners in the new One–Stop delivery system established by WIA. We’ve prepared a chart that provides program–by–program estimates of the resources that will be available at the local level to support the implementation of the One–Stop delivery system.

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/legis.html

SB 725, Loni Hancock, (D) Regional Occupational Centers: Apprenticeship Program, carries the authorization to enact a state Apprenticeship Program in the building construction industry at these regional centers.

SB 747, and SB 604 by Gloria Romero. SB 604 declares that it is the intent of the legislature to receive input from pupils, parents, teachers and school administrators on what constitutes core values and the mission to be followed in education; while SB 747 mandates a Career Technical Education program in Aerospace Machining and creates a classroom apprenticeship program for future aerospace workers. (note the reference to 747’s)

SB 569, Darrell Steinberg, Career Technical Education: School-to-Career Program. Changes the education code, sec. 5308, formally placing the CTE program within the state Department of Education and authorizing the department to be a consultant in all partnerships and provide professional assistance and grants. It further requires this department to be held accountable to the legislature for fulfilling this roll.

There are six other bills that further expand or provide incentives for using the classroom as career development centers rather than centers for academic pursuits. These are:

AB 12, Jim Beall, (D) Fostering Connections to Success Act, AB 35 and 36 by Warren Furutani, Education, Workforce preparation and adding one more year onto high school for those not yet ready to process over to “postsecondary education.”

AB 705, Bill Berryhill, (R-Stockton) advancing CTE training and a smooth transition from high school to postsecondary schooling and emphasizing the Community as Classroom. Further advancing the idea of the CTE with the community as classroom are AB 723, Connie Conway, R-Visalia) and AB 837, Tom Torlakson, (D-Antioch) School Attendance: Online Education. In other words, just stay home, use the computer as teacher but let the school collect ADA payments.

And, lastly there is Assembly Joint Resolution 4 by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass memorializing the Congress to supplement all these programs with American Recovery and Reinvestment funds - ARRA.

At this time your efforts would best be spent on contacting your Congress member with the message to vote “NO” on all the federal level bills. Their phone numbers are in the front of your local phone book or go to www.leginfo.gov and type in your zip code to find your congressional member or your state legislator. At that point you can write them an email. For all of you in Congressional District 10 to which John Garamendi, (D) was just elected His phone number is (202) 225-1880. His staff is eagerly standing by to receive your calls.

To paraphrase Mark’s gospel 12:38, beware of the scribes, in this case the legislators, who dress in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplace. While they smile and nod to you and reassure you of their care and concern for you, they are preparing you for service in their elitist idea of what constitutes a good quality of life and health. Don’t get too cozy in this latest version of the workers paradise. The truest words that John McCain spoke towards the end of the election campaign were: fight, fight, and don’t give up.

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Is the right hand of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops working at cross purposes to the left hand?
 

Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Stephanie Block

On the one hand, there is the very welcome bulletin insert disseminated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in October that reads, in part, “Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform: Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors. Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee-approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them.” [10-23-09]

The bulletin insert goes on to refer to a U.S. bishops’ letter of October 8, 2009. It’s a great letter and states – again, in part: “No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test…. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.”

It then encourages Catholics to support the “Stupak Amendment” incorporating “longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights” by writing their legislators and concluding that, “If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”

On the other hand, until the USCCB website was recently scrubbed, it openly praised PICO as helping to lead the struggle for universal health care reform – a struggle that intimately effects Catholics who are in PICO affiliate community organizations, Catholics who give money to the annual Catholic collection, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), and Catholics who participate in various Catholic education programs to teach social justice activism – which are usually highly secularized and supportive of participation in Alinskyian community organizing like PICO.

Given this level of support for organizations like PICO, it’s hard to understand why the USCCB website would be scrubbed – or almost scrubbed. Though it no longer features PICO as the model for universal health care reform activism, one can still read on the USCCB website that PICO’s founder and executive director, Father John Baumann, SJ, received a CCHD award this year in part for PICO’s success at obtaining “regional, then state funding for health care for poor families” along with “raising awareness and leveraging federal funding for health care.”

Another spot on the USCCB website, an action alert from June 2, 2009 titled “Help Health Care Reform,” tells Catholics to “Partner with a local group funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development that is working on health care reform. Some PICO-affiliated groups and others will be organizing ‘Faith and Health Care Sundays’ throughout June 2009.”

Of course, there’s no mention that PICO’s work for health care reform comes with a price tag in the form of innocent blood, shed. PICO has been notoriously unconcerned that the health care reform it has promoted over the past decade includes abortion and abortifacient family planning components. Further, PICO networks with pro-abortion entities to push health care reform sans life-protective amendments. But, if the USCCB is going to recommend Catholic parishes join PICO anyway and if the CCHD is going to continue to fund PICO affiliates, why suddenly clean up websites references to PICO’s work with the USCCB?

Here’s another curious bit: one Catholic “PICO” parish published an October 2, 2009 statement, allegedly prepared by PICO’s national office, concerning its work with the USCCB. “During 2008-09 the PICO network has worked closely with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and with dioceses and parishes across the nation to make health care more affordable for American families, with a special focus on the poor,” the statement reads. “PICO and USCCB collaborated to define a position that would address access for all; and the USCCB and PICO have worked together to press Congress to protect the poor in health reform, including issuing a joint statement with other religious denominations on this issue on July 6, 2009…. The USCCB has invited PICO staff and clergy to brief Bishops on our health care efforts and has encouraged dioceses and parishes to work with PICO affiliates to hold educational sessions on health care.” [Parish bulletin, Church of the Most Holy Trinity,” October 18, 2009; Church of the Most Holy Trinity RC is a member of PICO’s San Diego Organizing Project.]

Now mind you, this “joint statement” between the USCCB and other denominations isn’t readily accessible from the Internet nor are there other documents describing it. However, the Most Holy Trinity bulletin is obviously quoting extensively from something.

I don’t fault the USCCB with distancing itself from PICO – quite the contrary – if that’s really what it’s doing but one does want the distance to be sufficient. End the funding. Stop educating people in the Machiavellian political ideas of Alinskyian organizing. Pull Catholic parishes from fellowship with pro-abortion congregations in “ecumenical” activism. Embrace authentic social teachings. Now, that would be a sufficient distance.

The Bellarmine Veritas Ministry

Thursday, November 05, 2009
Stephanie Block

The Bellarmine Veritas Ministry attracted attention in Catholic circles a few weeks ago for an outstanding report about five recent Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) grantees about which there was “indisputable and conclusive evidence from multiple sources” showing that they were “acting directly in support of grave evils condemned by the Catholic Church.”

None of the five, one must point out, are associated with ACORN, which has recently been pulled from the CCHD teat thanks to an embezzlement scandal and numerous incidents of voter fraud.

Among the five identified by the Bellarmine Veritas Ministry as supportive of grave evils was the San Francisco based Chinese Progressive Association, which received CCHD funding despite its public support of and legal action on behalf of abortion and same-sex marriage legislation

Another of the five was the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), which coordinates the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition (DWAC) and shares leadership in the Coalition with Downtown Women’s Center and SRO Housing. Not only has LA CAN worked to support same-sex marriage, through a monthly clinic offered by the Downtown Women’s Center, it promotes access to emergency contraception and “family planning.”

The CCHD-funded Rebecca Project for Human Rights and its founder have gone on record in support of abortion, signing a “wish list” of reproductive priorities for President Obama that includes comprehensive sex education, federally affordable birth control and “abortion care,” restored funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and $1 billion for international family planning programs, among other things.

CCHD also gave several grants to the Women’s Community Revitalization Project, which is part of the WomenVote PA coalition, seeking to advance a “progressive Pennsylvania women’s agenda” that includes abortion “rights.”

Lastly, CCHD granted Young Worker’s United, which released a 2008 voting guide against parental notification and supportive of same-sex marriage and decriminalized prostitution. It also supported the “Forward, Not Back—Reproductive Justice for All!” 2008 march.

Now CCHD has defunded two of these groups in response to the Bellarmine Veritas Ministry report (the Chinese Progressive Association and Young Worker’s United) and did not give any funding to the Rebecca Project for Human Rights according to the 2009 CCHD grantee list…but meanwhile, the report demonstrates, two of the five offending grantees were funded again and dozens of other CCHD grantees are campaigning for the current version – including its pro-abortion features - of health care reform. This is problematic.

But we’re not finished. Bellarmine Veritas Ministry is also considering what it calls “borderline cases” – groups that are less flagrantly involved with “support of grave evils condemned by the Catholic Church” yet, nevertheless, are uncomfortably comfortable with these evils.

For example, there’s Preble Street, which operates a day shelter offering “family planning services.” Or the PICO affiliated San Francisco Organizing Project (SFOP) that has supported the creation of health clinics providing family planning and emergency contraception services to adults and minors.

And there’s more. The Bellarmine Veritas Ministry has posted part two of its report, which is every bit as troubling as part one. Evidently, this is what it takes for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to break with a collection that was founded to support progressive political “change.” God have mercy on us.

The Bellarmine Veritas Ministry reports can be found at bellarmineveritasministry.org.

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by Camile Giglio

 
Every year in California over 1,000 bills are submitted to the state legislature on a wide variety of subjects. It can be likened to a 1000 piece puzzle. No one piece of which makes sense alone. In this report we will show you the pieces of what I call the Workcare legislative puzzle pieces and how they fit together to form a government centered, worker controlled picture very similar to the healthcare agenda. To begin sorting out the puzzle pieces one must start with Congress.

During the George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton presidencies one heard much about Americorp, a national program of encouraging young and old citizens to volunteer themselves in service to the community. President Clinton promised $4,725.00 toward college fees if a student upon graduation would spend one year in volunteer service to the country.

This program was based on a 1,300 page piece of legislation entitled The National Community Service Act of 1990 which established a Corporation for National Service developed as a private entity by Bill Clinton.

In April while we were all busy figuring out Obama’s agenda and what his health care plan meant, President Obama signed a 1,463 page re-authorization of the Americorp bill, HR 1388 by Carolyn McCarthy, (D-NY). which was entitled The Edward M. Kennedy SERVE America Act of 2009 which also revitalized a 1973 Domestic Volunteer Service Act, reauthorizing appropriations to the year 2014.

One of the bill’s subtitles is Youthbuild. Youthbuild started out as a good idea for a group of Harlem youths who were encouraged to spend their summer repairing rundown neighborhood housing. Soon the idea spread to other communities, federal legislation and funding ($40 million) were developed and now it is a nationwide multi-million dollar program housed in the Department of labor with about 221 cities and counties participating, including most of the more populated areas of California.

This program started out under the direction of the Department of Housing and Urban Development - HUD, and was intended for using teenagers to refurbish affordable housing units. With the infusion of millions of dollars and federal promotion it has grown and expanded to other areas of community work and includes providing health care, career counseling, mental health counseling and community organizing skills for the student building trades unions apprentices. It also calls for formal partnering between schools, unions and non-profit community agencies. Along with this SERVE America Act we have the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. It is described thusly: To consolidate, coordinate, and improve employment, training, literacy, and vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States, and for other purposes.

It’s those “other purposes” that you have to watch out for.

The website for the Work For America program has this as its mission statement:

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) provides increased flexibility for state and local officials to establish broad-based labor market systems using federal job training funds for adults, dislocated workers and youth. With this increased flexibility comes challenges and opportunities for organized labor. While the act did not "block grant" all training programs (as some state advocates had hoped), the law mandates coordination among a range of federal job training programs, including the Employment Service, adult education and literacy programs, welfare-to-work, vocational education and vocational rehabilitation. WIA’s goal is to provide workforce development services to employers and workers through a universally accessible, information driven, one-stop career center system.
http://www.workingforamerica.org/documents/workforce.htm

None of these federal level programs can succeed without the cooperation of the states.

• States have the option of authorizing federal programs to come into the state. Once in the state a program may either advance quickly with cities and counties deciding to join in or not. California has embraced the twin programs of volunteer community service and preplanned and controlled workforce development as one would a wealthy member of the family.

• Workforce Development Boards, and Youthbuild groups filled with non-elected Stakeholders, i.e. unions, corporations, educators, community agencies and non-profit community organizer groups have been operating in California for two years with $7 million federal dollars. Newspapers have been filled with glowing reports of the wonderful things teens are accomplishing working or volunteering side by side with these groups both during the summertime and during the school year class time.

• Governor Schwarzenegger has recently signed AB 271 Youthbuild by Assemblyman Jose Solorio. This bill gives recognition after the fact to the existence of the Youthbuild program.

• Of the 50 plus companion bills most are sitting in the Appropriations committee suspense file due to a lack of endorsers or funding or both. Something good is coming out of the state’s financial downturn. Some of these bills are sitting on the Governor’s desk waiting for his signature. All of these latter bills have passed both houses of the state legislature with every member, Democrat and Republican voting “YES”

• BotBoth Aides in Republican offices and bill analysts in the Republican Caucus tell us that the Republican legislators have enthusiastically accepted the idea of youthbuild and workforce planning being directed by specially designated public/private partnering groups.

• A spokesperson in Concord Assemblyman Tom Torlakson’s office told us that his bill, AB 346, Joint-use School Facilities, is just one small piece of a whole package. His bill authorizes separate buildings for joint-use projects to be established on campuses. When asked what these joint-use projects might be, she said, that we are just concerned with setting up the buildings, what the school does inside the buildings is someone else’s concern. Torlakson’s goal is to become state school superintendent.

• When further asked if these might be used to establish one stop community health centers the answer was maybe. When asked if these maybe health centers would be staffed with medical doctors and nurses we were told “if the school wants that.”

• So, it could be health centers, it could be one-stop career counseling centers for anyone, including middle and high school students plus any unemployed person in the community such as ex-cons returned to the community by early prison release programs. AB 857, Workforce Development: One-Stop Career Center by Merced Assemblywoman, Cathleen Galgiani.

• There are any number of bills linking schools, graduation credits and job placements. Berkeley Senator Loni Hancock’s SB 515, Career Technical Education which passed both houses and is sitting in a concurrence committee, authorizes implementation of the Carl D Perkins Vocational and Applies Technology Education Act of 1996 requiring that a percentage of course sequences offered for students be linked to high priority workforce needs in the career sectors identified by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency or the Labor Market information Division.

• Senator Mark Wyland, (R-Carlsbad) has SB 253, Career Technical Education: Recognition Certificate. This bill rewards students with an education certificate (not a diploma) if they sign up for certain workforce programs. Wyland’s Aide, Eric Bone spoke in glowing terms about the opportunities now available to potential high school drop-outs, who will, instead, become “well educated” future employees who might otherwise become burdens to the state.” Eric, a young man himself, protested that so many kids aren’t getting a good education these days. You don’t really think that every student should go on to college do you?

• This seemed to be the pat answer coming out of every legislator’s office that we spoke with as soon as we suggested that it wasn’t proper to use the schools as recruiting grounds for unions.

• Yet, the promotional material for youthbuild and middle and high school workforce preparation declares that with these programs in place upwards of 95% of students will be able to go on to college. One must now ask just what is college becoming?

• The answer could be found in Pasadena Assemblyman Anthony Portantino’s bill, AB 555, Community Colleges: Secondary School Pupils. This bill authorizes community college districts to “enter into partnerships with school districts (public and private) to provide secondary school pupils who have exhausted all opportunities to enroll in an equivalent course at the high school of attendance, adult education program, continuation school, regional occupational center or program, or any other program offered…to benefit from advanced scholastic career-technical, or vocational coursework.

• Legislators author bills that contain only a small piece of the picture. Analysts look at the bills as individual entities not in conjunction with other bills. One analyst kept saying “I don’t see your point, I don’t see what you see in these bills.” We, the citizens and taxpayers have to be the ones to make these bureaucrats see the whole picture.

• Recently the Governor vetoed Felipe Fuente’s AB 332, Work-Based Learning not, according to his veto message, because he doesn’t agree with the concept, but because he doesn’t think this particular bill is the appropriate one to set up work-based learning in the schools.

• The bill Authorizes “school districts that maintain high schools to establish work-based learning programs, and to purchase liability insurance for pupils enrolled in programs of study involving work-based learning off school grounds. Authorizes partnership academies, regional occupational programs and other educational programs to deliver work-based learning opportunities for pupils that may include work experience education, community classrooms, cooperative career technical education programs. See also AB 35 and AB 36 by Warren Furutani of Long Beach on Education: Workforce Preparation.

• There are many more such bills some of which mandate specific courses of career learning such as the Aerospace Industry, non-violence peace building, AB 1 by Bill Monning, health care technicians (remember Torlakson’s aide saying that maybe health clinics would have doctors and nurses, maybe not?)

• There’s AB 156 by Kevin Jeffries of Murietta, High School Curriculum: Volunteer Service. This authorizes one credit toward graduation from high school for training and certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This, too, is pulled from the Serve America federal legislation which talks about national disaster preparedness as a worthy nationwide activity complete with advisory boards, councils, etc. etc.

• If you see the picture of centrally controlled, pre-planned and chosen workers filling jobs that the unelected Stakeholder Workforce investment board has designed for your self sustainable community; combined with rigidly controlled health practices and outcomes, school nutrition programs, school parent partnership planning for student outcomes, vaccinations required for a wide variety of illnesses (the word is vaccine preventable illnesses, not airborne communicable diseases) then…..

• You see a picture emerging of individual human beings valued more for their ability to serve the state than their worth as individuals with God given talents. and inalienable rights. You can stop all this by contacting the Governor and your legislators and demanding a “NO” vote on the continuation of Youthbuild and school workforce preparation programs. For the sake of our children please do it now.

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1. End-of Life Consultations
     a. Obama Care Reality Check
2. Pay for Performance.
3. Aborted Fetal cell vaccines
________________________________________________

Obama Style Care - End of Life Consultations.

HR 3253 - Advanced Directives Promotion Act of 2009 by Congressman Sander Levin, D-Mi). Amends Medicare sections, Title XVlll and XlX of the Social Security Act “ to promote the use of advanced directives and other purposes.” It was submitted on July 17, 2009. This bill is now before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, California Representative Henry Waxman, (D-L.A.) Chairman.

Levin’s bio lists him as an elected official since 1965. For a period of time in the 70’s he was an Assistant Administrator of the US Agency for International Development - USAID. This is the group heavily involved with population control ideologues. He also has a 100% favorable listing with Planned Parenthood’s Action Center website.

For a bill in Congress this is an usually short one, only about 5 pages. It amends and basically overrides Title 42, Public Health and Welfare section (42USC Sec. 1395) Subchapter xvlll - Health Insurance for Aged and Disabled.

Section 1395 as it currently reads states a “Prohibition against any Federal interference by any Federal officer or employee to exercise any supervision or control over the practice of medicine or the manner in which medical services are provided, or over the selection, tenure or compensation of any officer or employee of any institution agency or person providing health services; or to exercise any supervision or control over the administration or operation of any such institution, agency, or person.”

Levin’s bill, however, states the conditions and methods for holding end-of-life consultations:

Sec. 5. Increasing awareness of the importance of end-of-life planning. (F) to provide each such individual with the opportunity to discuss issues relating to the information provided to that individual pursuant to subparagraph (A) with an appropriately trained professional.’;

SEC. 399FF. ADVANCE DIRECTIVE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS.

   `(a) Advance Directive Education Campaign- The Secretary shall, directly or through grants awarded under subsection (b), conduct a national public education campaign–

   `(1) to raise public awareness of the importance of planning for care near the end of life;

   `(2) to improve the public’s understanding of the various situations in which individuals may find themselves if they become unable to express their health care wishes;

   `(3) to explain the need for readily available legal documents that express an individual’s wishes, through advance directives (including living wills, comfort care orders, and durable powers of attorney for health care);

Obama can, with tongue in cheek, truthfully say that his bill carries no end-of-life mandates. He doesn’t have to, its all in here. This will be the authority for assisted suicide consultations.

White House Reality Check Website.

The Obama administration has become so distraught over the health care protests that a Reality Check website was created by David Axelrod, senior advisor to Obama. One should read this website with a certain amount of skepticism.

The website features video clips of certain Executive branch employees refuting what they claim to be false impressions and charges on the healthcare program. Doctor Kavita Patel, Assistant to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, speaking about the claim that Obama Care will produce health care rationing, states that rationing is already taking place in health care (see next article) based upon what the private insurance client can afford.

While there may be some truth to that, that is between the insurance purchaser and the insurance company and has nothing to do with the state pre-determining what you will receive.

Robert Kocher of the National Economic Council assures us that there will be no cutting of Medicare benefits but there will be lowering of drug costs to the patient. This reminds me of the arrangement made several years ago between then Gov. Wilson and Planned Parenthood. The Ca. Department of Health agreed to buy up large quantities of birth control drugs which were sold at reduced prices to Planned Parenthood clinics. These clinics, in return, charged the state a much higher rate for buying and distributing the drugs, Norplant especially. so the general population paid for the true costs.

In this video clip we see also a clip of President Obama addressing an AARP group (American Association of Retired People, which, by the way, is in reality little more than a health insurance company). Obama is discussing the cutting of waste and inefficiencies in health care as the way to cut costs. The only problem with that is that no one ever defines waste and inefficiency.

The over all message in this website is that no rationing of health care practices or procedures will take place. In other words, the methods already in place to heal and reduce health care problems will not be reduced.

This leaves one to assume that it may well be a reduction in who gets the care that is available.
_____________________________________

2 Pay for Performance.

One of the methods suggested for containing costs in health care is something called Pay for Performance - P4P. Many Obama Care critics have charged that this may lead to corruption in medical practices placing more significance on the value of the money spent than on the life and value of the patient. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?counter=1343

I discovered a report online written for the state of California on this subject by a Michael H Bailit, MBA, founder and President of the Michael H. Bailit Health Care purchasing company of Needham, Mass. As one might presume, his report offers glowing proof that P4P is the way to go in containing costs. According to his report (google pay for performance), about 6 states have already initiated this fairly new program. California is considering whether or not it would be beneficial here.

The report claims that P4P provides “strong economic incentives” to gain control of costs while providing quality care. It’s just that the incentives may not always be in the form of pay but other types of incentives and rewards.

1. The issuance of public report cards on the health care provider/hospital.
2. Penalties for poor performance. No examples given of what constitutes poor.
3. Restrictions placed on those with poor performances such as no new enrollments or expansion of service area.

Another way to incentivize the health care delivery would be to issue bonuses which would come out of money set aside from the health care program to pay for those deserving of rewards for meeting certain criteria.

One of the criteria would be the establishment of “Medical Homes.” This idea has been kicked around for a long time and apparently met with little interest. This creates centralized and supervised oversight of individual patients who contract to maintain or achieve certain pre-determined health care goals, i.e. lose weight, eat your vegetables, stop smoking, limit child bearing, etc. This is one way for an agency to determine if a health care provider is meeting the requirements for bonuses.

The article goes on to talk about California and what measures it is considering putting into practice. California’s guideline for judging quality of outcomes would include such things as: preventive care, prenatal care, healthy births, cancer screening, well child and adolescent care including immunizations. That would undoubtedly include how many teenagers got gardasil shots (the vaccine that Planned Parenthood wants every 11 year old girl to get to “protect” against HVP.)

California is also considering encouraging doctors to become medical homes.

The report includes a synopsis of interviews with consumer advocate groups who would become stakeholders (vested interests) in universal care. Amongst the listing of health care provider groupings is: Children’s Partnership and 100% Campaign both of which are filled with nothing but Planned Parenthood/ACLU support groups and advocates along with Community Health Councils and the Western Center on Law and Poverty which loves to sue government entities (with tax money) for violations of what they determine to be legal rights violations. They have probably turned more citizens into victims than all the criminal class in the country.

Also included, but not officially listed, in special interest groups is the California ACORN fellow-traveler groups such as CCISCO - Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization - which has apparently signed up the County Health Services Dept as a public/private partner.
_____________________

Aborted Fetal Cell Vaccines-What to do about it.

On August 10, 2009, the Contra Costa Times carried an ad touting the benefits of a Shingles vaccine called Zostavax manufactured by Merck Pharmaceutical and Co. A reader called Merck and a spokeswoman verified that Zostavax is made using aborted fetal cells. The information sheet on Zostavax carries no information in this regard. www.zostavax.com.

I have checked with three separate, pro life online websites and only one, Catholic Medical Association, www.cathmed.org includes Shingles (for which Zostavax is recommended) in a list of vaccines that contain aborted fetal cells. Another site, Children of God for Life www.cogforlife.org has a very informative listing of all the vaccines and their components, but indicates that it has no information for Zostavax.

Both the CMA and the National Catholic Bioethics Center http://www.ncbcenter.org/aboutus.asp in Philadelphia, talk about vaccines from aborted fetal cells in general referring people to the statements distributed by the Vatican officials and various Bishops’ statements. Briefly they say in very general terms, that a refusal of a vaccine is within one’s rights, but as a matter of conscience not a matter based on religious convictions, since the Catholic faith does not require anyone to refuse a vaccine. Further, they claim that a right of refusal is within one’s rights if it does not endanger others’ lives.

God bless all of you and may you never be faced with the moral or life threatening choices being foisted upon us.

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There are two bills sitting on the Governor’s desk that must be vetoed, AB 271, Youthbuild by Jose Solorio and AB 332, Work-Based Learning by Felipe Fuentes. Not only are they important for what they will do, but more importantly for the deeper implications for the future of America’s workforce.

Placing the Governor’s signature on these two bills moves our state into a much closer relationship with the federal powers allowing the feds to reach right down into the counties and begin to direct employment and education practices. In truth our state has already been implementing the programs involved and receiving the federal funds, they have just never legitimized the wedding with legislation prior to now.

Youthbuild, a program of using youth to change a community, began as a successful local, East Harlem project circa 1984. By 1992 it gained the status of federal legislation with a $40 million spending plan. Today there are 225 Youthbuild programs nationwide. California has enthusiastically received several million dollars in funding to implement this program. According to the Chief of Staff in Solorio’s office, there is no state money involved, it is all federal money.

Our state is running this federal program through another nationally authorized program called the Workforce Investment Board and its local boards. Once in the state, the money is funneled to local unelected Workforce boards who then set up partnerships with schools, corporations/industries and non-profits to place so-called at-risk kids in job-shadowing positions. The Contra Costa Times ran a supportive article lauding this program on 8/2/09 entitled: Stimulus money gives youths, jobs, opportunity.” Interesting that the article comes at a time when the bill’s author hopes for the Governor’s signature.

The article featured a young man sitting at a desk in front of a computer working for a Concord firm called BioCare. This company appears to be little more than a glorified rat exterminator service. It is probable that the apprentice has never seen this computer before much less been given the opportunity to use it unsupervised.

Asm Solorio’s bill is represented as making minor adjustments to the overall supervision of the program, acknowledging that it is being moved from the authority of HUD placing it under the Department of Labor. The reason is the expansion of the program from it’s original focus on using students to build or repair run down neighborhood buildings to one of placing students in a wide variety of pre-approved work based learning (during school time) situations.

Assemblyman Fuente’s bill, AB 332, entitled Work-Based Learning ties into federal legislation, HR 1388, Reform of National Service Laws by Congresswoman Çarolyn McCarthy and signed by President Obama on 4/21/09, authorizing and re-forming (the real definition is transforming) the national service laws: “to increase service opportunities for the nation’s retiring professionals in specified professions to improve the education of youth, the service of national service program alumni, service by senior citizens, to increase investment in nonprofit community organizations, higher education students in community service, and military veterans.”

There is a website entitled Service Learning www.nylc.org/?gclid=CL3T2o_flpwCFRFWagedpTmsYg. If this doesn’t work just google Service Learning. It will provide a definition of what constitutes service learning. It will blow your mind. One definition describes taking students out of the classroom to pick up trash on the roadside.

It is quickly becoming apparent that President Obama and his minions are attempting to sell an entire planned economy from education, to health care, to the workforce tying global interest with corporate interests to the potential detriment of the people. While we are all fighting the obvious - health care issue, this workforce centralization is sailing on through congress and the state houses with almost no notice.

Final note: the H.E.L.P. committee is Ted Kennedy’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee which has his bill S 277, the Serve America Act. G.I.V.E. is the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education-HR 1388.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/gallucci1.html

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Now that the California budget has been agreed upon and signed, legislation is beginning to move to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Two bills are of special significance , AB 271, Youthbuild, by Jose Solorio and AB 332, Work Based Learning, by Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes. A previous term similar bill, AB 1982, One-Stop-Career Training Centers by Solorio was vetoed by the Governor due to the cost.

These two bills are a part of a 40 plus package of education and labor partnership bills, designed to re-form schooling into glorified One-Stop-Career Center training programs for future workers for the sustainable community..

The seed was planted during the early years of the 20th Century that the federal government could and should be instrumental in finding employment for workers whose jobs were lost due to the Depression. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration - WPA. During the Second World War years and following, the WPA became unnecessary but it was never forgotten by certain think tank/non-profit groups.

This idea re-germinated itself in the latter half of the 1990’s under Clinton and received its greatest impetus during the George Bush, Jr. years with the authorization for the No Child Left Behind Act.

In December of 2002, President Bush created the White House Task Force on Disadvantaged Youth and held conferences on the subject of how to “solve the problems facing American Youth.” This led to the creation, of the Workforce Investment Initiative establishing a federal Board with non-elected, appointed stakeholder Work Force Investment Boards in every state and county in the nation.

The objective is for every state to form partnerships between the WIB and labor to examine the state of the economy and plan the future of workforce development both nationally and locally and designate who would be the workers, and who the directors. The question was how to go about doing this?

The door to achieving the goal of direct government intervention into the academic and business communities came with the authorization for No Child Left Behind legislation. The NCLB was the end stage creation of the previous Administration’s Goals 2000 as promoted by Al Gore and by the elitist education, labor and social services do-gooders of our nation, NCLB was ostensibly designed to provide every student with the basics in academic training; reading, writing, etc. The elitists saw it as a way to reach down into the community and raise up the neediest, poorest more disadvantaged youth and save them from their meaningless, drifting lives by forming partnerships with schools who would act as training center hubs for future and returning workers. The Workforce development group now saw itself as having the opportunity to “shape and tailor the future workforce from the beginning (meaning first grade)” There followed one of the largest partnerships I’ve discovered; a partnership between the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice and Labor, Social Security Administration and the Corporation for National and Community Services. The mission statement declared that it will “prepare youth for success in a Global, Demand-Driven Economy.” Everybody is to be incorporated into this global design for furnishing employees on a needs basis, giving new meaning to No Child Left Behind because every child will be  disadvantaged if they can’t compete in a global economy.

“The Shared Youth Vision Federal Collaborative Partnership was formed and composed of several federal agencies to improve outcomes for the neediest youth. The White House Report identified the neediest youth as dropouts, foster youth, juvenile offenders, children of incarcerated parents, and migrant youth. The Partnership expanded this definition to include American Indian and Alaska Native youth along with youth with disabilities. These youth are an important part of the new workforce “supply pipeline” needed by businesses to fill job vacancies in the knowledge economy.

Over the past three years, the Shared Youth Vision Federal Collaborative Partnership has worked with states to support teams at both the state and local level to meet the needs of the nation ’s most vulnerable youth. Other activities undertaken by the partnership include sponsoring a series of forums in 2004 and 2006, selecting 16 states to serve as catalyst in the implementation of their shared youth vision, conducting a pilot project to demonstrate the effectiveness of state-level partnerships and programmatic outcomes, and developing an overall technical assistance plan to infuse the collaborative vision throughout the country. http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/employersconfer.cfm.

The packet of bills mentioned earlier create the authorization to coordinate the state Workforce Investment Act Boards with the Federal Board and create channels for the federal funds to be brought into the state and from the state into the counties creating labor, education and nonprofit partnerships in every county. In truth these inter connecting levels have been in operation within out state for about 4 years. The legislature is just getting around to legitimizing the incestuous relationship.

AB 271 Youthbuild establishes a program of taking students, during school time, out of the classroom and into the workforce putting them side by side with union members on industrial type jobs.

AB 332 Work-Based Learning “authorizes school districts that maintain high schools to establish work-based learning programs, and to purchase liability insurance for pupils enrolled in programs of study involving work-based learning off school grounds. Authorizes partnership academies, regional occupational programs and other educational programs to deliver work-based learning opportunities for pupils that may include work experience education, community classrooms, cooperative career technical education programs..

AB 332 will put students to work building or repairing affordable housing for qualified low income recipients. Students will be working side by side with labor and building trades workers and also with approved non-profit organizations. Might those non-profits be ACORN (census workers), La Raza community organizers, Planned Parenthood, Green/environmental groups? Creating green jobs using youth is fodder for yet another piece of California legislation.

The Governor has a month from the time a bill reaches his desk to either sign, veto or do nothing, thereby allowing the bill to become law. AB 271 and AB 332 must be vetoed.

Regardless of where the money comes from, the state or the Feds, it is our tax money and the cost to our students’ future education, employment and self respect is too high. Write to the Governor now, urge him to veto these two centralized. government dependent employment bills.

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1. Health Care
2. Misc. items
_________________________________
I hope by now that all of you are fully aware of the dangers in the Obama Health Care Reform Plan. I hope that you have been convinced to write to your legislators and urge them to read the legislation and work to oppose much that is in this draconian proposal.

There are a great many reports online discussing the various parts of this 1,000 plus page plan referred to by Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council as a “Planned Parenthood stimulus bill.” I do not want to repeat what others are saying far more eloquently than I, but I do have a few thoughts about the Plan.

A few days ago there was a first-of-its-kind online conference call hosted by David Bereit of 40 Days for Life. It sponsored a wide variety of nationally known pro life leaders using their allotted 3 minutes to throw out ideas on what to do to fight this bill. Over 36,000 people, apparently, signed up to listen in online. The program lasted two hours partly due to difficulties getting started since so many people were signing on. I listened to about one and a half hours and thought I would mention a few quick items that appealed to me mentioned by some of the speakers such as the Perkins item mentioned above. These little items might be worthy of consideration when writing to legislators or talking to those who support the legislation.

See: http://www.stoptheabortionmandate.com/action.pdf
(or website http://www.stoptheabortionmandate.com/)

Marjorie Dannenfelser, Director of the Susan B. Anthony list, emphasized the dangers of a bill on health care that was “abortion neutral” meaning that if there was no definitive prohibition of abortion services and funding that omission would be taken as a signal that abortion was approved for taxpayer funding. On the order of where there is a void the blanks will be filled in.

Doug Johnson of National Right to Life emphasized that “all people will come under the mandated order for health care coverage” which Obama has declared to be essential vital coverage. He wants abortion “extended to all women.” He said, further, that there is “all matter of disinformation coming out of the White House,” on this issue.

Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life stated very firmly that all the laws for which we have worked over the years to save lives will be overturned. All of our successful efforts at pro life legislation have succeeded in weakening Roe v Wade. All of it will be lost.”

Abortionists are desperate for this new infusion of permissiveness because they know that their industry is dying.”

That could be a play on words. abortionists operate a business of dying, or a dying business.

Wendy Wright of Concerned Women of America - http://gideon.cwfa.org/leadership.asp pointed out that White House Spokespersons have stated that “It is not our position to reduce abortion.” The proponents of abortion seek to distract us with deceptive language. The health care bill will hand over power to unelected officials to determine what is appropriate medical care and in many instances it will be a decision that abortion - for some women - will be better (for society) than birth.

Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family declared that the health care bill will not, as Obama has promised, make abortion rare, it will increase the numbers of women who will be accessible to the abortion industry.

Kristen Day of Democrats for Life said that that about 20 Democrat legislators oppose abortion funding and have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stating such.

She urged people to write to their legislators urging them to demand that Senate bill 3200, AKA the Kennedy bill, contain language excluding abortion funding.

Another well known pro life woman who has actually read and analyzed the bill, former New Jersey official and current patient advocate and founder of Committee to Reduce Invectious (sic) Deaths, Betsy McCaughey, speaking on the Fred Thompson Show warns that euthanasia is contained in the bill. There is mention of reducing health care costs by making a $5 billion cut in health costs for senior citizens (page 425 of the bill). The cuts, she claims, will come about at least partially through a mandated requirement that all seniors submit to a counseling session every 5 years to discuss their health and how they plan to take care of themselves. At that time they will be given information on assisted suicide.

A sampling of Little gems from the Health Care Bill
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2300451/posts

• Page 16: States that if you have insurance at the time of the bill becoming law and change, you will be required to take a similar plan. If that is not available, you will be required to take the gov option!
• Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
• Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
• Page 42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
• Page 58: Ever y person will be issued a National ID Health-card.
• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.

I would go a little further and look behind the rhetoric and into the future. We, pro lifers, already know that most people have access to some type of health care and that those who don’t usually experience temporary lapses on coverage. Even the illegals get health care by showing up at emergency rooms. This fight over health care is not really about providing care to everyone. I believe that it is about gaining control over everyone life and dictating the terms of bureaucratic understandings of what constitutes health.

Perhaps a future scenario would be something like this:

The health care bill passes with abortion funding implied in it. Everyone is covered for every aspect of reproductive or sexual indulgences. Since is it now a forgone conclusion that abortion is just a form of health care, it must be taught to our children in the schools, beginning in kindergarten (this is already an acknowledged goal by Planned Parenthood.) If a parent were to tell her daughter that what she is learning in school is immoral and not permitted to her and the child goes to school and tells her teacher that, the results could be that the parents would become suspect for denying their child that child’s right to know and practice what is in her best health interests?

And, what about the senior citizen who is called in to her 5 year consultation and tells the counselor what she/he can do with their counsel and won’t cooperate?

The Rush Limbaugh program today, 7/27/09, was playing a portion of a talk given by Obama in which he is describing how physicians will be “rewarded” for making good prescriptions with the implication that they may well be punished for making too many tests or prescribing the more expensive drug, etc.

The bill creates the unelected office of Health Choices Commissioner along with 52 other boards that will have input into how you manage your life.

This health care bill is not about healing sick people. Preventive medicine is about controlling your life. Consider the heavy emphasis on eating healthy, and the “shame” that people are encouraged to cast onto people who are deemed to over eat and become “obese.” Has anybody provided a definition of obese?

An article online at Workforce Management talked about marijuana being a cost saving replacement for medicine.
http://www.workforce.com/section/02/feature/26/54/51/

Marijuana Reimbursement Claims Highlight How Pot Could Be Gold for Employers.

A medical billing company may be blowing smoke, but could reimbursing patients for medical marijuana lower drug costs for employers?

Go back and read a copy of the book 1984.

And, speaking of Workforce Investment and management…. My next report will contain a lengthy report on all the California education bills and the re-forming of education to conform to the new standards for the purpose of education as envisioned by President Obama and his advisors. The budget bills just passed by the state and about to be signed by the governor contain a mandate to conform workforce investment activities to the federal stimulus package emphasizing the goals for green businesses.

Finally: this item from a California Pro life researcher on the subject of the cost of taxpayer paid abortion in California:

In case anyone is wondering, the corrected figures for the 2006 and 2007 Fee-for-Service Medi-Cal funded abortions are now posted on the DHCS website. Note that these are fee-for-service reimbursements only, but by using the total yearly Medi-Cal abortions times the average cost, the approximate total costs are $35,242,739 for 2006 and $35,710,774 for 2007. The website is  http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/dataandstats/statistics/Pages/MediCalFundedInducedAbortions.aspx. They seemed very cooperative in getting this straightened out, kept me posted and let me know when the correct reports were on the website.
_____________________________________
Submitted by: Camille Giglio, Director, Ca. Right to Life Committee
1920 Monument Blvd, #309, Concord, CA 94520
website: callifeadvocates.org/blog

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1. Commentary.
2. Legislative Report.
_____________________________________

COMMENTARY.

Though much of what is being reported regarding legislation in today’s State of Things seems far removed from the crucial abortion/euthanasia debate please be assured that the current apparent merging of education with labor, as I have been attempting to illustrate, is a very important and long sought move to control not only the means of education but the individual who will provide the labor of production.

This does not mean that abortion has been reduced to a secondary concern. Far from it. However, if we chose not to understand the relationship between the value placed on individual human life and its correlation to education and labor we will fail in our task to stop the destruction of human life.

At the same time we need to recognize the central role of certain media personalities in acting as the front man for the change agents for all this change in the values for which our country has stood these 200 plus years. These reporters and commentators write about current activities but in such a way as to lull us into accepting changing goals in education, health care and “human resources” aka laborers.

An example is Ellen Goodman. Since the election of Obama as President she has written some devastating articles, She wrote (5-12-09) an article entitled: “Times when rationing may be rational.” This concerned a subtle but strong pitch for euthanasia using the example of President Obama’s grandmother. She quoted him as saying: “…he would have paid for the operation himself if necessary, but then he asked aloud whether society should be expected to pay for such treatment of any other terminally ill parent or grandparent. Was this a ‘sustainable model?’ “ Goodman goes on to say that she was struck by the thought that, said Obama, “she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side.”

Well, excuse me, if it is wrong to burden society or individuals with providing the funds to pay for a family member’s health needs, why is it okay, in fact, demanded, that society pay for the killing of pre-born babies?

Goodman then goes on to frame an important question: But, aren’t there places at the end of life where ethics and economics, compassion and cost, dovetail rather than conflict?” Sometimes, in her mind, choosing to withhold health care is a superior moral value to one in which money is spent on health care (and just maybe education) of one who is no longer a (presumed) productive member of society.

She also wrote a column predating Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame entitled: “Change in abortion debate is welcome, but not expected.” She reminds us that during the campaign Obama promised that his administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find common ground to meet the needs of women and families around the world.”

Of course Obama and the Progressives would like to find a common ground, a ground where labor is not burdened or interrupted by the health care needs of pregnant or abortive women. The goal of labor is the continual productivity of the laborer. Universal birth control will achieve that common ground. Planned Parenthood’s easy access to our children in the schools, through cell phone and online sites push birth control.

Therefore: labor needs workers who are educated to supply the required level of productivity of the market place, and no further, and both education and labor require healthy individuals unencumbered by the results of lifestyle activities. One should always ask themselves, when they read articles about sex education classes helping to reduce pregnancy and abortion, are the students not engaging in sexual activity or are they contraception? In that regard sex ed. classes are merely designed to produce contraceptors. that’s outcome based education - OBE.

In my last report I wrote about the Workforce Investment Act and Youth build legislation along with a listing of about 5 bills. These bills plus many more have now gotten out of their respective house suspense files and are making their way to the second house for passage, some have already made that leap. the deadline to pass to the second house and survive is now past.

Now is the time for intense activity in supporting or opposing bills, please choose one or all of these bills to urge your legislators to oppose. Get a supply of postal cards and tell your legislator to oppose bill #_____ because. Use your fax machine to send an online composed message. Use your phone to call your legislator’s local office, or if you have unlimited minutes on your cell phone call the Sacramento office of your legislator and require that the receptionist list your position on a certain bill.
________________________________

LEGISLATION.

Note: During a phone conversation with a spokeswoman for the state Work Force Investment Board (CWIB), Jennifer Mitchell, I asked her, in regard to the WFIB as an example, if, once a federal bill passed that called for initiating programs in all the states, were the states mandated to follow through with the development of state and local branches? She said, “yes.” I then asked her if all states were required to be as gung-ho as California in developing and implementing the program?. She acknowledged that California seemed to be a very enthusiastic state in embracing these federal workforce mandates. She indicated that county WFIB’s could chose just how active they wanted to be and/or how large a cohort of providers and clients they wanted to work with. for instance, the state board determined that the age range would be 14 years to 24 years of age, but some counties were choosing the 16-21 year range.

This eagerness to create state and county level agencies, which must go through the pretense of passing legislation authorizing the taking of the federal grants and the creation of local agencies can be seen in several bills racing through the state legislature this term.

When I asked Ms Mitchell what would happen if a particular bill didn’t get passed she seemed lost for words, then said, well, we don’t have to worry this year because the youth summer work program funds are already available. They don’t know what will happen next year, though.

All these bills have passed their first house (Assembly) and are awaiting Senate hearings. All of these bills provide for government agencies, i.e. health, education and labor, to partner with community organizations to deliver a broad spectrum of services to just about every segment of any community. Groups such as Planned Parenthood, ACORN, PICO, Catholic Charities, La Raza, etc.

AB 3, V. Manuel Perez, (D-Indio) Workforce development: Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative.
.
Sponsors include Planned Parenthood of San Diego along with a long list of trade unions, and community non-profits.

This bill which went through a major amending process strengthens the authority and oversight of the CWIB; ensures green collar career placement and advancement opportunities within California’s renewable energy manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, and operation sectors that is targeted towards specified populations.

These targeted populations tend to be teens, low income families, illegals, parolees, disabled, unwed mothers.

The Green Collar Jobs Council, waits for funds of $787 M from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, expecting also $480 M from the Fed. Workforce Investment Act for youth and an additional $70 M for supplemental things.

Includes Non-profits in the mix of groups able to receive this money to help develop job markets. Previously I wrote that the Office of Statewide Health Education and Development authorized grant money to about 3 Planned parenthood clinics (one in Concord, Ca. to train non-medical people in the performance of abortions.

AB 1559, Workforce Development: Summer Youth Job Training. This bill is authored by the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee. It requires the CWIB, in collaboration with local workforce investment boards, to establish the California Youth at Work Program, for the purpose of providing summer job training and work experience opportunities for youth…”through partnerships and effective collaboration.”

Though it sets up summer time youth employment and the funds for that employment are already received by the state; Ms Mitchell admitted that a major part of their mandate is to work with the business and private sectors to predetermine the future job market in various localities and to then work with the schools to prepare students for that job market.

The federal Reinvestment Act has set aside $1,200,000,000 for all 50 states for development of these workforce programs. California will receive $500 million and the summer youth employment program has $186.6 Million to pay for 50,000 California youth for this summer at minimum wage which, in California is $8.00 according to the CWIB. The local employer will pay nothing.

California has 49 county boards (unelected members often referred to as shadow government jobs) plus the state board.

AB 857, Kathleen Galgiani, (D-Merced). Workforce Development: One-Stop Career Centers. Service Employees International Union - SEIU - is the sponsor of this bill. It sets up the delivery of unemployment services at One-Stop-Career-Centers. The bill is quite vague and Ms Galgiani’s office has not responded to questions of where will these one-stop centers be established. the suspicion is that they will be at schools. Schools have been targeted for some time by community planners as one-stop service centers for health care, jobs, day care and education/training of youth and life-long learners.

AB 543, Fiona Ma, (D-San Francisco) Perinatal Care: Nurse-Family Partnerships. Nurse-Family Partnerships, apparently an adjunct to Invest In Kids, originally a Canadian org. are the co-sponsors.

This is yet another group of professionals who, like Rob Reiner’s First Five program, believe that only professionals can best rear our children. This bill authorizes the creation, funding and promotion of programs placing visiting nurses into all the homes of women no more than 28 weeks into their pregnancy and for 2 or more years after birth, to assist parents in the proper rearing of their children preparing them for school readiness at age 5.

Though this program would be placed in the department of Public Health, no place in the bill stipulates that the “nurse” must be a registered medical nurse. This is just like the parish nurse program about which I reported a couple of years ago. That “nurse” is merely a member of the community who is a good listener and able to sign up clients for Healthy Families Medicare programs.

USSHR 2205, Danny Davis (D-Il) Early childhood Home Visitation Programs. This is the federal level legislation that will establish the mandate for the state programs of home visitation programs. I prefer to call this California’s version of the home invasion program.

This bill discusses the “proper care of infants and youth Children.” It appropriates $150 Million for the first year to target pregnant, especially first time moms, immigrants, native Americans as defined under the ESEA - Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It sets of partnerships between health, education and community service providers to monitor the home life and lifestyles of young families.

Please contact your legislators, mostly Senators since these bills are now in the senate. Urge their “NO” vote. All of these bills effect the family relationship and line of authority substituting the state for parental guidance.

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On May 22, 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle published an Opinion Page article entitled: A new day for learning in San Francisco: re-imagining our public schools.

It was written by Carlos Garcis, S.F. School Superintendent and Margaret Brodkin, former Director of the S.F. Department of Children, Youth and Families and current Director of a dubious program entitled A New Day for Learning ²

Ms. Brodkin, trained as a community organizer, fairly gushes with enthusiasm about “galvanizing the community around a “new vision’ of what it takes to prepare the next generation for success in life.”

The article continues with ”[T]o do this, the school district, the city and community organizations have created a formal partnership [in which] the school is opening its doors to the community and saying ‘we need everyone of you to ensure our children graduate from college.’  The article goes on to set up a lovely scenario of future employees trained for the available jobs in the local community with the assistance of every conceivable community organization. If, with all this, the student should fail he/she would be sent back to the community classroom to be “trained in handling community violence.””

If you think this vision sounds a little like Hillary Clinton’s “it takes a village” you are correct. Only it is more than that. It’s not only a re-making of the purpose of education on a global scale, it is a re-making of the purpose of the student. It is a very utilitarian ethic in which the person is viewed as having value based upon that person’s usefulness to the community. It’s also not a new concept started by Hillary but has its roots in the educational and Philosophical writers and thinkers beginning in the early 1900’s.³

This view of humanity has been revived at certain periods throughout the 20th Century, especially around the 1930’s, 1970’s and again, beginning in the 1990’s to now where we can see it full blown in reports such as the one mentioned here. During these decades various pieces of federal and state labor, education and health legislation have been passed, and think tank type heavily financed foundations have been developed to  furnish and promote these ideas.  Like slow growing wild flowers scattered along the hillsides, the flowers are beginning to bloom.

___________________

¹ Educational Policy Research Center, Syracuse University Research Corp,

² www.newdayforlearning.org a subsidiary of ACORN.

³ “But if we can get the…Aldermen, the town council, and mayor interested in the community education
concept, the whole future is going to be wide open.” Community Education Journal, 1972, pg 20.

Every year federal and state legislators submit bills  to their various houses. The state usually submits upwards of 4000 per term. These bills either delete, modify or add to various civil and criminal codes and statutes, especially those related to health, education, labor and funding levels. that’s a lot of changes that the citizens are unaware of. If some of these bills get vetoed, such as the Education Master Plan of former legislator John Vasconcellos its supporters merely move ahead with a non-profit funded group and promote the Plan to school districts and educators directly.⁴

Every year dozens of bills are submitted amending, for example, the various titles of the Social Security Act especially as they affect education, health care and employment. Did you ever wonder why there is a federal committee on education AND labor? Why are they connected? They are connected because education is mandated to design its educational programs to produce the laborers.⁵

Have you ever heard of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (HR1385/S 143, Kassebaum)? Did you know that it is a major remake of a 1933 depression era Wagner-Peyser Act which dealt with finding jobs for unemployed people? Did you know that since 2004 our state and every county has had a Work Force Investment Board⁶ (shadow government) collecting data on and forecasting and advising the job market and working with schools to install training programs to prepare the students for a smooth transition from School-to-Work? School To Work Opportunities Act, 1994, another piece of federal legislation reflected in many state bills. This is not to be mistaken with a compassionate concern for assisting the unskilled to find gainful employment. This is a third party officially designated to funnel certain workers, regardless of intellect, into the community job market in a predetermined manner.

Here it might be worthwhile to consider the political meaning and definition of community.  Is it local, is it global? Does it have a new meaning - community, with unity, oneness of goal? Who sets the goal?⁷

 President George Herbert Walker Bush’s (not so) original bill, Education 2000, got amended into Bill Clinton’s Goals 2000 which further moved the remaking of education and community sustainability along its track. Now that we have the ultimate community organizer at the national helm plans and legislation just waiting for the right moment  are quickly being moved forward.

___________________

⁴ The John Vasconcellos Legacy, The Politics of Trust, http://www.politicsoftrust.net/about-us.php

⁵ Committee on Skills of the American Workforce, 1990. This contains the development of Certificates of
Initial Mastery described as a gateway to professional and technical certificates. In other words, persons
(not limited to high school students) in a government approved life-long learning track will be the first to
be hired

⁶ Ca. Workforce Investment Board - WIA, http://www.calwia.org/state_board/index.cfm

⁷ Humanist Manifesto, ll, 1973, pg 21 (World Community) “We have reached a turning point in human
history where the best option is to TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF NATIONAL sovereignty and to move
toward the building of a world community…We thus reaffirm a commitment to the building of world
community…

Behind this New Day for Schools program is a whole myriad of federal and state legislation needed to provide the bureaucracy with authority and appropriations but little government accountability to make it all happen. Health Care, academics, labor, unions, non-profits,⁸ and many others too numerous to recount here, are all involved with the new directions planned for schools and each of these need to have their various regulating civil codes adjusted which means legislation.  I have counted about 100 bills in the California legislature designed to make those changes plus a large number of bills on the federal level designed to interject the federal government into every school district and carry federal level tax money to the states and, in some cases, directly to school districts bypassing the state.

The only thing slowing down the process is the funding. You will recall that Governor Schwarzenegger has gone, hat in hand, to petition the feds for bailout funds. President Obama has indicated that California has disappointed him because with all the cuts proposed Obama’s union buddies are not being taken care of.

There is a cure for that. It is HR 2187, Grants to state education agencies. It was submitted on 4/30/09 and passed to the Senate on 5/14/09 in Unprecedented speed.⁹

According to a press release issued by Rep. Howard ‘Buck’ McKeon,(R-Santa Rita) a member
of the House Education and Labor Committee: “It’s not the job of the feds to tell local schools
and communities how to build schools.”¹⁰

This bill will provide something like $7 billion to build new, green, schools using only American made building products (unless these products are over 25% higher in cost than otherwise obtainable, and the latest in innovative environmental products. It also provides for a Youth-build program (AB 271, Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim, based on the federal Youth-build Transition Act of 2005) in which 18-24 year olds will receive on-the-job training in building the buildings alongside the building trades union workers and, at far less pay than the union members. Maybe this is what they want to do with the young adult lifers that Sen. Leland Yee’s bill, SB 399, Sentencing, would let out of prison.

HR 2187 is supposed to be an education bill which, in combination with California bill, AB 339, Norma Torres, (D-Ontario) Federal Funds transfer to School Districts, would supposedly provide funding for education, but would, in reality, merely transfer taxpayers money from our pockets to the feds thence to the state and on to the state’s favorite unions.

The recent Teabag revolts and the defeat of most of the initiatives on May 19th are a good beginning to let the legislators know that we won’t willingly be further taxed, but, folks, its got to be only the beginning. The legislative Aide in Assemblyman Tom Berryhill’s (R Modesto) office admitted that the Republicans “have taken” to the idea of school-to-work quite readily and they have shown it by submitting legislation to further its goals.
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⁸ Contra Costa for Every Generation, http://www.foreverygeneration.org, and the Workforce Development Brd of Contra Costa Co. http://www.wdbccc.com/eastbay.htm

⁹ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Democrats gave final approval to controversial legislation that not only adds to our nation’s mounting deficit, but also dramatically increases the power of the federal government over our nation’s schools. The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 2187) empowers federal bureaucrats to dictate everything from what building materials must be used to how a school’s carbon footprint must be measured.

¹⁰ http://Republicans.edlabor.house.gov. “This will divert Title 1 ESEA funds from disadvantaged students.”

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Here is a sampling of the 60 plus bills:

AB657, Ed Hernandez (D) Health Professions Workforce.
Requires the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in collaboration with the Workforce Investment Board, to establish the Health Professions Workforce Task Force to assist in the development of a health professions workforce master plan for the state. Requires the task force to submit a complete statewide health professions workforce master plan.

Referred to the Appropriations Suspense file meaning that it contains too much money and too few supporters.

[Note: the Director of a branch of the state Public Health Department had provided funds to Planned Parenthood to train non-medical personnel to perform abortions as one answer to the lack of professional health care workers.]

AB1559 Assembly Labor and Employment Committee is the author of this bill meaning that it is the Governor’s bill. It is entitled Workforce Investment Act: Local Workforce Boards provides that it shall be the duty of a local workforce investment board to facilitate the implementation of summer youth training programs through partnerships and effective collaboration.

AB 332, Felipe Fuentes, (D-Arleta), Work-Based Learning.
Authorizes school districts that maintain high schools to establish work-based learning programs, [job shadowing] and to purchase liability insurance for pupils enrolled in programs of study involving work-based learning off school grounds. Authorizes partnership academies, regional occupational programs and other educational programs to deliver work-based learning opportunities for pupils that may include work experience education, community classrooms, cooperative career technical education programs. This has passed the Assembly and awaiting a hearing in the Senate Education Committee.

AB 465, Joe Coto, (D-San Jose), Schools: Parent Involvement.
Encourages school districts to review and contract with nonprofit community-based organizations that have a proven track record and can demonstrate their success in educating parents and building direct collaboration with school districts, administrators and educations, and would be required to demonstrate and provide a culturally and linguistically competent parent involvement program. Encourages a low performing district to submit a report showing efforts to promote parent engagement and the outcomes. It has passed the Assembly and awaits a hearing in the Senate.

[note: Making parents partners of the school district to design a plan for the raising of children has long been tried in the state legislature and vetoed. This idea has its counterparts in legislation dealing with parent/nurse partnerships establishing a bond between the medical profession watchdogs and new mothers, and with something called a Medical Home which basically incorporates the other partnerships and encourages patients to sign contracts promising to adhere to certain health care practices and giving the medical professionals access to patients private lives.]

SB 725, Loni Hancock, (D-Berkeley) Regional Occupational Centers: Apprenticeship Program. To Suspense file.

Requires collaboration to develop curriculum covering all aspects of the building trades and construction industry that meets specified requirements and standards, including state-approved joint labor management and unilateral nonunion apprenticeship programs.

Arguments in Support. The Ca. Federation of Teachers and the Building and construction Trades Council are co-authors. It provides guidelines for ROC/Ps to develop contracts for students to enter into apprenticeships upon the completion of the skills certificate program. They state that by providing structured collaboration between schools, ROC/Ps, industry and trade organizations, California will be able to provide a better education system in this arena.

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1. Under Secretary of Education, Chester Finn.
2. Background on Legislators
3. Legislation: federal and state
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Chester E Finn, Jr. President of the Thomas B Fordham Foundation, senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, and senior editor of Education Next and co-author of several other publications, was also a former Under Secretary for Education beginning with his appointment by President Richard Nixon.

Finn’s most recent book, published 2008, is entitled: Troublemaker: a Personal History of School Reform since Sputnik. The title of this book would make one think that Mr. Finn would be providing an expose of all the troubling things that have occurred to education since the advent of Sputnik.

On the contrary, it becomes obvious during the reading that Finn was proudly, an insider aiding in instigating all the “reforms” created with the establishment of a National Office of Education.

What is of interest about the book is that he does establish a chronological record for the creation of all the alphabet letter organizations, foundations, individuals, Presidents and goals given voice and power to change the course and purpose of education ever since, at least the 1970’s.

Many of the bills authored either on the federal or state level regarding education and health care come from the years that Mr. Finn, along with his cohort of agencies and think tanks, wrote and or promoted a new path for education. For example, the school-to-work legislation, early pre-school, school/parent partnerships, home visitation authorization on the part of school personnel or health care employees, schools as community centers for the distribution of social services, etc. just to name a few.

A thorough critique of the entire education establishment has been written, 1999, by a woman, Charlotte Iserbyt, entitled: The Deliberate Dumbing Down of American. She was an employee of the federal Education department during the time that Chester Finn was head of the office of education research and development and has intimate knowledge of what all took place.

I do not recommend buying Mr. Finn’s book. One could possibly obtain it from the library.

I do recommend that one visit the website of Dumbing Down of America.
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This report covers both federal and state bills because both levels carry similar legislation. In order to gain some insight into the importance of these pieces of legislation it is worthwhile to know the background of the legislators because they are writing potential laws that will be impinging on you and your children for decades to come.

CONG. Bobby Rush, (D-Illinois). Former Black Panther organizer, he has been reelected to Congress several times. He came up through the ranks of the Community Organizing activities in Chicago’s south side. He is well liked by the American Civil Liberties Union. He was one of a group of progressive Black Caucus Democrats (including Oakland’s Barbara Lee) who, in April of 2009 enjoyed a tax paid trip to Cuba to shake hands with Fidel Castro. Rush’s comments to the press about the meeting: “Meeting Castro was like meeting old family members.”

Danny Davis. (D-Illinois). Like Rush, he came up through the ranks of the Chicago’s South Side community organizers. First elected to Congress in 1996, he claims authorship of two bills: American Community Renewal Act, HR 3865, 1998, legislation for subsidized affordable housing mainly, was received with a great deal of cynicism and opposition. Also the Second Chance Act, returning offenders to the community-at-large, April 2008.

He is a great friend of the ACLU with a 93% rating, 100% rating by Gay Rights groups and refers to himself as a progressive Democrat.

Alcee Hastings, (D-Florida). He is one of only 13 federal judges in the history of the United States to be impeached from office. He has the same voting record as the other legislators on social, civil rights and right to life type issues.

The Florida ACLU awarded Hastings their Nelson Poynter Award for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties support.

Mary Landrieu. (D-Louisiana). She enjoys a 50% rating from National Right to Life on the life issues and a score of 45% by Naral for support of their issues. On 8 of 12 votes on the life issues; parental consent, stem cell research, Roe v Wade, grants to abortion organizations, defining unborn children as eligible for SCHIP coverage, etc. she voted 8 times for the pro abortion position and 4 times for the life position. Yet, she gets a 50% rating from NRLC.

Fiona Ma, (D-San Francisco) This state assemblywoman (her office is loaded with awards from Planned Parenthood) has authored an ACLU sponsored bill, AB 102, which has now passed both houses of the state legislature. The name of the bill is the Name Equality Act. This allows either spouse, male or female, to claim the last name of the other spouse during the “marriage” or Domestic Partnership relationship.
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HR 2205, Danny Davis, (D-Ill) Early childhood Home Visitation Programs. OPPOSE.

Submitted, 4/30/09, as yet it has no wording to this bill, but the title provides a clear understanding of its intended purpose and appears to be an appropriation of funds to be given to the states for increased school readiness, child abuse and neglect prevention and early identification or developmental health delays, including potential mental health concerns and for other purposes (emphasis added).

This is not the first nor will it be the last bill of its kind. It is very intrusive of the family and drives a wedge into the relationship of parent and child. Usually requires the parent to sign or agree to some sort of partnership with the home visitation agency to agree to raising the child in certain ways with the state overseeing the agreement. It usually also calls for placement in very early pre kindergarten programs.

AB 465, Joe Cotto, (D-San Jose) Schools: Parent Involvement. OPPOSE. This California bill would set up a partnership between the school and the parent to “educate” parents on the proper procedures for raising their child to be “ready to learn”. Ready to learn is one of the latest phrases veiling the goal of placing ever younger children into government supervised training and manipulation programs. the whole concept is based on what former state legislator, John Vasconcellos, preached for years - that parents are no good at raising their children and are the cause of much mental disorder and failure for their offspring.

Indicates more involvement and funding for the disastrous First Five Program promoting pre-kindergarten for children ages 3-5.

This bill is in the Assembly Education Committee, Julia Brownley, (D) Chairman.

USHR 20, Bobby Rush, (D-Illinois) Post-Partum Depression and Psychosis. OPPOSE.

Submitted to Congress, 4/30/ 09. No clear wording on this bill, yet. Is relying heavily on the dramatic events recently of young children being killed at the hands of their own mother or other mothers, such as the Sandra Cantu sad situation in Tracy.

Every woman, especially those pregnant for the first time, would become suspected of the potential for committing child abuse as a result of undetected post-partum depression. Hospitals will be required to inform women of and provide literature on how to obtain assistance for depression and be invited to provide home visitation authorizations. It is strongly hinted that women would be evaluated for mental stability prior to authorizing the mother to leave the hospital with her new infant.

AB 543, Fiona Ma, (D-S.F) author and George Runner, (R-) co-author. Home Visitations. OPPOSE.

Sen. Runner’s office defends his co-authorship of this bill by saying that it was his bill in the last term that authorized home visitation’s, but was not successful in getting any appropriation for the program (see Davis bill up above).

This bill, his office claims, merely provides the funding for Runner’s program. Now Sen. Runner has a good pro life and conservative Republican record. What he’s doing authoring the latest version of home invasions with a Democrat pro abort is something I can’t fathom.

AB 1542, Patient-Centered Medical Home Act of 2009.

The Assembly Health Committee is the author of this bill which means it is probably at the request of the administration, in this case, the Health Department.

It would authorize the creation of a centralized location for medical records enabling all patient records to be shared with any governmental department authorized to share in the records. Only the Democrat members of the Assembly Health Committee are listed on this bill. The office of Nation Fletcher, (R) the Committee V. Chairman has stated that the Republicans were asked to join their names to the bill but they declined due to the bill’s vaguely worded intent.
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CRLC hopes that all of you are healthy and have escaped the latest flu virus making headlines. It appears that those will suffer the effects of the flu mostly will be the students whose schools are closed for one or more weeks. There will be no make up of work and valuable education time lost. The schools will continue to get ADA and the teachers will continue to be paid for not teaching.

1920 Monument Blvd, # 309, Concord, Ca 94520. Your financial support of $24.99 would be greatly appreciated in order to help underwrite the costs of our very fine legislative tracking program which costs $141.75 a month.

Please tell others of our blog-site and print this out and distribute it where it will do the most good.

Thank you.

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1. Commentary
2. Legislation
            a-state
            b-Federal
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Legislation, like a flood after a rainstorm is beginning to appear in committees, ripping up Christian values, destroying the foundations of traditional families and uprooting moral principles.

The next few months will tell whether we are propelled ahead into Obama’s health care. In the meantime events are happening around California and the country which I would like to call to your attention.

You will recall that we have reported on the court trial of the Reverend Walter Hoye of Issues 4 Life headquartered in Oakland? He has now been sentenced to 30 days in jail apparently because he would not accept the Judge’s demand that he stay away from the Webster St. Oakland, Planned Parenthood clinic.

Judge Hing’s Sentence:

            Thirty (30) Days in Jail [Being Served beginning March 20th, 2009]
            Three (3) Years Court Probation
            One Hundred (100) Yard Stay Away Order from 200 Webster St., Oakland
            $130.00 Restitution Fund Fee
            $1,000.00 Fine

Rev. Hoye’s crime was standing outside of an abortion clinic with the sign reading "Jesus [God] loves you and your baby. Let us help you." See the background details on the case.

While Walter begins his sentence three Oakland Policemen are shot and killed (3-21-09), a fourth is on life support and a fifth is slightly wounded. All this is accomplished apparently by a lone gunman with warrants for his arrest for numerous parole violations. In other words, a known criminal is let out of jail by an Oakland Judge while an innocent man is placed in jail for attempting to save lives.

All the while Oakland under Mayor Ron Dellums’ reign is becoming a city of anarchy and all he does is wring his hands and create another committee.
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WOULD A CATHOLIC HOSPITAL CONTRACT TO PERFORM ABORTIONS?

A friend was wondering, under Obama’s mandate for removal of a conscience clause, if Catholic hospitals would have to hire abortionists and allow their facilities to be used for that purpose.

Here’s the answer - some already are assisting in the procurement of abortions for their patients. Here is a commentary, written by Stephanie Block of the Catholic Media Coalition, on March 13th concerning the joining of a Massachusetts Catholic Health Care system with a publicly traded health insurance program. It is appropriate for California readers because our state Catholic Conference headquartered in Sacramento shares this same attitude - abortion is a given, let’s help everyone get health care, let’s fund embryonic stem cells, lets stand aside while centers for terminally ill children close for lack of funds, but let’s get ours.

Deadly Compromise

Todd Salzman, interestingly, has made a career of proposing “alternative principles” to the natural moral law. The other academian queried was Lisa Sowle Cahill, a self-avowed “gospel feminist.”

Lisa Sowle Cahill, a theologian at Boston College, went further, saying, "It will be an appalling scandal if the Archdiocese of Boston obstructs or refuses to participate in Massachusetts’ cutting edge healthcare reform program. . . . Where is the Catholic debate about the best way to ensure healthcare for all?"

The Globe’s conclusion then articulates the crux of this debate:

The criticism of the deal, scholars say, is a reflection of an increasingly absolutist antiabortion movement
in the United States. "For some of these pro-life groups, no cooperation with evil is ever justified, but that’s
more of a prophetic stand, a new way of applying the tradition," said Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law
and theology at the University of Notre Dame.

Stephanie Block is the editor of Los Pequenos - a New Mexico-based publication. Her columns are made possible by the sponsorship of generous individuals who believe information about the development and dissemination of progressive ideology needs to be more widely understood. Please fell free to share — acknowledging authorship — these articles with others. If you would like more frequent publication of Stephanie Block’s work, tax-deductible donations can be sent to: Catholic Media Coalition - PO Box 427 Great Cacapon, WV 25422 Attn: Progressive Watch   Copyright © 2009 Spero
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LEGISLATION

State

Several of these bills have been sent on to their second committee and or amended.

AB1, Bill Monning, (D-Santa Cruz) Teachers: Programs of Professional Growth. OPPOSE

Though still only a two page, generally worded bill, it passed it’s first Assembly Education committee hearing on 3/18/09. Awaiting it’s next assignment.

Using the hammer of relating the focus of this bill to issuance and renewal of teaching credentials, it would promote additional training for teachers in negotiations, meditation and conflict resolution and the theory and practice of nonviolence. It would also urge that the teachers employ this training in the classroom and teach it to the students. This would, most likely require a further condensing of the academic side of school and enhance its social training and human skills development regimen. This has its parallel in federal level legislation.

Mr. Monning is the Director of a Santa Cruz based Global expansion program.

AB 108, Mary Hayashi, (D-Hayward. Individual Health Care Coverage. OPPOSE.

Amended on 3/17/09 and returned to the Health Committee. So far, no legislative analysis coming out of Sacramento on this bill which usually happens when it is in a committee. So the sponsor is unknown.

This bill is carefully worded to veil its true intent. The original 8 page bill addressing health insurance programs has been gutted leaving only one small vaguely phrased paragraph referring to prohibiting a health care service plan or health insurer from rescinding an individual health care contract for any reason after 18 months following issuance of the plan contract or policy.

Hayashi is known for her pro abortion/homosexual support. It might be concluded that this bill was written to cover the homosexual community and sex change operations. but that’s just my guess.

AB 115, Jim Beall, (D-San Jose). Adult Health Coverage Expansion Program. OPPOSE.

Santa Clara Family Health Plan is the sponsor. It is a local, Santa Clara initiative expanding state health care insurance to new cohorts of people, especially senior citizens. It authorizes provision of “complementary products, to provide health care services covereage to the spouses or domestic partners or eligible dependent children of program enrollees. It, further, changes the definition of a small business to be 2-50 employees and reduces from 35% to 25% the number of employees who could meet eligibility requirements based on income.

Santa Clara has been an experimental lab in delivering health care for some time. This can be considered a prologue for things to come.

AB 120, Mary Hayashi, (D-Hayward) Health Care Providers: Disclosure: Reproductive Choice OPPOSE.

Still not assigned to a committee. Denies the right of a conscience clause to physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants requiring them to provide all information available on medical choices “with respect to personal reproductive decisions.”

AB 422, Norma Torres, (D-Ontario) State Youth and Family Master Plan. OPPOSE.

Assigned to: Assembly Committee on Human Services. HEARING: 4/14/09.

This bill paints a dire picture of children and families in California suffering under a confusion of state and local service programs. This bill calls upon a consolidation of programs to determine what is best policy for the state to pursue in its role as provider of all services to individual and family members. Section 2 (e) of the bill says it all:

e) “California understands that in order to ensure a bright future for all its residents, the state has to ensure that its youth have a safe place to live, learn, and recreate.”

The bill establishes a committee to develop the Master Plan and includes all the “stakeholders” as they are called - those who will prosper through funding - including Community organizations (meaning Planned Parenthood).

ACTION: A letter (or postcard) of opposition, preferably letterhead organizational stationery. Send to: Assembly Human Services Committee C/O Jim Beall, Chairman, copy to Tom Ammiano, V. Chair.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION.

US HR 1388, Carolyn McCarthy, (D-NY), Reform of National Service Laws. OPPOSE.

This 310 page bill has already passed the House and is awaiting assignment in the U.S. Senate. Will reauthorize and reform (amend) the National Service Act Laws. Currently being referred to as the GIVE ACT. This bill reflects all of President Obama’s goals for initiating total, nationwide compulsory volunteerism for everyone not otherwise employed in some capacity useful to the state.

Here is a very good analysis of the bill by Debra Niwa of Arizona

Re: The GIVE ACT [National Service] passes House by a 321-105 margin

HR 1388 EH is 310 pages! This is sickening. The sum total of all the parts makes this a near "cradle-to-grave" issue!

Notice the proposal to change "National Senior Volunteer Corp" to "National Senior Service Corp". (see: SEC. 1606. EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY.)

Also notice what amounts to data collections that will be necessary to fulfill "SEC 1606 EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY." Among the data need are:

"(vi) measures to ascertain the change in attitude toward civic engagement among the participants and the beneficiaries of the service;"

The following — from Subtitle B‹Amendments to Title II– is especially for Seniors (over 55 crowd):

ŒŒSEC. 200. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. ŒŒIt is the purpose of this title to provide ‹

ŒŒ(1) opportunities for senior service to meet unmet local, State, and national needs in the areas of education, public safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery, health and human needs, and the environment;
[…]
ŒŒ(6) for research, training, demonstration, and other program activities to increase and improve opportunities for people 55 years of age or older to meet unmet needs, including those related to public safety, public health, and emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery, in their communities.¹¹.

As some may know, for the past couple years I have been researching "Neighborhood Associations" (which are cropping up all over the country). These groups are connected to "Asset Based Community Development" (ABCD) which I suspect connects to HR 1388.

ABCD is about surveying (collecting data) on "neighborhood assets" which include: residents (knowledge, skills, and social connections), facilities/structures (public & private), businesses, organizations, social networks etc. And then mobilizing/using "assets" (including people) in whatever ways that serve to fulfill the objectives of city/county/state/federal planners.

Read the bill < http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-1388

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1. Obama’s Executive Order on Stem Cells
2. Legislation
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Embryonic Stem Cell Executive Order.

An editorial praising the wonders of Embryonic Stem Cell Research appeared in today’s (3-10-09) Contra Costa Times but the editorial contains false and misleading “facts.”

In one paragraph the writer states that: because of earlier congressional actions, federal funding for research still will not be allowed to create new stem cell lines, but it can be used for study using new lines created with private funding.”

This is false. There has never been any previous congressional action regarding federal funding or federal limits on embryonic stem cell research. There has only been an Executive Order, #13435, issued by President Bush on June 20, 2007.

By removing that Executive Order President Obama has opened wide the door to any and all embryonic stem cell research funded with federal tax payer dollars. The goal of the researchers is to get access to the “excess” frozen embryos stored in IVF clinics. By issuing a memorandum to the Office of Science and Technology within Health and Human Services he is ordering that department to come up with the guidelines to achieve his Utilitarian goal of pressing (some) human lives into the service of other, more worthy humans.

If you listen carefully to Obama’s statement you will notice that he also calls upon the congress to write up the legislation necessary to accomplish his goal.

He claims that from now on science will not be directed by politics or ideology yet, for him, science is a cover for pursuing both his politics and his ideology.

His claim assures us that by developing “strict guidelines” for the methods and types of research on human embryonic stem cells, that will make everything okay and there will be no problem between “sound science and moral values.”

Further, he is going to create an advisory committee of scientists which will include Harold Varmus, formerly Director of National Institutes of Health and a supporter of Obama’s Presidential bid. You can be assured that this committee will be filled with those scientists who will benefit by the federal funding.

I am reminded of the story of the debate between the chicken and the pig as to which was the more important to human beings. The chicken, clucking proudly, proclaimed that she is because she supplies the main ingredient for omelets, sauces, desserts, etc.

The pig, however, reminds her that while she contributes very nicely to the benefit of humans it was the pig who’s commitment was total and irreversible.

This is not a fait accompli yet. You have time to submit your opposition to this E.O. by flooding the Congress and the White House and the department of Health and Human services with letters and emails of protest.

And, while you are at it, also protest the legislation that will take away the conscience clause for medical personnel. see below.
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2. LEGISLATION.

Here is a selection of the more important bills coming up for hearing during March. Anything you see that needs to be opposed must have a written letter in to the committee the Friday before the hearing date. Letters should be addressed to the Chairman of the committee (always a Democrat) and a copy to the V. Chair (sometimes a Republican).

Bills to be heard on March 18 in the Assembly Education Committee, Julie Brownley (D. Santa Monica) Chairman.

AB 1, Bill Monning (D-Santa Cruz) Teachers: Programs of Professional Growth. Authorizes promoting teachers to take courses and training in negotiations, meditation and conflict resolution utilizing theory and practice of nonviolence peace building. This is to be role modeled and taught to the students during class time.

Mr. Monning, a new member of the state Assembly is also the Director of the Global Majority Inc. headquartered in Santa Cruz.

Bills to be heard in the Assembly Human Services Committee, Jim Beall, Jr (D-San Jose) Chairman, Tom Ammiano, (D-San Francisco). March 24, 2009

AB 295, Tom Ammiano, (D-San Francisco) Children: Wrap-around and Adoption Services. Authorizes 4 counties, including San Francisco and Los Angeles (plus two to be determined) to participate in a program of encouraging adoptions of harder to place children and surround the placement with a multitude of community and social services.

This bill sounds worthwhile, but since Mr. Ammiano is a high profile San Francisco homosexual leader this bill bears watching as a potential to encourage and facilitate more adoptions and foster placement with gays.

Assembly Health Committee, hearing date March 24, 2009. Dave Jones, (D. Sacramento, Chairman; Nathan Fletcher, (R-San Diego) V. Chair.

AB 52, Anthony Portantino, (D-Pasadena), Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program. This is a bill that bears watching. Though it is 12 pages long, it uses very general terms to describe what it authorizes. Here is a sentence that bothers me:

    9)    Determine policy on obtaining patient consent and timing of consent in relation to
            existing law and standards of care.

What will be the existing law and standard of care? How superficial will the Consent of the Patient be? Also, the blood collected will be strictly for “public” use, not private use. The person donating the umbilical blood will not be given any priority for its use.

AB 115, Jim Beall, (D-San Jose) Adult Health Coverage Expansion Program. This is a repeat of last term’s bill authorizing the use of the senior citizens of Santa Clara County for experimental universal health care coverage and/or access to health care. If 50% of a small business want this coverage the employer must get it for them. That places enormous pressure on the one person who might be singled out to be the one to provide the needed final vote and it provides the employer with no out.

It is a deception being played on senior citizens since there is no possibility of every senior citizen being seen when and if they want or need to be seen. According to a Health legislation analyst in Sacramento the problem is in regard to access to physicians because in these programs the government determines payment rates for Medicare and Medicaid and they always underpay the doctors, so the doctors are refusing to see patients in government-run programs.

There was an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper regarding the lack of doctors willing to take on new Medicare and Medicaid patients. The article focused on two older couples who ended up going to the local Planned Parenthood office for their health care.

AB 108, Mary Hayashi, (D-Hayward) Individual Health care Coverage. Mandates that a health care service plan or health insurer is prohibited from rescinding a health care policy after it has been in effect for 18 months.

This 8 page bill was totally gutted leaving in only the wording about prohibiting rescinding after 18 months of being in effect. It is now a spot bill and bears watching.

AB 120, Mary Hayashi, Conscience Clause for Medical Personnel. This bill is not being heard in committee. It is still awaiting assignment. According to an Aide in Ms Hayashi’s office, the wording of the bill has been removed at the request of Stakeholders (that’s the Committee to Defend Reproductive Rights) because it may do more harm than good.

It seems that due to the certainty that President Obama will obtain a rescission on the Executive Conscience Clause Order written up within days prior to President Bush’s departure substituting his own mandate on what a conscience clause is or isn’t, no state legislation will be necessary.

The Aide indicated that new wording would focus on creation of a Peer Review of Physicians Committee. Now, this could be as ominous or more so than denial of the conscience clause itself. We will have to wait and see the wording.

It is believed that this might well create a new oversight committee on physicians practices especially focusing on whether or not physicians adhere to the Obama mandate to participate in counseling, informing and educating patients to their full reproductive rights services which means abortion.

This is why I believe it is important to monitor any bill that Ms Hayashi submits. Her office is chock full of awards and commendations from abortion rights groups.

So far there has been no information on any sponsors of these bills or of any opposers of the bills.

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1. Non-Medical progressionals and abortion
2. Legislation - season beginning.
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WOMEN USED IN EXPERIMENT.

California Senator Sam Aanestad’s office has issued a report exposing a Planned Parenthood project of training non-medical personnel to commit abortions.

This practice of utilizing non medical personnel is prohibited by the Business and Professions code of California’s the state Board of Registered Nursing and the Medical Board of California (HWPP #171). These codes were sidestepped by one Health Department Official.

However, according to the Aanestad report approximately 700-800 abortions have been committed using non-Medical persons to abort women in three Planned Parenthood locations, Concord, Los Angeles and San Diego.

This training program was authorized and private, public funds in the amount of $1.3 million spent in this 3 year period, were appropriated in 2006 by one individual, Dr. David Carlisle, director of the Office of State Wide Health Planning and Delivery - OSWPHD without any notification or accountability to the Legislature.

The purpose of this experiment was, apparently to ;” Demonstrate the role of advanced practice clinicians in expanding early pregnancy care.”

The Aanestad report names the sponsors of this “surgical abortion by none-physicians” project as the University of California, San Francisco’s Bixby Center for Reproductive health. The actual funding has been provided by UC San Francisco, Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Planned Parenthood Affiliates for California, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the John Merck Fund and the Education Foundation of America.

The Assembly Health Committee held hearings yesterday on Health Care Issues, this being one of them. According to one attendee who attempted to speak on behalf of African-American brothers and sisters this Committee is intent on “Yes, the State appears eager and ready to license "mid-wives" to do first trimester abortions.”

Stay tuned for more as pro life legislators attempt to figure out how to counter this move. Your support for Sen. Aanestad’s expose of this project is greatly appreciated. You can write him to the Attention of: Linda halderman, State Capitol, Sacramento, Ca 95814.
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LEGISLATION.

The time for submitting bills is now ended. I have located around 70 bills that might be considered as having a negative effect on the family and life in general. The majority of them come under the heading of Education and Health. Some are spot bills and might end up being nothing. Other bills have to do with greater centralized planning of communities, school services, affordable housing and other areas that touch upon family life and privacy.

Here is just a brief run down of the bills that I find to be the most egregious.

HR5, Tom Ammiano calling upon the legislature to support the Supreme Court Hearings opposing the inclusion of Prop 8 into the state constitution. There is now another bill calling for a state Constitutional convention to re-write the state Constitution. If the state Supremes find for the opponents of Prop 8 then this bill will undoubtedly move forward for a re-write of our state protected rights.

There are 2 bills being carried by the Assembly Health Committee at the request of, probably, the state Department of Health Care. These are not legislator authored bills.

AB 1541, Healthy Families Program. This is a re-authorization of the state Healthy Families/MediCal Program adjusting it to reflect the latest federal economic stimulus package affecting the State Child Health Insurance Program - SCHIP.

AB 1542. Medical Records: Centralized Location. The title is a fuzzy wording to hide the true intent which is the establishment of a “medical home” for everyone where each person will sign a contract with a medical employee to follow a lifestyle program designed solely for that person. the idea of establishing this Medical Home is not new, some Democrat in the state legislature is always trying to get this idea passed. It may have more impetus now with Obama’s sworn pledge to bring Universal Health Care into a reality this year.

SB 1, Darrell Steinberg. Health Care Coverage: Children. This is brought forward from last year. It is Steinberg’s goal to cover every child and its family under universal health care. It will was already heard in the Senate Health Committee, amended and is re-submitted to the Senate Health Committee.

AB 1021, Bill Emmerson, Immunizations. This is a troubling bill. It has a Republican author but appears to be a re-hash of the last couple of terms’ Lieber/ Hernandez bill on requiring an HPV vaccination for all female students. the Aide in Emmerson’s office assures me it is not intended to be that but the bill specifically names the American Association of Family Physicians as an advisory group to consult with the state Health department on matter of immunization. A quick search on Google about the AAFP brings up its connection to Planned parenthood and its heavy promotion of vaccinating for HPV.

Also the bill provides no option for parental primacy of decision making in vaccinating children.

The office seems open to hearing from citizens so please consider writing to Assembly member Bill Emmerson on this bill. The Hon. Bill Emmerson, C.0 State Capitol, Sacramento, Ca 95814.

Along with these there are a couple of Federal level bills that are of concern.

HR 1277, Tom Price (R-Ga) Emergency Fund for the TANF -Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Repeals the emergency fund for this program. This is a spot bill so no information on substance of wording yet.

SHJR (House Joint Resolution) Jesse Jackson, (D-Il) Equality of Rights and Reproductive Rights. A short resolution calling upon both houses of Congress to support what would appear to be the UN Rights of Women and Children providing universal access to abortion and family planning.

SJR 13 (Senate Joint Resolution, David Vitter, Parental Rights, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to parental rights. A spot bill at this point so no insights into the purpose yet.

Report prepared by California Right to Life Committee. Camille Giglio, Director.
1920 Monument Blvd, Ste 309, Concord, Ca 94520. (925) 899-3064.

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Is the mayor of your town running the school system?

That may not be as silly a question as you think? Have you ever heard of community/school partnerships? How about School-to-Work? Life-long learning? Smart Growth, school based clinics?

Come to think of it, why is it school “based” clinics. Have you ever asked the question: based in the schools, but meant for whom?

The answer may soon become clear that clinics based in schools are meant for everyone. When the progressives succeed in passing Universal Health Coverage legislation Health care may be just one of the services being planned for our future California-schools-as community-centers for the delivery of all social services for every age group and type of need.

On 2/14/09 The Contra Costa Times published three articles from county residents on its Reader’s Forum page. All three extolled the virtues of opening the schools to the communities as a point of delivery of a wide variety of social services. One was entitled Medical Complexities, Schools, by a local School district medical consultant, a second article was by the Mayor of San Pablo entitled: A new day for cities and schools and the third article entitled Don’t Stand in our children’s way, was co-authored by a Richmond City Councilman and a member of some program called Learning Environments. None of these advocates are educators. All promoted the school as community center idea.

I think all four attended the same Smart Growth conference referenced in the Get out of the Way article, in which they were given the assignment of writing articles about the benefits of merging schools i.e. education department, with social services, i.e. Health department ( job training, drug and alcohol programs, mental health counselors, anti-obesity, etc). There are several bills in Sacramento dealing with the expansion of coverage of mental health (or mental dysfunctions) counseling.

The idea of merging schools as academic centers of learning with the school as personal development-social service provider for everyone, is not new. What’s new is that it may be coming to Contra Costa County in both the West County USD and the Mt. Diablo USD. (there are already 103 such centers in California now.) There are a few bills in Sacramento mandating the creation of school-to-work type training classes. School-to-Work programs are defined as ones that concentrate on training students for local specific work force needs rather than any emphasis on academics. This is also where the term “life-long learning comes into play. Local work force needs change with some regularity so the training one received in school may be obsolete within a few years of graduating high school requiring the worker to start all over again.

You may be familiar with the emergence of academies within schools, health care, journalism, etc, these are the models for the forecasted local work force needs.

Many high schools require students to spend school time hours volunteering in some non-profit or business. This is one way of encouraging the students to think globally but act locally upon high school graduation.

In the future, some people claim, the health department and the city officials will have equal influence with the school superintendent as to what takes place in the school setting since it will be a partnership affair.

None of this is new. Using the schools to develop the “whole child” was a concept that John Dewey and other educators began promoting in the early 1900’s. It gained new enthusiasts in the 1950/60’s and within UNESCO taking on a global mandate. It again attracted followers under Bill Clinton’s Administration (remember Hillary’s It takes a village?) and grew again with the promotion of the Goals 2000-No Child Left Behind promotion of George Bush, Sr, Bill Clinton and George Bush, Jr.

President Obama is only the latest to take up the cause with his slogan: Together We Can. However, that slogan as it applies to education was first promoted through the publication of a manual entitled Together We Can: a guide for crafting a pro-family system of education and human services. It was published by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala, Director, and the US Department of Education, Richard Riley, Director, in 1993. It provides the entire agenda for merging schools into community centers for the delivery of social Services to every member of the community from the new born babe on up - womb to tomb services. This is what’s behind the heavy promotion of public school pre-kindergarten mandated programs, year-round classes and home visitation services for new moms.

Here is a quote from an abstract in the Journal of Religious and Social Research, Vol. 1 No. 1. It is entitled: Humans as Resources: Econo-Politics of Global Education., written by Robin Navarro Montgomery, PhD. President, Christian Ages. Inc.

“This study will explore the linkage between the global political economy, America Goals 2000 education plan and UN global education policy. This linkage process depends, it will be shown, upon devaluing humans to the level of just another economic resource. Emerging is a world socio-political regime basing its legitimacy on human resource communities holistically integrated into the public school system.”

Like pieces in a puzzle the legislation that I track both in the state legislature and in the Congress, are fitting together to form a global picture of the future planned for our lives.

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1. Commentary - FOCA and The Stimulus Package.
2. Legislation
_____________________________________________

Normally this legislative report focuses on state level legislation, however, this term there are, at last count, at least 50 federal level bills dealing with new funding and expansion of health care and education programs that are reflected in the ever expanding list of state bills,

We have all become aware of the federal focus on the Freedom of Choice Act - FOCA - and on the Prevention First Act (family Planning type bills), bills that have languished in Congress for several terms. We are also very familiar with Obama’s Stimulus package. All ostensibly promised passage by Obama during his campaign to show good faith with his pro abortion comrades.

While we are having our attention drawn to those activities a myriad of other bills covering individual items along the same lines are being written, submitted and quietly acted upon.

We now read articles talking about the President and Planned Parenthood rethinking the importance of FOCA and of including millions in the stimulus package for family planning programs. We citizens are congratulated by the national level non-profits to whom we have given donations, the media publishes articles saying, wow, who would have thought the pro lifers had this much interest anymore. We claim victory.

But, is it a true victory or subterfuge? Have we been deliberately led down one path while the real fight was being pitched somewhere else? This type of stealth warfare has been going on ever since Roe v Wade and longer.

The President just signed a reauthorization of the children’s Health Insurance Coverage program - SCHIP - HR 2 by Congressman Frank Pallone, (D-NJ). Did out religious leaders, the media, the s0-called pro life congressmen warn us about that?. Just a few days ago HR2 was a 3 page generalized statement of intent. Now it is a one hundred and eleven page, highly specific amendment to various sections of the Social Security Act covering MediCaid and MediCare and costing millions. This is where the abortion and family planning money supposedly removed from the stimulus package has gone.

The ACLU has been behind this all along. In February of 2002 they wrote a letter to legislators setting forth their demands for what gets covered in the SCHIP. They have just been waiting for the right President to come along.

One of SCHIP’s original items was to provide coverage for “preborn babies.” The ACLU said “NO”. They felt that that would hinder access to abortion. It must say “all pregnant women.” That way it also covers abortion. The current bill has a prohibition against paying federal dollars for illegal immigrants, but, never mind, that’s taken care of by state legislation and waivers to the federal requirements.

Yes, FOCA would negate much or all of what the Pro Life Community has worked hard to gain, such as conscience clauses for the medical and pharmaceutical professions, parental consent or notification, sidewalk counseling access at abortuaries. But those rights are also being challenged n courts and in any score of smaller, single item bills such as HR 616 by Marian Berry, (D-Ar), Social Security Act; “To amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for an exemption of pharmacies and pharmacists from certain Medicare accreditation requirements in the same manner as such exemption applies to certain professionals.” Right now it’s only a two page bill, but when no one is watching it may well expand.

I have called or emailed the offices of several federal level legislators asking them what will happen to their legislation now that SCHIP is signed, but I haven’t heard back.

In regard to the Stimulus Package, the President of a Bay Area Republican Women’s club summed that up in one small phrase. She said: “political money buys social programs.” I would add that the promise of so much money is also buying large segments of the population. Stimulus in that sense means encouraging people to give up their independence in exchange for dependence and (a false) sense of security in the arms of the feds.

They don’t need FOCA to insure that pregnant women gain unfettered access to abortion. FOCA is needed to keep sidewalk counselors and parents away from clinics and uninformed about their minor daughters pregnancies. But these groups sidewalk counselors and parents have little or no rights now in California.

Make no mistake the goal is the continual reduction of the population - of this country and globally. The birth of the California octuplets to an unmarried, middle eastern woman has unleashed all kinds of statements from officials suggesting that people should not be free to have as many children as they want. Yes, maybe this particular birth of children was excessive and maybe the doctors who aided the IVF implantation were guilty of some transgression of propriety, but do we stand aside and allow officials or media talking heads to tell us we should be made to curb our numbers of children?

Recently Congresswoman Pelosi had to retract her statement about children being a financial burden to the state, but she meant it nevertheless. The whole purpose of universal health care is to carry out the Utilitarian Ethic of the person as a tool of the state. If children and obese adults and smokers, etc. are costing the state too much money then they have to be eliminated either at birth or in old age or controlled during their productive years.

An official in England has called for the deliberate limiting of children to no more than two per family.

“Washington D.C. (02 February 2009) Sir. Jonathon Porritt, chair of the United Kingdom’s Sustainable Development Commission is recommending abortion and contraception to curb the UK’s population, calling parents of more than two children "irresponsible." (reported by STOPP’s Jim Sedlak).

You are all that stands between a national population control program and freedom. You can be a stimulus package of one. Don’t stop at sending a FOCA postcard. Write to the legislators about individual bills, Write letters to the editor of both public newspapers and religious (diocesan) newspapers, call in to radio talk shows, challenge your pastors and Bishops to speak out.
_______________________________________
Here is a small selection of legislation of interest. Also be mindful that Obama is now promoting more funding for faith based partnerships which means co-opting the religions to take tax dollars to promote government mandates and placing religious values in a secondary category. There are already times when I have seen programs and partnerships that include Planned Parenthood alongside Catholic Charities. Or Catholic organizations promoting environmental issues as though violating a plant was of more value than violating a law of God.

CALIFORNIA

SB 1 Darrell Steinberg. Health Care Coverage: children. OPPOSE
To be heard 2/11/09 in Senate Health Comm. Elaine Alquist,(D) Chairman. Expands Medi-Cal coverage and Healthy Families Programs, maximizing federal matching funds to ensure children are enrolled in health care coverage. This went from being a 3 page bill in the beginning of January to 24 pages now.

The ability to get this passed has now been enhanced by reallocation of funding for SCHIP.

AB 120, Mary Hayashi, (D-Fremont) Health Care Providers: Disclosure:
Reproductive Choice. Not yet assigned to committee.

Provides that a patient is entitled to receive, and a physician and surgeon, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant are obligated to disclose, all information, including all available medical choices, reasonably necessary for the patient to give informed consent with respect to personal reproductive decisions. Note: no exceptions for minors needing parental notification or consent.

FEDERAL

USHR 444, Bobby Rush, (D-Il). Drug discount Program. OPPOSE
Expands and revises section 340B of the Public Health Service Act to improve provision of discounts on drug purchases for certain safety net providers. That’s code for Planned Parenthood and contraceptives. It doesn’t mean that our tax dollars are saved. It means that groups like PP can buy at greater discounts while charging the state higher amounts (this was reported in an earlier SOT) HR 605, Lincoln Davis, (D-Ten). Abortion Programs. the Pregnant Women Support Act. OPPOSE.

“To provide for programs that reduce the need for abortion, help women bear healthy children, and support new parents.” This includes abortion services and referrals. This is the Democrat Seamless Garment program. It uses the offering of services to all pregnant women in order to get into the home and supervise the new parents.

Now, here is a good Federal bill.

HR 614, Mike Pence (R-IN) Public Health Service Act SUPPORT.
“To amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions, and for other purposes.”

There are several like this that are attempts to counter the pro abort ones. they deserve support.

I will be writing about other bills in future SOT Reports.

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1. New Freedom Mental Health Commission.
2. Walk for Life West Coast
3. Legislation

The following is an article reported on by Congressman Ron Paul in one of his weekly updates to constituents. I present this to you because California’s legislators, those most interested in involving the government in families and education are submitting legislation that will have direct bearing on education as prescriptive programs rather than academic achievement.

Dr. Karen Effrem has written extensively on government programs affecting children and the family. She is a Pediatrician, pro lifer, graduate of Johns Hopkins University and has spoken before Congressional Committees on multiple occasions. To read the full report she gave to a group in Minnesota please go to http://www.edwatch.org/updates06/030906-SF2841.htm.

Forcing Kids Into a Mental Health Ghetto
by Dr. Karen Effrem, as reported in Cong. Ron Paul’s Weekly bulletin
www.house,gov/paul

A presidential initiative called The “New Freedom Commission on Mental Health” has issued a report recommending forced mental health screening for every child in America, including preschool children. The goal is to promote the patently false idea that we have a nation of children with undiagnosed mental disorders crying out for treatment.

One obvious beneficiary of the proposal is the pharmaceutical industry, which is eager to sell the psychotropic drugs that undoubtedly will be prescribed to millions of American schoolchildren under the new screening program. Of course a tiny minority of children suffer from legitimate mental illnesses, but the widespread use of Ritalin and other drugs on youngsters who simply exhibit typical rambunctious, fidgety, and impatient behavior is nothing short of criminal. It may be easier to teach and parent drugged kids, but convenience is no justification for endangering them. Children’s brains are still developing, and the truth is we have no idea what the long-term side effects of psychiatric drugs may be. Medical science has not even exhaustively identified every possible brain chemical, even as we alter those chemicals with drugs.

Dr. Karen Effrem, a physician who strongly opposes mandatory mental health screening, warns us that “America’s children should not be medicated by expensive, ineffective, and dangerous medications based on vague and dubious diagnoses.” She points out that psychiatric diagnoses are inherently subjective, as authors of the diagnostic manuals admit. She also is concerned that mental health screening could be used to label children whose attitudes, religious beliefs, and political views conflict with the secular orthodoxy that dominates our schools.

The greater issue, however, is not whether youth mental health screening is appropriate. The real issue is whether the state owns your kids. When the government orders “universal” mental health screening in schools, it really means “mandatory.” Parents, children, and their private doctors should decide whether a child has mental health problems, not government bureaucrats. That this even needs to be stated is a sign of just how obedient our society has become toward government. What kind of free people would turn their children’s most intimate health matters over to government strangers? How in the world have we allowed government to become so powerful and arrogant that it assumes it can force children to accept psychiatric treatment whether parents object or not?

Parents must do everything possible to retain responsibility and control over their children’s well-being. There is no end to the bureaucratic appetite to rule every aspect of our lives, including how we raise our children. Forced mental health screening is just the latest of many state usurpations of parental authority: compulsory education laws, politically-correct school curricula, mandatory vaccines, and interference with discipline through phony “social services” agencies all represent assaults on families. The political right has now joined the political left in seeking the de facto nationalization of children, and only informed resistance by parents can stop it. The federal government is slowly but surely destroying real families, but it is hardly a benevolent surrogate parent.
____________________________________________
2. WALK FOR LIFE W.C.

The annual Walk for Life West Coast took place last Saturday, January 24 beginning in downtown San Francisco and ending at the Marina Green about two miles away.

The event started off with invigorating speeches to receptive crowds of pro lifers from all over northern California that filled Justin Herman Plaza at the foot of Market street to overflowing with enthusiastic participants. Though rain was forecast the weather was warmish and dry and the opposition was hardly to be seen much less heard.

The annual focus of the WALK is to emphasize the devastating effects of and the injustice of abortion on women and, of course, on the preborn babies. Two women presented their stories, one of adopting the baby only to meet him years later as a tall, strong, handsome young man, the other of the sorrow and loss of the child through abortion. This was from a former NARAL activist.

Two very invigorating talks were given by a Sister of Life, Mother Agnes Mary, (an organization created by Archbishop O’Connor), regarding their work, in New York, to provide services and housing to women choosing life for their babies. The second talk was by the Rev.Clenard Childress, Baptist Pastor and founder of BlackGenocide.org. Rev. Childress sent an electric current through the crowd when he declared that we should [probably] be thankful that Barack Obama has become President. God has answered our prayers. He has put a face to abortion. It is the face of Barack Obama. Childress continued that he could talk all day about the leaders of the abortion movement, but it wouldn’t mean much to most because few have ever heard of these people, but everybody knows Obama. He is the face of Black Genocide, said Childress. Karen Shablin, speaking of the abortion she experienced, told us that though there are about 13% African-Americans in the population abortion has claimed about 37% of their population.

Childress went on to say that though we are experiencing Pharoah, God has sent us Moses. Moses, in the form of the Rev. Walter Hoye of Fremont who was recently found guilty of trespass and breaking the new Oakland Bubble law ordinance. Rev. Hoye will be sentenced around the middle of February. Childress drew a verbal image of Rev. Hoye standing up to Pharoah and declaring Let my people live.

Bay Area Fox news, channel 2, carried a report of the WALK on their Sunday evening 10 O’Clock news showing the huge crowd of pro lifers, estimated at around 30,000 people compared to the handful of pro abort/homosexual protesters.
________________________________________
3. LEGISLATION.

By now everybody should have heard that President Obama has issued his expected executive orders overturning the Mexico City Policy of no funding for overseas abortion providers as well as the lifting the ban on embryonic stem cell research. A Bay Area research organization, Geron, is already inline to receive millions in funding for their planned program of finding paralysed guinea pigs to inject with embryonic stem cells. Though many have been rehabilitated to a greater or lesser degree with treatment by adult stem cells no such report has been published with the use of embryonic (preborn baby) stem cells.

FOCA - Freedom of Choice Act legislation has not yet surfaced in Congress, but certain other pieces of legislation, some submitted by the likes of Barbara Boxer, Harry Reid and others promoting parts of the FOCA aqenda have been submitted as well as several pieces by pro life legislators.

Please remember that when you speak of FOCA to anyone always refer to it as removing all safeguards for the mother and baby against unsafe procedures. During the WALK for Life presentations on Saturday I heard one speaker refer to removing the restrictions against abortion. That’s using the language of the baby killers. That’s not our understanding of what FOCA will do.

All the following are federal level bills. Some are spot bills at this time but appear suspicious so I am listing them. I also encourage people to write a note of support to any of the authors who are submitting pro life bills. Address for any federal level legislator is:

Congress: The Hon.___________, C/0 House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515,
and
Senate: The Hon.____________, C/0 U.S. Senate, Wash. D.C. 20510

USHR 614, Mike Pence, (R-Indiana) Public Health Service Act. SUPPORT

Prohibits PHSA grants from being given to entities that perform abortions.

USHR 616, Marion Berry, (D-Arkansas) Social Security Act. OPPOSE

To amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for an exemption of pharmacies and pharmacists from certain Medicare accreditation requirements in the same manner as such exemption applies to certain professionals.

Ed. note: Spot bill. Very likely an anti-conscience clause for pharmacists. There are a couple now in the state legislature as well.

USHR 618, Chaka Fattah, (D-PA) White House Conference on Children and Youth. OPPOSE

Calls upon the President to calla White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 to supposedly focus on the plight of abused children and youth.

Ed note: This would fall in line with the mental health research mentioned above. This bill is supported by the pro abortion caucus in the House.

USHR 634, Mike Ross, (D-Arkansas) Parental Involvement of Abortion for Minors. SUPPORT.

NOW HERE IS A DEMOCRAT PRO LIFER. This is supported by every pro life member of the House including California Congressman Wally Herger

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions.

USHR 636, Michelle Bachmann, (R-Minn) Alternative-to-Abortion Service Funds, SUPPORT.

To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow funds provided under the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families to be used for alternative to abortion services.

USHR 643, Jeff Fortenberry, (R-Ne) Live Birth Service Assistance. WATCH.

To encourage and assist women to carry their children to live birth by providing services, during and after pregnancy, that will alleviate the financial, social, emotional, and other difficulties that may otherwise lead to abortion.

Ed. Note: There is no published wording other than the above for this bill, yet. It is a Spot bill. It should be of a pro life substance, but we don’t know. It sounds very much like a bill from the Democrats for Life in its call for the funding of more social services for unwed mothers. No telling at this point which side of the abortion issue would end up with the funding.

USHR 649, Jim Jordan, (R-Oh) Abortion. SUPPORT.

To ensure that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and the opportunity to review the ultrasound before giving informed consent to receive an abortion.

This, too, is a spot bill so no way to ascertain it’s value, but it has the appearance of a pro life type bill.

USS 310, Barbara Boxer, (D-CA) Safety Net Family Planning Assistance Eligibility. OPPOSE A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure that safety net family planning centers are eligible for assistance under the drug discount program.

This is a spot bill, but it sets up all sorts of alarms. This may be a cover-up of misuse of and overcharging of funds to state governments by Planned Parenthood. There is a current law suit by a whistle blower PP employee who accused PP of overcharging California for the cost of family planning products.

How it works: Planned Parenthood and other mega purchasers of pharmaceutical products for
family planning are given major discounts by the pharmaceutical industry to purchase their products and then PP turns around and charges the state several times this cost as reimbursement for services rendered.

USS 295 by Jeff Bingaman,(D=NM) and USS 301 by Charles Grassley,(R-Iowa) both focus on amendments to separate parts of the Social Security Act in regard to health concerns. They are spot bills and, therefore, the intend of these bills is as yet unknown.

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Legislation: Federal and State
FOCA, Cord blood
banking, mental health and more
The People v Hoye
Professor Jacqueline Kasun,
RIP
_________________________________________________

This first article is here
mainly as a reminder of what occurred during 2008. This is what California’s
students will be facing week to week in their public school classrooms.

STATE OK COMES AFTER TWO YEARS OF DEBATE
By Dana Hull Mercury News

Article Launched: 03/14/2008 01:37:19 AM PDT

In fifth grade, students will learn about the risks of sexually transmitted
diseases. In middle school, they will discuss the psychological and physical
consequences of rape and sexual assault. By high school, students will be
talking about condoms and even the morning-after pill.

After nearly two years of debate and numerous drafts, California’s State
Board of Education quietly adopted its first-ever set of "health education
content standards" this week.

The guidelines spell out exactly what California’s more than 6 million
students from kindergarten through grade 12 are expected to know about health
and are required as part of a controversial 2004 law which replaced a patchwork
of often contradictory statutes on sex education.

The law requires that all high schools give "medically accurate" information
about condoms and other forms of birth control. The health curriculum, which
also covers drug and alcohol use, nutrition, exercise and even environmental
health, is far broader than sex education. But teaching about sex - and at what
age - is an explosive issue for many parents and continued to divide groups
Thursday.

Advocates say today’s students need to be armed with sound information amid a
host of alarming statistics. Earlier this week, a new federal study found that
one in four female teenagers have at least one sexually transmitted disease.
"Obesity, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases - our students have major
health problems, and they really need good information," said state Sen. Sheila
Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, [ed. note: Kuehl is no longer in the legislature but the
Governor appointed her to the California Integrated Waste Management Board where
she will receive a stipend for attending meetings. It’s a good place for her.]
who is thrilled the State Board of Education adopted the health standards
unanimously. "We’re talking about how to stay well, how to protect yourself.
Sexual health after puberty is extremely important."
___________________

Rahm Emmanuel’s Universal civil defense training. Emmanuel, Obama’s official
Chief of Staff will be promoting a plan for universal civil defense training for
all persons at some point during the ages 18-25 for a period of 3 or 4 months,
Apparently there would be no exceptions for married couples, single moms with
children, etc. He is currently not providing any insights into what that
training will be, or where it will be held. It seems to coincide with Obama’s
Call for National Civilian Security Force. Both Emmanuel and Obama have been
recorded as saying it has to be all people because there is so much to do.

Is it
possible that President Elect Obama is planning his own semi-official military
components which will answer only to him and be in competition with our national
military?
_______________________________________________

LEGISLATION-STATE

AB 52, Anthony Portantino. Umbilical Cord Blood Banking.

Portantino’s 2008
bill creating an Umbilical Cord blood (public) banking program passed. It
included funding from the state general fund. It was supported by Planned
Parenthood and Lambda Letters (a homosexual lobby).

This bill amends the
previous bill eliminating the General Funds funding source and substituting
special funding (not identified) along with the creation of a 15 member
commission to make decisions and control the program. Its make up will be the
usual political, business and non-profit appointees.

It also prohibits the
donating family from having first call on using the blood. It would go into a
state and, thence, national banking program to be used world wide. Right now
this bill, unlike an Indiana (HR 1020) one has no mandate, but what is to stop
this bill from being amended again during this term or the following term
mandating that all parents donate to a public banking program. What if the
parent said no?

Or, if they don’t mandate the banking what pressures (guilt
trips) would be brought to bear on a parent for failure to voluntarily
cooperate? You know, the old “make’em an offer they can’t refuse?” And, finally,
on an economic level, isn’t the creation of this program just another employment
scheme? Traditional business and private sector business is leaving California
due to increasing of the taxes. Government owned and operated businesses may be
the only game in town in near future.

S. 1858 DNA Databank. This legislation was signed by President Bush April
2008, establishing the creation of a national database on DNA to be collected
from the incoming crop of newborn babies.

PROBLEM: With every pro lifers horror that embryonic stem cells would be used
for research, the idea of taking stem cells from the umbilical cord blood of
born babies, thereby appearing to get around the moral and ethical problem of
the destruction of a human life, has perhaps blinded the pro life medical and
education and religious communities and members in general from looking
critically at this latest ploy.

For instance, Planned Parenthood of Indiana was
a major promoter of a failed cord blood banking bill in Indiana. That bill
stated that the medical profession was mandated to inform parents of their
choices in storing umbilical cord blood. What’s in it for them? What’s in it for
the homosexual community if not researching the possibilities for turning human
life components to utilitarian purposes? I searched online for any material of a
critical nature but could find almost nothing. I got a response from the
Executive Director and Ethicist of the Catholic Physicians Association, John F.
Brehany, Ph.D. S.T.L. who offered the following thoughts:

1. In general, umbilical cord blood banking (UCBB) and use (as opposed to
   simple discard and waste) is a good and worthy initiative.
    
2. Personal/private UCBB is legal, and probably not unethical, but it is not
   necessarily a wise or prudent initiative, as most people will not need their
   UCB.
    
3. The provisions regarding political/social control of UCBB do not necessarily
   sound good, and I’m not sure they will pass, but this does not raise the same
   issues as mandatory organ donation
    
4. I don’t understand the support of PP and Lambda, etc. While it is not
   necessary to be against the bill just because they are for it, it does raise
   questions. [But perhaps it is just part of a strategy to show that they favor
   "all" stem cell research and not just human embryonic stem cell research.]

______________________

Another popular segment of the human component to be turned into a commodity is
the state of everyone’s mental health. For the last few years there have been
bills in Sacramento mentioning mental health needs, but this year it seems to be
getting more attention. These bills,especially as they concern servicing the
mental health needs of (all) children will need to be closely watched.

Here are the two currently needing the closest watch:

SB 33, Lou Correa, (D), Marriage and Family Therapy;Licensure.
This is quite a long bill with extensive code amendments. The section that
catches my attention is Sec 23, pertaining to the state family code 6929;
paragraph 4b. This gives minors 12 years and older the authorty to agree to
treatment for drug and alcohol abuse “with parent involvement where appropriate.
This is reflexive of the lenient parental notification rulings which are hardly
ever honored.

SB1, Darrell Steinberg, Health Care Coverage: Children. Though it is 3 pages
long, it says almost nothing. It will most likely be amended. It includes
references to mental health as an important part of the health care services
needed for children to better learn. It also makes reference to new sources of
federal funding to expand and the Healthy Families program. See reference
further down to the Bush Executive order establishing a New Freedom Commission
on Mental Health Care. It contains millions of dollars for new federal level
programs to be implemented at state and local level.

AB67, Pedro Nava, (D), Pharmacy Patient Protections Act of 2008. Deletes the
right of Pharmacists to have a conscience clause. Based upon a shaky
interpretation of the Jesse Unrush Civil Rights Act. This Act was used last term
by a couple of legislators to advance the cause of the gay and lesbian lobby.

LEGISLATION-FEDERAL
This bill actually comes from Texas but is important to California.

HB 188, by Roberto Alonzo, (D), Children’s Bill of Rights. Sets up an actual
Commission on the rights of children, as independent from their parents. It also
mandates education and training programs for parents to be instructed in
assisting the children in exercising those stated rights. Upon the birth of a
child a parent will receive a letter of congratulations from the Governor along
with instructions on accessing the training program. What happens if the parent
says “Heck, no.” But, of course this is aimed at the illegal population who will
feel the pressure to attend or maybe be turned in to ICE.

California legislators have tried to pass similar legislation but on a piecemeal
basis. Recall the no spanking bills, the parent/educator compacts, the sex
education bills (see the first article), the articles in newspapers about
parents needing training to help educate their children on sexual matters, etc,
etc.

The Texas bill may well be trying to do what California has done so
successfully. Write up a wild and crazy bill that everybody will fight and while
they aren’t paying attention, the components of the bill will be broken up.,
placed in several other bills and get passed. _______________________

Another area that bears close watching is the area of incorporating more
non-academic activities into the school day. The latest seems to come upon the
heels of the hysteria over so-called obese children. This is the area of fitness
and learning.

The San Jose Mercury News carried a recent article quoting extensively from the
writings of Dr. John J. Ratey on the importance of fitness and exercise upon the
brain’s ability to stay active.

The article encouraged schools to develop extensive exercise and fitness
programs as the best way to get students prepared to learn. Ratey appears to
fall into same category as all those mental health practitioners who seem to
know more about what is good for education than parents or educators do. It is
based on the “myth of the First Three Years” as author John T. Bruer wrote; that
if you don’t capture the child at age 1 or 2 and train its brain or its muscles
properly the child will be at an academic disadvantage at school age.

Freedom of Choice Act - FOCA. This omnibus abortion rights bill is still sitting
in Congress. It awaits the swearing in of Barack Obama as President. He swore to
a Planned Parenthood conference that he would sign it as soon as it arrived on
his desk. While that promise has all the bearing of an election ploy, its
passage will produce great harm to the pro life cause of protecting innocent
human life.

Many churches and pro life organizations are providing Anti-FOCA postcard
signing opportunities during January. If your Catholic church is not planning to
have these postcards available call your chancery office and ask why. If you
belong to an independent church and have not heard how to get these cards please
go to the following site: FightFOCA.com. This is a project of the Americans
United For Life’s legislative agenda. AUL is itself a good source of information
on court cases and legislation. Chicago Headquarters: 310 S. Peoria St., Ste
500, Chicago, Ill. 60607 Phone: 312-568-4700. Or, 1413 K St. NW, Ste 1000,
Wash., D.C., 20005, Phone: 202-289-1478
____________________________

The People v Hoye.

The case of the People versus the Reverend Walter Hoye began today in an
Oakland, California, courtroom with a jury of his peers. He was charged last
year with breaking Oakland’s newly established bubble law requiring a distance
of 8 feet between an abortion clinic customer and a sidewalk counselor. Also he
was accused of abusing and harassing the deathscorts at a Planned Parenthood
abortion clinic. He is being defended by that great pro life legal organization
Life Legal Defense Fund - lldf.org. If you have a few dollars left after
Christmas they could use your support. Please Keep the Rev. Hoye, his wife,
Lori, and his lawyers in your prayers. His trial started today and is scheduled
to possibly go through till Jan.9. Even the Assistance DA for Alameda who is
acting for the city has said that he doesn’t believe that there is a good case
against him. Even the deathscorts stated under oath that they didn’t feel
victimized by him. But someone higher up in city politics is pushing this.

Here is a report from Rev. Hoye on the status of the trial.

Greetings Everyone …

Today, we finished selecting the twelve (12) person jury along with the two
(2) alternates. The last of the prospective jurors excused for hardships (asked
for by the potential jurors themselves and approved by the Judge), for cause
(determined by the Judge alone), legal necessity (required by the law to ensure
a fair trial) and preempt challenge (both the prosecution and the defense each
have 10 preempt challenges that allow them to remove a perspective juror without
giving a reason) left the court around 2:30 P.M.

The actual trial, with opening statements from the Alameda County Assistant
District Attorney (D.A.) Robert Graff, will start Monday, January 5th, 2009,
9:30 A.M., in Department 109 on the fifth (5th) floor of the Wiley W. Manuel
Courthouse, 661 Washington Street, Oakland, California 94607-3922, where the
Honorable Stuart Hing is presiding.

According to our schedule the trial should be completed by Friday, January
9th, 2009, no later than Tuesday, January 13th, 2009. Everyday court will be
session from 9:30 A.M. to 12:00 Noon and from 1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. The court
recesses for lunch between 12:00 Noon and 1:30 P.M.

Witnessing jury selection from the defendant’s chair is an experience that
has helped me grow stronger in Christ. While there is nothing left before us but
the trial itself, I am still looking forward to watching and seeing how God
unravels my circumstances. To borrow a page from Oswald Chambers (December
15th), and as a man of the cloth, it is my opinion the experience that benefits
us most is not the one that simply teaches us what we did not know but the one
that helps us speak a truth that we were struggling to express.

My wife and I want to thank everyone for petitioning the throne of God on our
behalf and hope everyone will continue to do so. Truly the prayers of the saints
have and will keep holding us up as we have determined in our hearts to face the
future walking by faith and not by sight.

Finally, the Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) [http://www.lldf.org/]
is representing us and has proven to be nothing less than a Godsend. Please
consider LLDF as you consider which organizations to financially support.

LLDF Press Release:

http://www.lldf.org/articles/PressRel080814_Hoye

Walter B. Hoye II
Issues4Life Foundation
Website: http://www.issues4life.org
Blog:
http://issues4lifefoundation.wordpress.com
___________________________________________

JACQUELINE KASUN A WOMAN OF INSPIRATION - RIP.

Professor Jacqueline Kasun, Ph.D. 1924-2009, honored member of the Pro Life
Community, author of many works on Population issues including the War on
Population, and one of the first women to receive a degree in Economics, passed
away on January 1, 2009, in Bayside, California, in Humboldt County. She was a
professor Emeritus of Economics at Humboldt State University.

It was she who inspired me to research the area of right to life and
population control. She was a gracious, almost frail appearing woman. When first
seeing her on a platform preparing to begin a talk one would wonder at her
ability to give a presentation. Once she began you found yourself sitting up
straight, listening with all your might. She not only spoke with authority on
the subject of populations but with humor. One of her favorite phrases was
“trees grow you know.” This was at the height of the wars in Humboldt county
between the tree huggers, the lumber industry and the worth of human life.

Her funeral is today, January 6, 2009. Her writings can be found on the
website for Humboldt Pro Life, a group which she founded.

http://humboldtprolife.com/jacqueline_kasun.
___________________

Please visit our website for information on the San Francisco Walk for Life,
January 24th and for the Program being prepared in Berkeley at the church where
the Reverend Hoye pastors.
http://www.callifeadvocates.org/blog.

Thank you for your generosity this past year and your kind words of support.
May this coming year find you well, at peace, firm in your pro life principles
and effective in your efforts to protect human life.

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Wednesday STOPP Report
November 19, 2008

In this issue:
Planned Parenthood pushing another major bill
What is the Prevention First Act?
What is the status of the Prevention First Act?
What does Planned Parenthood say about the Prevention First Act?
Planned Parenthood also pushing PFA in states
What can you do?

Planned Parenthood pushing another major bill

We continue our analysis of Planned Parenthood’s plans following the election of Barack Obama. Last week, we told you about the Freedom of Choice Act. This week, we will give you a quick look at another major piece of legislation being championed by PP and supported by Obama: the Prevention First Act.

What is the Prevention First Act?

The Prevention First Act has several components, all of which would fund programs that are promoted by Planned Parenthood and would put millions more of our tax dollars into PP’s coffers. These components include

Making Title X (family planning) a permanent program and funding it at $700 million or more. Since its inception in 1970, Title X of the Health and Human Services Act has always been a major funding source for PP. However, Title X is not a permanent program and must be reauthorized every year. Title X was funded at $300 million for fiscal year 2008. PP receives about 25 percent of the total or $75 million. Thus, the PFA would more than double the tax dollars given to PP ($175 million) by this one program. It would also make Title X a permanent program.

Mandating that health insurance programs that cover prescriptions must cover abortifacient contraceptives. There are several reasons why some insurance companies do not include birth control coverage in their policies. Chief among them is that many of their customers belong to religions that are opposed to birth control and do not want to be forced to pay for this coverage. The PFA would take away the ability of consumers and insurance companies to seek the coverage they want and would force every insurance plan that covers prescription drugs to pay for birth control. This is an outrageous intrusion into the religious beliefs of millions of Americans.

Creating a government program to push abortifacient emergency contraception. Selling emergency contraception is one of PP’s most lucrative activities. PP routinely purchases Plan B for $4.25 a kit and then sells it for $30 a kit, thus making a $25 profit on each one of the 1.5 million it sells each year. But still, PP is not content. The PFA would create a government-funded five-year educational program to promote emergency contraception and drive even more Plan B business to PP.

Taking all federal money away from any hospital that refuses to administer emergency contraception (an abortifacient), to rape victims. Many hospitals, doctors and pharmacists have problems dispensing emergency contraception because of its abortifacient nature. Indeed, in the above-listed educational program, PP wants the government to tell the public that emergency contraception works by preventing ovulation, fertilization of an egg, or implantation of an egg in a uterus. Yet, this section of the PFA demands that hospitals tell patients that emergency contraception does not cause an abortion. In addition, it would require that every hospital, even Catholic, Baptist and others opposed to abortion for religious reasons, MUST provide patients with emergency contraception or lose all of their federal funding.

Creating additional massive government funding for PP-style sex education programs (abstinence-only programs are specifically excluded from funding). Under the subprogram named At-Risk Communities Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act, the PFA would create a program to conduct research and educational sessions for the purpose of reducing teen pregnancy. All kinds of organizations (e.g. Planned Parenthood) would receive taxpayer funds, and all kinds of theories and ways of preventing teen pregnancy could be researched and taught EXCEPT abstinence-only programs. The PFA specifically stipulates that funds under this section are not intended for use by abstinence-only education programs. Abstinence-only education programs that receive federal funds through the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, the Administration for Children and Families, the Adolescent Family Life Program, and any other program that uses the definition of "abstinence education" found in section 510(b) of the Social Security Act are ineligible for funding.

Permanently including family planning services as part of the Medicaid program. The Medicaid program was never intended to pay for family planning services. Yet, beginning in the 1990s, states started applying for Medicaid waivers to allow them to add family planning for Medicaid-eligible recipients. The federal government has approved these waivers, and their approval must be renewed, on a state-by-state basis, every five years. Because of the waivers, Medicaid is now the largest single program providing taxpayer money for PP. The PFA would do away with the need for waivers and write family planning services permanently into Medicaid, thereby opening the floodgates of taxpayer funding for PP even wider.

What is the status of the Prevention First Act?

It is important to note that the election ushers in a new Congress in January. The current Congress, the 110th Congress, will cease to exist at the end of this year. In January, the 111th Congress will begin, and all of the newly elected members of the House and Senate will be part of the 111th Congress. All existing bills must be re-introduced in the new Congress and assigned new numbers, and the legislative process for each of them will start "from scratch." The current House bill (H.R.819) was originally introduced on February 5, 2007, was immediately referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce (in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Labor), and no further action was taken. It has 164 co-sponsors. The current Senate bill (S.21) was originally introduced on January 4, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where it still sits. It has 34 co-sponsors, including Barack Obama.

Again, these current bills will disappear with the start of the new Congress, and the bills will have to be introduced once more. Under normal circumstances, it would take months for them to be voted on, but they could be fast-tracked.

What does Planned Parenthood say about the Prevention First Act?

Here is the statement by Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, on February 5, 2007, when the Prevention First Act was introduced in the House:

Today’s introduction of the Prevention First Act signals a real step forward for health care in America. Currently, more than 17 million women in the U.S. need publicly funded family planning services, and there is not enough funding to meet the need. Nearly 750,000 teenagers in the U.S. will become pregnant this year. Prevention is the key to building strong, healthy families, and the Prevention First Act will help women and couples plan their families, plan their futures, and plan parenthood by expanding access to critically needed family planning education and reproductive health care services.

On February 13, Planned Parenthood Federation of America affiliates and their supporters will hold a nationwide Day of Action, calling on elected officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to pass the Prevention First Act and state legislation that are key to preventing unintended pregnancy and reducing the need for abortion by expanding access to birth control and real sex education.

Planned Parenthood also pushing PFA in states

In the statement above, Planned Parenthood mentions its intent to push PFA not only at the federal level, but also at the state level. A typical state bill is one that is currently being considered in Ohio. It is known as House Bill 251 and also Senate Bill 179. Among other things, these bills seek to do the following:

Force insurance companies to cover birth control if they cover other prescriptions;

Mandate that every hospital in the state provide emergency contraception to rape victims and tell the victims that emergency contraception does not cause an abortion;

Replace abstinence-only sex ed with programs that gives equal time to the use of birth control and don’t tell children to save sex for marriage;

Put taxpayer money into "teen pregnancy prevention" programs;

Do away with the right of pharmacies and/or pharmacists to refuse to sell products that conflict with their religious beliefs;

Rewrite the Ohio health funding bill to ensure that PP is directly eligible for taxpayer money for family planning services.

What can you do?

Despite the fact that Obama is actively supporting this horrible bill and the Democratic Party is firmly in control of the both chambers of the United States Congress, passage of this bill is not inevitable. We have spoken with a number of pro-life members of Congress and their staffs, and they believe that the Prevention First Act can be stopped.

But, in order to do so, it will take an active campaign of pro-lifers across the country. Here is what you can do:

1. Contact your members of Congress and let them know how you feel about the Prevention First Act.

2. Watch for updates in future Wednesday STOPP Reports. We will let you know as soon as the bills are introduced in the next Congress and give you the correct bill numbers.

3. Monitor the activity in your state and take action to prevent a state PFA from passing.

Obama selects ex-PP board member for key political position

Ms. Barnes has made it clear that she is a proponent of Obama’s comprehensive sexual education plan, “More condoms are needed to fight AIDS, and the Bush administration is to blame for the fact that more blacks have AIDS than whites.” However, what Ms. Barnes fails to recognize is that the very same organization she has devoted so much time to is murdering African Americans by the thousands every year. Its founder, Margaret Sanger, was a well-known eugenics supporter and openly racist advocate for genocide of the African American community. Please pray for the conversion of Mr. Obama and Ms. Barnes, that they see what is going on around them and wake up to the fact that Planned Parenthood is working so hard to kill off their race.

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We are probably all aware that incoming President Obama has promised Planned Parenthood that he will sign the Freedom of Choice Act at the first opportunity.

He has also promised to use his executive authority to overturn the Mexico City Policy which bans USAID money from being used overseas for family planning or abortion; as well he has promised to release federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

You may recall that upon Clinton’s entrance into the White House his first act was to use his executive powers to overturn the Mexico City Policy. When Bush came in he re-instated it.

There are currently two federal bills called Freedom of Choice Act; HR 1964 authored by Congressman Jerry Nadler, (D-NY) and S.1173 by Senator Barbara Boxer, (D-Ca.). They are identical. They have been sitting idle in their respective house’s Judiciary Committee since introduction in April of 2007. They are dead beginning in the new term in January. They will have to be re-introduced given new bill numbers and shepherded through committee hearings before they get to the President, if they get there. So, FOCA, though a reality is not an immediately urgent priority regardless of what you might read or hear from certain groups.

There are also two other bills which have the ability basically to do the same things as FOCA; HR 819 by Louise Slaughter, (-NY) Health Care for Reducing Pregnancy, and, S.21 by Harry Reid, Access to Preventive Health Care Services. These two bills were submitted in April of 2007 and have sat idle in their first committee. Variations of this bill have been introduced in some of the past legislative terms.

These bills tend to be brought out and rattled in front of potential pro abort donors as well as to sidetrack people from other issues. Just google Prevention First Legislation.

Overturning the Mexico City Policy and/or authorizing the embryonic stem cell funding through Executive orders may well be the immediate priorities. The wording of these executive orders is probably already written up and all it will take is the President’s signature.

The California state legislature and the state Democrat Caucus in Congress is a sanctuary for the baby killers with guaranteed protection and funding from a solid, rigidly controlled state Democrat Party with the aid of some squishy Republicans.

Every California Democrat Congress person has co-sponsored the current FOCA. Senator Feinstein (she wants to run for Governor) has co-sponsored Boxer’s bill.

Obama has undoubtedly received a large amount of opposition to some of his campaign promises and so one can detect a subtle change in some of his goals.

To my knowledge no California resident has developed or maintained a continuous lobbying pressure on our California Congressional Delegation except for the likes of the ACLU and the pseudo Christian faith based alliances. The phrase “social justice” has been corrupted to mean more government intervention rather than a call to love of one’s neighbor.

Why don’t we try? Start now to send the National Democrat Party and your Congress person a letter, a Christmas card, with the request to honor and protect human life beginning with the preborn and extending to the frail elderly. Urge President Obama not to provide funding for embryonic stem cell research and don’t overturn the Mexico City Policy. That’s not the change that we want. We want true social justice brought about through charity/love for one and all.

Here is the 2008 Democrat Party Platform section on reproductive health care:
We oppose the current administration’s consistent attempts to undermine a woman’s ability to make her own life choices and obtain reproductive health care including birth control. We will end health insurance discrimination against contraception and provide compassionate care to rape victims. We will never put ideology {or morality. ed} above women’s health

Since many new members of Congress do not yet have addresses start by writing to:

Democrat Congressional Caucus Committee
Attention:_____________________
430 So. Capitol St. SE
Washington, D.C. 2003
Phone: 202-863-8000

Their website recommends written letters or phone calls have a better chance of gaining a response than emails. www.democrats.org/a/party/platform.html

May you have a Blessed and joyful Christmas.

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Health care coverage of Ca. Children.
Miscellaneous.
_____________________________________________

CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN: A BRIEF OVERVIEW.

The state legislators, including the incoming freshmen and the Governor, will be focusiing heavily on the expansion of health care to all segments of society. Mention has been made in the news that Gov. Schwarzenegger has gone, hat in hand, to the Governor’s conference to lay his health care bailout plans before incoming U.S. President Obama.

California’s health care employees swell with pride when they brag about the leading status California has in registering more and more people, legal and “sub-legal” into some form of government managed and financed health care.

California is a leader amongst a small group of states that have the highest income eligibility standards in the country. Though Stan Rosenstein, a spokesman for the Health Department’s negotiating team on Family PACT services claimed that the maximum financial eligibility is 200% of federal poverty level - fpl, online information states that some programs go up to as high as 400% fpl. That means that our poverty assistance programs which we are called upon to support with our taxes are paying for some families health care who are well into the middle class living standards.

Health care costs, it can be said, are increasing not so much due to the increased number of California residents, legal and illegal, but because the state keeps expanding the eligibility requirements to include groups who they acknowledge, for the most part, already have regular sources of health care access even though that access might be a clinic.

The state MediCal program in conjunction with privately funded foundations such as the California Endowment have formed a lobby called the Family PACT program as well as the 100% Campaign. These are amongst the largest consortium of groups operating in our state. They are little more than lobbies for universal health care with family planning or government dependence being the biggest “service” they provide to residents.

I struggle to condense the huge amount of information available. Some times it is best to just use excerpts from the official publications themselves, so please bear with me as I cut and paste the following from a program called CalKids, one of the latest programs which acts as a bridge for residents covering those who don’t qualify for government programs: The following was published and is available online, by the California Endowment which has a financial and emotional interest in making this program work. In this publication it is mentioned that state programs for coverage of children began after President (and Hillary) Clinton’s universal health coverage failed. State initiatives were formed with state and federal funds. The goal is to enroll every child (expanding to adults as well) that they possibly can. So they get funding for a certain level of clients, then they expand the eligibility requirements and run out of money and so they then scream and cry for more money or else all these poor children will go without services and so they apply for a federal waiver for more funds. And on and on it goes.
__________________________________________________

Increases in Coverage

One of the most successful features of the Children’s Health Initiatives has been their accomplishments in the areas of outreach, enrollment, and retention. CHIs have brought together a diverse range of local organizations (county agencies, faith-based and children’s organizations, schools, labor, other community non-profits) to reach out to low-income families to promote enrollment in health insurance programs, regardless of immigration status. These programs include Healthy Kids, CalKids and KPCHP. Innovations such as the One-e-App electronic enrollment system have helped some counties to facilitate enrollment into Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and Healthy Kids. Working through community-based coalitions has gained trust with parents who are reluctant to go to government social services agencies.

The CHI movement has been responsible not only for enrolling and retaining children in the local coverage program, but also promoting enrollment in public programs, such as Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. The concept of “one open door” which allows parents to enroll families in any available health program has brought in families who were previously overwhelmed by confusing eligibility standards. And by offering coverage for children who are not eligible for public programs, the CHIs have overcome the reluctance of parents to obtain coverage from some, but not all, children in the family. An early study of the Santa Clara CHI showed more  than a 25% increase in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families enrollment with the CHI than would have been expected without the CHI. The added enrollment resulted in increased state and federal spending in Santa Clara County by an estimated $24.4 million during the initiative’s first two years.

FUTURE OF CHILDREN’s Coverage in Ca 9_18_08
Published by the California Endowment.

Note: They also brag about how they get the enrollees. This is a faith-based government private sector program. They are using the churches and the schools to gain access to children.
____________________________________________

2. MISCELLANEOUS

CALIFORNIA’S GAY AND LESBIAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS.

Openly gay legislators and other members of the GLBT Caucus held a press conference [yesterday] in Sacramento to announce the introduction of a resolution declaring that Proposition 8 is an illegal "constitutional revision" and thus should be declared invalid by the California Supreme Court. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, introduced the non-binding resolution on the second day of the legislature’s new session. (published: California Catholic Daily)

Note: Though Steinberg is not a member of the GLBT caucus he has been known to ride in the Gay Pride parades of sacramento.

Note: Membership in this group is changing since Carole Migden and Sheila Kuehl are not returning to the legislature. San Francisco City Council member, Tom Ammiano will take Migden’s place. Also understand that a relative of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has entered the legislature.

Very good news is the return of Assembly member Tony Strickland, (R) to the legislature. He beat out contender and former Assembly woman, Hannah Beth Jackson,(D) pro abort friend of PP.

We have a veto proof state legislature, (just like in the Congress now) especially in the Senate where many of the good, stalwart, conservative and pro life Assembly members moved to. All the more reason to support these officials.

SO MUCH FOR ABORTIONS SAFE AND LEGAL.

Bertha Bugarin was charged last year with practicing medicine without a license for allegedly managing medical clinics in Panorama City, Baldwin Park, Los Angeles and Huntington Park. When physicians were not in the office, she purportedly performed medical procedures on patients. In some instances, she was allegedly assisted by her sister, Raquel Bugarin, 50, who worked at the clinics. The incidents occurred in February and March 2007. (Ca. Catholic Daily)

Note: Now that the Governor signed legislation permitting satellite clinics to open without inspections we might see more clinics operating without licensed personnel. How will anybody know?
______________________________________
Thank you so much to our readers who provided us with generous donations.
Camille Giglio, Ca. Right to Life Committee. 1920 Monument Blvd, #309, Concord, Ca 94520

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PP scams the state, the state scams the feds everybody scams the taxpayer.
by Camille Giglio

In my last legislative alert I mentioned an article appearing on the front page of the Contra Costa Times entitled: “Bush policies threaten family-planning services.” It was unusual because it had so much information about percentages of clients served and costs involved and numbers of pregnancies “avoided.”

Well, all the mystery is gone. The article was planted by Family PACT, the very group that profits from scamming the taxpayer. It was planted, with the cooperation of the reporter on the Times, Sandy Kleffman, to appear just before Obama takes over the White House, to call his attention to the situation and to be able to say to him, well, this is an important issue for Californians, the Bush administration has been a barrier to the receipt of health care for poor and needy Californians.

FAMILY PACT. Family Planning Access Care and Treatment. This large amalgam of public/private health care (Planned Parenthood being the largest member) groups presents itself as being the state when, in fact, these groups run under contracts with the state health department to do the work of the state health department. For instance Kaiser Hospital itself commits very few abortions, they job the “service” out to Planned Parenthood.

Never forget that when a legislator, especially a Democrat, refers to health care for the poor he/she really means contracepting the poor into sterility.

The following is a description of Family PACT taken directly from their website.
http://www.familypact.org/en/home.aspx

Welcome to Family PACT

Family PACT is California’s innovative approach to provide comprehensive family planning services to eligible low-income men and women. This clinical program increases access to services by expanding the provider network to include medical providers, pharmacies and laboratories.

(note: a bill just passed last year allowing pharmacists to dispense contraceptives even to minors, so they are getting in on the funding scam.)
_______________________________

BACKGROUND.

Beginning in the 1970’s and passage of the Title X (Social Security Act) federal Family Planning funds were made available to the states with reimbursement being 90/10.

Ninety Percent federal taxes, 10 percent state taxes. The one limitation was no funding under Title X for abortions (thanks in part to then Senator George Bush). Any claims for reimbursement for abortions were reimbursed at a 50/50 share. The requirements were; financial standing of client was no higher than 180 percent of federal poverty - fpl - and that the abortion met the requirement of only life of the mother, rape and incest.

Under Gov. Jerry Brown the state refused to comply with that reporting requirement and so we state taxpayers have been footing the bill for most of the abortions performed in California. However, Planned Parenthood began reporting that most of its services were family planning requests even the abortions were put under the generic umbrella of family planning.

Well, States file waivers with the federal government for lots of things as the way to get around legislation. The state health department began filing waivers with the federal center for Medicare and Medicaid claiming all sorts of reasons why it needed to be exempted from all this reporting. The last waiver, apparently with the support of then state legislator Hannah Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara, requested that the state be allowed to raise the financial limit for clients up to 200 % of FPL (they wanted to go to 225% accessing new clients well into the middle class) with the understanding that this would save the state billions of dollars in health care and education costs of raising unplanned and unwanted children (unwanted, that is, by Planned Parenthood and other population control groups dealing in immigration activities to name just one). Abortion clinics in low income, black and Hispanic neighborhoods is not an accident.

BACK TO THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

The waiver needs to be renewed. In fact filing for renewal of the waiver is way overdo. The feds had been negotiating with the state for about two years. For the first time the feds finally put their foot down and said either comply with the reporting requirements or forego the federal reimbursement money. The deadline for a contract was November 15. Sources in Washington, D.C. said that this request, like so many others, will probably be ignored and business will go on as usual until Obama takes over and further opens the federal treasury to population control groups.

Another part of the waiver or the acceptance of federal funds was the promise that Planned Parenthood would only charge the state the actual cost of the birth control pills which is approximately $1.00 each; through an agreement with the pharmaceutical companies to sell the pills at cost. Instead they have been charging about $15.00 per pill.

All of this came to light in 2004 when a Los Angeles Planned Parenthood executive called this little bookkeeping problem to the attention of PP Executives who promptly fired him. He is suing Planned Parenthood for loss of his job and it got into the newspapers at least in the L.A. Times last March. Saturday March 8, 2008: “Planned Parenthood accused of overcharging for contraceptives” to the tune of about $180 million.

Hannah Beth Jackson then enters the picture, authors legislation authorizing PP to charge the higher rate and to extend services to those making the 200% of FPL.

This insider source also said that while the spotlight has been put on Obama’s promise to Planned Parenthood to sign the FOCA legislation - Freedom of Clinic Access - that might not be a forgone conclusion. The bigger concern is the use of the President’s Executive Orders powers to overturn President Bush’s good works in stopping the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, Title X abortion funding limitations - the Hyde Amendment, the Mexico City restrictions on United Nations Family Planning Aids - UNFPA (funding abortions and family planning services in third world countries).

CONCLUSION: Assuming that the Governor has made no decision yet on accepting a contract with limitations on funding and reporting obligations, letters to the Governor are needed in large numbers demanding that the state health department be held accountable to its obligations to protect the consumer and the taxpayers money.

Copies should go ASAP to your local Congressman and US Senators Feinstein and Boxer demanding that they uphold accountability for the use of taxpayer money regarding health care dollars given to public/private partnership contracts.
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Pro Life Make up of Congress.

Though Michael Schwartz declared during the Nov 5 national teleseminar hook up, that we should be hopeful because 5 new pro life Democrat legislators will enter Congress in January, the reality is that in the last two election cycles the Congress has lost about 30 pro life legislators from both parties.
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I can not stress enough the importance of actively opposing legislation through letters and phone calls to elected officials even though that legislation may seem far removed from saving babies. So many bills have passed through public apathy that are taking effect in large numbers to advance the abortion industry mentality and cause.

The same can be said for bills that are laying the groundwork for assisted suicide. They seem innocuous at the time, but when they come together and the citizens outlook has been manipulated these bills come out with a vengeance.
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ACORN AND THE BISHOPS

Much has lately been written about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the funding of ACORN that the Catholic Bishops meeting in Baltimore have issued a statement saying that they are suspending any funding of ACORN at least for the time being. This reminds me of the college ethics classes I took in which we learned about mental reservations. What the Bishops haven’t said, what they reserved was any criticism of where the CCHD money has been used for and what other groups similar to ACORN they have been funding and may well just shift to funding in place of ACORN.

Do they mean just not funding the national ACORN office or does this include the small, inter state and community branches of ACORN within their Diocesan purview? What about the similar groups such as PICO, Gameliel and any host of other groups?

Also, what about demanding from your own Bishop that he raise his voice and insist that the California Catholic Conference stop supporting bills sponsored and endorsed by Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, Family PACT, Equality California etc? And stop the distribution of diocesan CCHD funds to local anti-family groups?

It has been reported that about 100 Catholic Bishops, during the election cycle, came out with statements cautioning people about voting for Obama due to his abortion record. That’s good. But, what about the remaining 200 Bishops? Why are they so silent? How about taking a phrase from the post abortive womens’ group - Silent no more - and telling the Bishops Silence no more! Silence in legislative parlance means acceptance. Is that what it means for Bishops as well?

We wish you a family-filled and blessed Thanksgiving.
California Right to Life Committee, Inc.

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1. Legislation pertaining to life issues - results.
2. Proposition 4 - Parental Notification.
3. Obama’s claim to being the pro life candidate?
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The Governor, true to his word (sort of) about vetoeing bills if the budget wasn’t settled did go ahead and veto 136 bills, 6 of which we were opposing. Also 5 bills failed to reach his desk which we were also opposing. That’s the good news.

The Governor signed 10 bills into law which we were also opposing. That’s the bad news.

AB 2010. Mark DeSaulnier, (D) Affiliate Clinics: Provisional Licenses. This authorizes Planned Parenthood to set up affiliate abortion and family planning clinics without health department inspections. Years ago an abortionist named Dr. Kenneth Allred sued PP for attempting a monopoly on abortion clinics, thereby taking away his business. He lost, but now it’s official, Planned Parenthood can open anything anywhere it wants with out inspections which speeds up the opening process considerably.

AB 2527. Patty Berg,(D), Medi-Cal: Case Management and Claims. Authorizes a local government agency to contract for a public/private partnership to provide targeted case management services under Medi-Cal. Allows this private entity to directly submit claims for service to the city or local government.

Planned Parenthood has been working for years to become THE provider of health services to women and children. Looks like this is the vehicle and that that’s why they want to quickly open more clinics.

AB 2565. Mike Eng, (D), Hospitals: Brain Death. (this bill must be understood in connection with other end of life bills) Requires hospitals to set up protocols for notifying family or decision makers when patient is nearing death and providing a brief period of time for those family members to get to the hospital. This will be important for those who elect to have the plug pulled.

Endorsed by Ca. Nurses Assn and California Church Impact. This latter is a duke’s mixture of pro abort and ACLU non-profits.

AB 2747. Patty Berg, (D), End-of-Life-Care. Relies on Hospice to carry through the death and dying groups plans to install death by choice (assisted suicide) practices into standard care for elderly and disabled through instruction in all aspects of end of life care including assisted suicide. Endorsed by Choice-In-Dying, ACLU, Commission on Aging, Status of Women Commission and, interestingly enough, Independent Living Centers.

AB 3000. Lois Wolk, (D), Health Care Decisions. Sets out the procedures for supplying the information on end of life decisions.

SB 3015. Julia Brownley,(D). Foster Care. Requires foster parents to participate in training programs designed to ensure that foster children accept diversity and equality training. Endorsed by Equality California.

SB 564. Mark Ridley-Thomas, (D), Public School Health Center Support Program.

Specifies that a school health center may conduct routine physical health, mental health, or oral health assessments, and provide for any services not offered onsite or through a referral process. Requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a grant program to provide technical assistance, and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing centers, and the development of new centers.

All of this signifies a huge expansion of programs and funding for something euphemistically referred to as “health care.”
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PROP 4, PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.

Yesterday I sent out 4 pages of sample letters to the editor and talking points in support of Prop 4. I hope you got it and saved it and will use it to write your own letters to newspapers. It isn’t too late to go online and order material from the Yeson4.com website. It is free.

If your church won’t let you distribute any fliers, here’s a thought…get some of your friends and yourself to park your cars in the church parking lot on Sundays as close to the front doors as possible or at least prominently in the church parking lot. Put your own flier under your own windshield wiper. No one can make you take it off your own car and no one else can take it off either. Or, order the stick-on label pins that say Yes on 4 and wear that to church.

You can always walk your own neighborhood with fliers placing them under doormats (not in mailboxes and inside screen door decorative grill work). If the homeowner is outside then ask that person if he or she will accept your flier. If they won’t just walk on.

I sent out the sample letters to newspapers item yesterday as I said because the Contra Costa Times came out with a “NO” on Prop 4 saying that it wasn’t a good idea to involve parents in something so private as a teen’s pregnancy.

Well, today’s editorial decries the lack of parental knowledge of a teen’s drinking parties and binges and demands that organizations do something to require parents to be involved. How’s that for two-faced?

There is a huge distortion campaign out there on Prop 4 conducted by Planned Parenthood and others. Anytime you hear something that doesn’t sound right, refer to the Yeson4 site to get the facts - or refer to the material that I sent out - print it out and carry it in your purse or pocket. Thanks.
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OBAMA AND ABORTION.

There is also a huge campaign going on by friends of Obama committees to deny his close association with abortion, the ACLU and several other things including denial that, as an Illinois Senator, he voted to oppose and help defeat a bill that would have required medical personnel to provide life saving services to a “born-alive aborted babies or pre-arranged premature birth” baby. (How’s that for euphemisms?) Be assured that Barack Obama is the most pro abort legislator in the Senate and will be the premier abortion promoting President should he happen to be elected. See the following article taken from the Internet and written by the Family Research Council.

Oxymorons for Obama
Lipstick on a chilling record.

By Tom McClusky (NRO)

A search of the Obama for President website discloses quite a few eclectic groups in support of the junior senator from Illinois. There are “Wiccans for Obama,” “Marxists/Communists/Socialists for Obama” and even “Abortion Providers for Obama.” None of these groupings confused me more, though, than the recent project of Matthew 25, a political-action committee of self described Christians who wish to see Barack Obama become the next President of the United States. Their newest endeavor is called “Pro-Life Obama,” an attempt to cover up the record of the most pro-abortion major presidential candidate this nation has ever seen.

This newest effort seeks to argue that Obama’s proposals of expanding government role in taking care of those not as well off, at the expense of individual responsibility, will help reduce the number of abortions. The offending site offers up “facts on preventing abortions” that relies on biased numbers from abortion provider Planned Parenthood’s research arm, the Guttmacher Institute, or Democratic political groups like Catholics for the Alliance of the Common Good, whose founder is currently a Democratic congressional candidate in the state of Virginia. The data on the site includes statements that “(w)omen below the federal poverty level have abortion rates almost four times those of higher-income women” and that “(t)he majority of women having abortions are in their 20s or younger.” But, the site fails to point out that one major reason for the high abortion rates among these demographics is that Planned Parenthood specifically targets poor minorities and the youth by placing abortion facilities in low income neighborhoods and by crafting “hip” borderline-pornographic websites for teens.

If these “pro-lifers” truly wanted to reduce the number of abortions they might want to take a look at the statistics compiled by Michael New, currently a Bradley fellow at Princeton University. Looking at data compiled by the government’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, New found that state level parental-involvement laws (requiring either the notification or consent of parents before their underage teenage daughter seeks an abortion) have a large impact on reducing abortion among young girls.

Instead of encouraging parental involvement, or any other incremental laws on the subject of abortion, Senator Barack Obama has championed legislation, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which seeks to overturn all state laws that seek to actually reduce the number of abortions. FOCA would not only allow for unrestricted abortions in the United States; it would also require federal and state taxpayer subsidies for the killing of an unborn child.

Obama apologist Douglas Kmiec has said that pro-lifers need not fear FOCA or Obama’s support of the bill. However, Sen. Obama last year vowed to a gathered pro-abortion audience at a Planned Parenthood event that, “The first thing I will do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.” Obama’s promise should raise concern regardless of one’s views on abortion. While the country is in the middle of a financial crisis and a war, his first act would be to make sure that unrestricted taxpayer funded abortion would become the law of the land?

At least seven states have FOCA-type legislation on the books. In each of those states, abortion rates have increased while the national rate has decreased. Maryland adopted a bill similar to Senator Obama’s in 1991. Since that time, abortion rates in the state have increased by 8 percent while the overall national abortion rate decreased by 9 percent. This is all according to Planned Parenthood’s own figures. While it might be debatable what actions one can do to lower cases of abortion, allowing for unrestricted abortions only increases the likelihood of abortion and certainly does not make it rarer as defenders of Senator Obama say he hopes to do.

Taking into account Sen. Obama’s lifelong fealty to pro-abortion groups, his unwavering support for FOCA, his negative actions toward legislation that sought to protect children who survive abortions, his established record against parental involvement laws and his support for taxpayer funded abortions, the phrase “pro-life Obama” deserves to be retired to the oxymoronic dictionary right in between “jumbo shrimp” and “reality television.”

— Tom McClusky is the vice president of government affairs for FRCAction, the political-action arm of the Family Research Council.

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Thank you for supporting Sarah’s Law.

Dear YES on 4 supporter.

A NO on 4 columnist named Tom Elias ran a column on Tuesday making absolutely outrageous claims about girls dying where there are parental notification laws. See here.

We need to get the word out fast that this guy is a LIAR. There are no "studies", no "case histories," he is just making this stuff up. You can’t even think that maybe he is just repeating what PP told him, because PP has never made claims this outrageous.

Here is a response written by one of the authors of Prop 4:

In warning his readers about Proposition 4, the parental notification initiative, Tom Elias makes some bold assertions about "case histories" showing girls getting back alley abortions or self- aborting when faced with the prospect of a parent being notified. His claims are pure, unadulterated fiction. There are no case histories, no studies, no support at all for his oh-so-scientific sounding proclamations. The opponents of Prop 4 are unable to point to a single case of a minor being harmed by a parental involvement law. But with "journalists" like Mr. Elias around to fabricate this stuff, why would they need facts or evidence? It’s in the newspaper; it must be true.

If Mr. Elias has any integrity, he will put up or shut up. Show us the "case histories" and the "studies" indicating "the percentage of back- alley abortions goes up" with notification laws, or admit he made it all up. Not even Planned Parenthood, the main opposition to Proposition 4, has made claims as wild as these.

Moving from full lies to half-lies, Mr. Elias states that, under Prop 4, a minor from an abusive home could only get a waiver to tell another adult family member if there was a "formal record" or "formal history" of abuse by a parent.
That’s incorrect.
Prop 4 allows the doctor to notify another adult family member in place of a parent whenever a girl states in writing that she has been the victim of abuse by either parent. The doctor then follows the same notification procedure for the adult relative that would have been followed for the parent, and the abortion may take place within days.

At the same time, the doctor reports the abusive situation to the proper child welfare authorities, so that the girl can receive the help she needs. Compare what happens to Mr. Elias’s hypothetical Susie, beaten regularly by her abusive father, with and without Prop 4. Without Prop 4, she gets a secret abortion and returns home to the same abusive situation, living in constant fear that her father will find out anyway. With Prop 4, she can still have the abortion if she chooses, but she is finally put in contact with adults outside her immediate family who will help her out of this dangerous situation.

And suppose Susie wasn’t impregnated by "young Jason," but, because of the abusive situation at home, had turned to an older man, ready and willing to provide her the "affection" she was lacking at home.

Without Prop 4, she gets a secret abortion and returns not only to her abusive home, but to an exploitive relationship, putting her at risk of further pregnancies and abortions, not to mention the variety of sexually transmitted diseases which randy older men are more likely to carry and spread. With Prop 4, there is both someone in her family and someone trained to deal with sexual exploitation of minors to help her break free.

But suppose, as Mr. Elias says, the older man was her stepfather. Wait: we don’t have to hypothesize. We know exactly how it works without Prop 4 in place. A recent California Supreme Court decision related how a 39-year-old man impregnated his 13-year-old stepdaughter. He took her to Planned Parenthood twice and then to San Francisco General for a late-term abortion. No medical provider reported the abuse, and the man continued to molest this young girl for seven more months after the abortion until her mother found out and turned him in.

This is the status quo Mr. Elias wants to preserve?

Over 30 states, both red and blue, have parental involvement laws in place that are protecting young girls. California voters should provide the same protection to vulnerable girls in our own state by voting Yes on 4.

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OVERALL REPORT. There are a total of 32 bills that I have attempted to keep track of during this legislative session. Of that number the Governor has signed 8 bills, vetoed one, and one failed leaving 23 pending.

Prior to the Governor announcing a promise to veto any bill sent to him if the budget is not on his desk and signed, he did sign some Democrat bills that we believe expand and secure the right to die cause. The future of the pending bills is still a great uncertainty. Apparently the Democrats want to get out of town to attend their nominating Convention in Colorado so we can presume that nothing will get done this week.

But, that does not mean that we can or should stop writing or contacting our legislators.

One comment on the announcement of Attack dog, Joe Biden, as Barack Obama’s running mate; DON’T TAKE YOUR EYES OF OFF OBAMA. That’s one of the main reasons for the appointing Biden - distraction.
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SPECIFIC REPORT: There are three bills in the state legislature that are of great concern dealing with end-of-life issues. They, too, benefit from distraction. While everyone has been encouraged to keep their eyes on the Patty Berg Assisted Suicide bill, AB 374, the legislature has been busy passing other, equally threatening bills and/or holding pending a couple of bills. All of the bills to be mentioned have an interesting mix of the usual suspect groups interacting to sometimes support and some times appear to oppose.

SIGNED AND ENROLLED.

AB 2565 Mike Eng, (D), Hospitals: Brain Death. Amended 6 times before it was made palatable, but achieving its original goal. Requires hospitals to develop policies for acceptable time frames for notification of family members before terminating life support on presumably brain dead patients. Bottom line - Time, money and space will dictate amount of time family gets to say goodbye and or perform ethnic and religious end of life ceremonies in the hospital setting. Though there were few groups in support or opposition, California Church Impact is a major umbrella group, in support, representing numerous non-profit health and welfare supporting agencies. Catholic Health Care while listing itself as opposed claimed support for Ca. Medical Assn amendments.

AB 3000, Lois Wolk, Health Care Decisions: Life Sustaining Treatment. This bill has been labeled as the “glide path” to euthanasia. It creates a new medical directive type form called a Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment, or POLST. This will very likely override all other forms of medical directives placing greater authority into the hands of physicians who desire to practice a little assisted suicide for their patients whom they have deemed unworthy of continued existence. Much of the force behind this bill hinges on the legal strength of the word “Shall.” Much like AB 2747, Patty Berg’s End-of-Life-Care final outcomes appear to be transferring over into the hands of the physician, and maybe not even the physician of record and also removes some authority from the Health Care Provider or person named by the patient as spokesperson for the patient. Much in these bills hinge on legal terms and how the regulations implementing the law are written. This may well be another long drawn out court battle. This fits in very well with AB 2565 and the other, pending bills.

The California Catholic Conference has aggressively opposed Berg’s End of Life bills, but fails to oppose this bill which is supported by the Alliance of Catholic Health Care which is a conglomeration of hospitals and associations including Catholic Health Çare West and the St. Joseph’s Health System of Orange County. Also amongst leading supporters is the Coalition for Compassionate Care which is the sponsor of Berg’s assisted suicide legislation.

To check out The Alliance go to www.thealliance.net. Its headquarters is at 1215 K St. Sacramento. California Assisted Living is also a supporter.
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BILLS PENDING.

AB 2747 Patty Berg. End-Of-Life-Care. Awaiting a Concurrence vote in the Senate. OPPOSE ACTION: Write or phone your state Senator. If you don’t know your state Senator click on www.leginfo,ca,gov and it will take you to a site where you type in your Zip code and locate your Senator or Assembly member.

“Provides that when a health care provider makes a diagnosis that a patient has a terminal illness, the health care provider shall provide information and counseling regarding legal end-of-life options and provide for the referral or transfer of a patient if the patient’s health care provider does not wish to comply with the patient’s request for information on end-of-life options.”

In other words, seriously ill patients will be required to listen to a sales pitch on ending one’s life. If the patient is elderly, frail, sensitive to outside influences he/she might feel that it’s most appropriate to deny themselves life sustaining medication and treatment.

Supported by Compassion in Choice, the ACLU, the Gray Panthers, Ca. Status of Women. Opposed by Catholic Health Care West.

SB 1440 Sheila Kuehl, (D), Health Care Coverage: Benefits. OPPOSE ACTION: Contact your Senator, urge a “NO” vote. “ Requires a full service health care service plan (health plan) or a health insurer to expend at least 85% of the aggregate dues, fees, premiums, and other periodic payments received by the plan or insurer on health care benefits.”

This is a further attempt to control the health insurance business diminishing their ability to protect overhead costs of doing business.

Assemblyman Chuck Devore gave an impassioned plea on the Assembly floor to oppose this bill, but to no avail. His point was that this continual assault on the Health Insurance industry drives Health Insurance companies to give up their non-profit status and turn to becoming For-Profit businesses. This, in turn, causes these For-Profit businesses to take their money and create non-profit foundations which then turn and create non-profit groups which are then funded and positioned as lobbying organizations for more government taxes. Assemblyman Devore wrote a 12–8-2005 editorial on this subject in which he names the Çalifornia Wellness Foundation, the California Endowment and the California Healthline as created by this manner. All of these organizations have given large amounts of money to Planned Parenthood and its myriad of affiliates.

A group I just learned about that is glowingly endorsed by California’s Planned Parenthood Director, Kathy Kneer, is Californians Allied for Patient Protection. Yet another lobbyist for subtle forms of assisted suicide, “Reproductive Rights” and more comprehensive sex education in the schools.

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On July 9, 2008, 11th Assembly district legislator, Mark DeSaulnier, (D), held a Town Hall meeting in a local Concord Church. The meeting entitled “What Does California’s Budget Deficit Mean To You?” was originally planned to be conducted in a Catholic Church. However, the pastor cancelled the meeting upon learning from parishioners that this was a political meeting and that this man has a 100%. abortion approval rating from Planned Parenthood, The meeting was held, instead, in a nearby Lutheran church.

Apparently someone forgot to tell DeSaulnier about the switch. At one point during his presentation he made reference to the faith of his Irish/Catholic mother and how pleased he was to be “back in this church.” At another point he turned to the altar and made a Sign of the Cross. Either a hectic campaign schedule caused a lapse in his memory as to where he was or, more likely his presentation was so thoroughly memorized that he couldn’t stop himself. Whatever the reason, this unpardonable behavior drew gasps even from the audience of mainly tax addicted county and non-profit employees.

DeSaulnier’s actions were not accidental. They were intended to have a powerful impression on those watching the taped Contra Costa County Cable TV showing. The goal was to make it appear that DeSaulnier and Aides for Senator Tom Torlakson,(D), Craig Cheslog and Assemblywoman Loni Hancock,(D), Jessie Buendia, (both also with 100% Planned Parenthood ratings) and big-government agendas were acceptable to the Catholic Church. It might well also impress any Latinos watching the program.

Contra Costa Times Political commentator, Dan Borenstein, hosted the program and at times, through questioning the presenters, actually controlled the direction of the talks. Borenstein informed the audience that Assembly member Guy Houston,(R), had declined the invitation to appear. A chair with his name on it sat empty. It would have been nice for the one and only local Republican elected official to have been there to give a more balanced presentation, but he certainly would have been outnumbered and would probably have been make the scapegoat for the awful budget crisis as presented by the afore mentioned tax hungry crowd.

From the angle of the camera it was impossible to determine how many people were actually present, but from the questions asked by audience members it was not hard to determine that it was mostly directors and members of non-profit organizations and community activists. Of the seven or so questions asked at least 5 carried the same refrain: “We’ve done everything you’ve told us to do and it hasn’t worked. Please tell us, Assemblyman DeSaulnier, what we can do now to get more funds and services”. Even one angelic looking nine year old girl sweetly lisped into the microphone that it (budget cuts to health care services) was “unfair to the elderly. What could she do, she was only a child?” Torlakson’s Aide, Craig Cheslog, suggested that she write her concerns to the Contra Costa Times.

Two other members of the audience attempted to ask relevant questions. One wanted to know why, since the state was paying out millions of dollars to the stem cell research people, there was no money set aside to pay for urgent needs? Why don’t the people have a greater say in budget negotiations?

DeSaulnier told her that: “We had to start off in good faith offering cuts somewhere.” He also spoke at length about the initiative process and that it had been an initiative that approved the stem cell research funding.

The other woman wanted to know why the cuts in the budget were directed to the most needy, did any of the three state employees on the panel have any ideas about what other areas could be reduced instead?

DeSaulnier made a pitch, at that point, for Senator Sheila Kuehl’s Universal Health Insurance Coverage - Single Payer. He said that that would solve the problem of cutting funds to the poor and needy. And, then he reiterated his main theme of supporting the progressive tax upon the wealthy. He also, at one point, made a slight reference to “find[ing] ways to comfortably tax ourselves by deciding what are our fundamental choices, what type of state do we want to live in?

His second theme was blaming the Republicans for the situation the state budget is in. He put it this way: The Republicans are being told by their constituents in their gerrymandered (and wealthy) districts that they don’t want to pay more taxes. “Republicans are just trying to save their offices”, he declared rather smugly. He then made a pitch for re-districting.

Much was made by the three officials there of the importance of doing away with the burdensome 2/3rds vote on funding and taxing issues. It only takes, DeSaulnier said, 6 Assembly Republicans and two senators to switch to the Democrat side in voting to remove that super majority requirement. At that point a woman got up waving sample texts and addresses and meeting dates for people to contact their elected officials.

Mark DeSaulnier. This is the man who, most likely, will be the Senator for Contra Costa County, replacing Tom Torlakson. The Democrats are putting everything they have into the local Assembly 15th district race campaign to replace the outgoing Republican with Planned Parenthood endorsed Joan Buchanan. The Republican Candidate, Abram Wilson, declares himself pro life and pro family. A Republican loss will mean that there is no representation for conservative, Christian and Bill of Rights people in the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

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Planned Parenthood ousted.
Legislation. Moving the legislators
Know your Education System

_________________________________________________________

The City of Vallejo dis-invites Planned Parenthood to the festivities.

Earlier this week it was learned, due to the watchful eyes of American Life League, that the City of Vallejo, Ca. was planning a children’s Health Fair for 5th Grade and younger children and their families, August 2, at the Children’s Wonderland Park; and that Planned Parenthood (sponsored by Kaiser, Vallejo) would be there distributing its products and propaganda.

Different groups began contacting Vallejo residents alerting them and asking that they contact the Greater Vallejo Recreation Dept and request that Planned Parenthood be dis-invited since its presence was inappropriate for the age group for whom the festivities were planned.

Thanks be to God the Recreation Department was inundated with calls both from within the city and from surrounding areas. As a consequence a meeting was held and dis-inviting PP was approved. The Greater Vallejo Recreation Department deserves a thank you. That’s the good news.

Another group will take the place of Planned Parenthood - Baby First Five. The Coordinator for the event assures residents that they will only be distributing newborn layettes and information about providing assistance to mothers with newborn babies. That’s the not so good news.

Baby First Five (also known as Welcome Home Baby) is a program within the parent group First Five which is the Prop 10 Tobacco Tax funded program created by Rob Reiner to encourage government intervention into families and placing toddlers, age 1-5 in government run day care centers and pre-schools.

Both First Five Solano and Planned Parenthood are members of the usual public/private partnership activities of community based organizations and government agencies. They need an ever expanding assistance dependent membership to survive. Distributing layettes may be worthwhile but it is also a way to gain access to people, addresses and homes during which time birth control programs, etc can be distributed.

So, the day has been saved. The year is another matter. It is felt by the Vallejo residents with whom I spoke that the City employees know quite well what the situation and associations are, but are relying on the residents not to know that. There is a large community of pro life people in Vallejo perhaps this event will draw them all together for future events.

A 40 Days of Prayer is being planned for Vallejo by this community of people. Perhaps this Children’s Fair was a gift sent from God to organize and galvanize the residents of Vallejo.

Please pray for the young families and teenagers of Vallejo that the resident pro lifers will be given an opportunity to inform and educate the City officials and employees on the subtle anti-life agenda.
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LEGISLATION.

The Governor recently signed two dastardly bills - AB 2010 by Mark DeSaulnier and SB 1770 by Alex Padilla. AB 2010 authorizes the opening of satellite clinics without inspections. This bill received its final Senate floor vote with only 5 “not voting.” This means that even Tom McClintock voted for it.

SB 1770, The re-authorization of the California FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) received its final Assembly floor approval on a partisan vote - all Democrats. The Budget is coming up fast for debate, the placing of amendments and passage or failure. Annually certain Republican legislators have gotten up on the floor of their house to submit one bill in a package of pro life bills. This has become very perfunctory and quickly dispatched by the Democrat leader who says “I move to table these bills” the vote is taken the tabling occurs and so on their move to other topics.

HOWEVER: This year we want to try a more aggressive approach to this process. All the Republicans usually vote to move these bills but some Democrats are needed to either cross over and vote with the Republicans or they should be encouraged just to not vote. The number required hinges on “those present and voting.” The legislators who submit this packet of bills known as A Woman’s Right to Know packet should be contacted and encouraged to do more than just submit the bill and sit down. I don’t have their names yet, but let you know when I do. Certain Democrats have been identified as approachable and may be receptive to considering a “Yes” vote on this Woman’s Right to Know packet.

IF THESE SENATORS RESIDE IN YOUR DISTRICT PLEASE BEGIN CALLING THEM NOW. CALL NOW, CALL OFTEN. GET FRIENDS AND CHURCH MEMBERS TO CALL.

You may call their Sacramento office or their district office, both numbers are provided. All of these legislators claim to be Catholic.

Lou Correa - Santa Ana. (926) 651-4034 or (714)705-1580. He has only a 60% positive rating by Planned Parenthood. Denise Ducheny - Chula Vista. (916) 651-4040 or (619)409-7690. 80% PP rating. Dean Flores - Bakersfield. (916)651-4016 or (661) 395-2620. 80% rating Mike Machado - Stockton. (916) 651-4005 or (209) 948-7930 80% rating. Ron Calderon - Montebello. (916) 651-4030 or (323) 890-2790. 100% rating. Ellen Corbett - San Leandro. (916) 651-4010 or (510) 413-5960. 100% (her staff is also Catholic) Edward Vincent - Inglewood. (916) 651-4025 or (310) 412-0393. 50% rating Tom Torlakson - Concord. (916) 651-4007 or (925) 602-6593. 100% rating.

Once this budget session is over we will begin on a concerted year long plan of action.
_________________________________________

Tip of the month – Parent Power "Understand Your School System" – from Parent Power!! By Jim Sedlak

Before you can begin to explore what is going on in your schools and how to get any offensive programs corrected, you must understand how your school system works. Although there are some variations in school operation in different parts of the country, the following outline will give you the basis from which to operate. Minor variations in local districts can be quickly uncovered and you can then alter your approach accordingly. There are nine parts that make up the structure that represents a great many school districts in the United States; here we look at the first four:

1. The Federal Government – The federal government of the United States does not exert any real control over the day-to-day operation of your schools. Although there is a Secretary of Education at the federal level, the Secretary essentially develops strategies for education. It is the Secretary’s job to establish the strategic direction for education; to advocate particular programs of study; and to secure Congressional funding, which will help achieve these long term strategies. With the monies so provided, there are courses and books developed which are made available to the states for use in their schools. The federal government does not run any schools (other than those for government employees such as those on military bases or the Service Academies).

1. The State Legislature – The authority to run the public school system in your state comes from your state legislature. It is at this state level that laws are passed which establish what type of educational system you will have and how local school systems are to be structured. It is possible for the state legislature to dictate what can or cannot be taught in the schools. The state of Utah, for example, currently outlaws the teaching of “pregnancy prevention” in any public schools. The state of New Jersey, on the other hand, has long required sex education for grades K through 12. Planned Parenthood is well aware of the power of state legislatures and has a campaign to get K-12 sex education, as well as school based clinics, mandated by the legislatures of every state in the country.

1. The Board of Regents – In most states, the state legislature has established a committee of people to oversee the operation of the school system. This committee is normally called the Board of Regents. Since the state legislature is not in session full time, the Regents are charged with setting the educational policy for the state and advising the legislature on the appropriate funding and expenditures for the school system. The Regents cannot act contrary to state regulations, but are generally given a wide leeway in their activities. The Regents meet on a periodic bases (usually monthly) to set policy and approve the actions proposed by the state department of education.

1. The State Education Department (SED) – The SED is established by the legislature and its employees are employees of the state. Their purpose is to implement the policies of the Board of Regents and provide a full time staff to assist the school districts of the state. They also handle any citizen complaints against the school districts.

The SED is headed by a Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner has powers as established by the legislature. He/she is a full time employee and is assisted by a full time staff.

It is apparent that Planned Parenthood has worked hard to get people who support its philosophies onto the staff of the SED. This is readily identifiable in New York for example, where it is obvious that the SED has its own agenda and is often at odds with the New York State Board of Regents. In a struggle over a mandatory AIDS education program, the SED advocated a program in line with Planned Parenthood philosophies, while the Board of Regents supported a program more in tune with the parents of the state. The Regents refused to yield, with the result that Planned Parenthood now refers to the New York AIDS education program as one of which it disapproves.

Next month: The Local School Board, Superintendent, Principals and Staff, Teachers and PTO.

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1. Legislation.
2. Birth Control pill=abortion
3. Universal Health Care, a commentary
_________________________________________

Dear Friends: There are many items of good news (and bad) on the web regarding the life and family issues. They are all worthy of noting but impossible for this alert to comment on due to the breadth and scope of the issues. I do hope that you take the opportunity to check out as many of the pro life sites as you possibly can.

I will report on news items when they impinge on legislation or when I notice an obvious bias on some issues.

The California legislature is nearing the close of session. Several bills were pushed very quickly through the legislature blindsiding the pro life community. Other bills important to the Democrats are being held in committee awaiting the budget outcome.

Once again, the California Catholic Conference failed to use its influence with legislators to stop some of these offensive-to-life bills. There is as much a need to lobby one’s Catholic Bishop urging that they pay attention to what their public policy department is doing in Sacramento, as there is a need to lobby the legislators themselves.

I am aware that many of you pass along these alerts to friends and groups and I thank you for that. It is so important to contact elected and church officials especially in writing. Emails are the best way to reach legislators, but phone and fax are also solid means of communication. A Chief of Staff for a Congressman told me recently that letters are still going through close examination in the mailrooms and arrive in legislators’ offices sometimes weeks after they are received or they are so damaged by inspections in the mailroom that they are almost unreadable.

Some positive things have also occurred as you will see by reading to the end.
______________________

1. LEGISLATION

ABORTION BILLS.

AB2010, Mark DeSaulnier.(D-Concord) Affiliate Clinics: Provisional Licenses. SIGNED BY GOVERNOR.

Rushed through as an Urgency status, this bill authorizes satellite clinics to be opened without inspections. Satellite clinics are those future clinics attached to already approved clinics. We refer to them as legalized back alley abortion clinics.

This is strictly a Planned Parenthood and associates sponsored bill. The reason used for urgency was that clinics were having to wait up to a year for state Health Department inspections before they could open. In truth, there is no waiting according to Health Department spokespersons, and this is a monopolistic move on the part of Planned Parenthood to corner the abortion/b.c. market (PP was once charged in court with interfering with free trade by abortionist Dr. Kenneth Allred).

The Catholic Conference sent out an email urging people to ignore our alert.

SB 1770, Alex Padilla (D-Van Nuys). Anti-Reproductive-Rights Crime. ENROLLED.

ACTION REQUESTED: Call the Governor - 1-916-445-2841. Urge a “NO” Vote.

Previously a bill was passed mandating that the Attorney General’s office keep a list of so-called crimes committed by pro lifers against pro aborts. This bill will expand that mandate to require that the AG’s office make a yearly report to the legislature and put the information on its internet web site.

This bill has its pros and cons. As it turns out, in the last three years there have been only 3 instances of any so-called criminal acts by individuals identifying themselves as pro lifers, directed at pro aborts. Since the instances are so minimal and inconsequential no one knows why they would want this published. It only makes them look paranoid. However there has been some discussion back and forth about opposing this. Those who say just ignore the bill for the silliness that it is have their point. However some of us believe that PP, one of the sponsors, acts just like a whiney brat who runs to its mother every time someone looks cross-eyed it. PP wants the government to be the parent administering punishment for any slight offense to the delicate sensitivities of the pro aborts. Its too late for a compromise position of, okay, print any supposed pro life slights, but also print the pro abort challenges and threats to the pro lifers at sidewalk rescues, etc. The bill goes either up or down with the Governor’s pen. Let’s hope it goes down.

There are hundreds of online reports by Lime Five or by Human Life International regarding the crimes committed by pro aborts either against each other or against pro lifers, arsons, murders, kidnapping, income tax evasion, sloppy medical practices, etc. In 2001 CRLC published a report on California crimes committed by pro aborts against pro life and pregnancy counseling offices as well as the usual list of criminal activities.

FEDERAL ANTI-LIFE BILLS

US 1173, Barbara Boxer, (D-Ca.) Women’s Freedom to Choose; and, HR 1964 Jerry Nadler, (D-N.Y.) Women’s Freedom of Choice.

Both bills protect[s], consistent with Roe v. Wade, a woman’s freedom to choose to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy, and for other purposes.

This is the basic goal of these bills:

Section 2, paragraphs..

    (10) Legal and practical barriers to the full range of reproductive services endanger women’s health and lives. Incremental restrictions on the right to choose imposed by Congress and State legislatures have made access to abortion care extremely difficult, if not impossible, for many women across the country. Currently, 87 percent of the counties in the United States have no abortion provider.

    (11) While abortion should remain safe and legal, women should also have more meaningful access to family planning services that prevent unintended pregnancies, thereby reducing the need for abortion.

    (12) To guarantee the protections of Roe v. Wade, Federal legislation is necessary.

Both bills were introduced in April of 2007. The Nadler bill sits in the House Judiciary Committee. You may recall that Nadler is the homosexual who allowed a call-boy business to operate out of his office.

The Boxer bill sits in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Pat Leahy,(D) Chairman. Dirksen Bldg, Washington, D.C. 20510-6275. Phone: 202/224-5225. Nadler’s bill is in the House Judiciary, John Conyers,(D) Chairman. C/O Rayburn Bldg, Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202/225-3951

ACTION: CONTACT these Chairmen, urge them to keep this bill in committee. that’s all you have to say. The Congress has never voted on abortion or abortion funding. It has been all on the shoulders of the US Supreme Court. If the Congress should ever pass a bill then the pro aborts will be able to say, “see, the people have spoken and abortion is just another reproductive health choice,”

END-OF-LIFE BILLS

AB 2565, Mike Eng, (D-Monterey Park). Hospitals: Brain Death. Passed house or origin, was amended on 7/2/08 and returned to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Requires hospitals to establish a rigid, centralized end-of-life plan for patients determined to be in an irreversible life threatening condition.

Anecdote: an acquaintance was recounting her recent knee replacement surgery experience. According to her, she had been given what amounted to an overdose of painkiller pills in the hospital and flat lined twice. Under this bill she might not be resuscitated. This end-of-life plan could have the capability of overriding personal medical directives.

ACTION REQUEST: Write your senator. Urge a “NO” vote. Suggest that he/she support your right to live or you won’t support his/her re-election.

AB 2747, Patty Berg, (D-Napa). End-Of-Life Care. It has passed every committee in both houses and is now n the Senate floor waiting for it’s final vote.

ACTION REQUESTED: Email or fax your state senator urging a “NO” vote.

AB 3000, Lois Wolk, (D-Vacaville). Health Care Decisions: Life Sustaining Treatment.

ENROLLED. This means that it is waiting for the Governor’s signature.

ACTION REQUESTED: URGENT. This went to the Governor on July 2. Phone the Governor’s message line and urge a veto. 1-916-445-2841.

These three bills, taken together, will initiative assisted suicide without a direct vote on assisted suicide most likely through court challenge. These bills are so generalized and have confusing directions that only a court will be able to untangle it all.

NOW, for some good news.

FEDERAL PROPOSAL RECOGNIZES ABORTION TO INCLUDE BIRTH CONTROL PILL

Washington, DC (17 July 2008) – The Department of Health and Human Services is considering a rule that defines abortion to include birth control that prevents implantation, according to the New York Times. The federal proposal also reportedly expresses concern about state laws that require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to victims of rape.

The proposal protects pro-life medical workers from discrimination and ensures their freedom of conscience to refuse to participate in any activity that could result in an abortion.

It would guarantee that healthcare facilities receiving federal government aid will not refuse to hire employees who object to abortion and birth control.

The document goes on to identify abortifacient birth control as the following.
|
“Any of the various procedures — including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action — that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.”

Judie Brown commenting on this said that: “the proposed regulations could set standards for acknowledging that preborn babies are dying before implantation. It is an admission that could have set the standard for everything the Bush administration has been doing for the past eight years. We hope this sets a precedent for further protection of preborn persons.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Life Site News: Planned Parenthood in Hysterics (16 July 2008)
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08071604.html

Medical News Today: Legislators, Advocates Respond to Potential Federal Rule That Could
Limit Birth Control Access (17 July 2008)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115319.php

Associated Press: Health Proposal Rankles Democrats (16 July 2008)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jJ83TQdFoKZ_hSK8JAsImgooHrYQD91V97F80

Sen. Kuehl tries again for universal health care system in California
By Aurelio Rojas, Sacramento Bee, 7/17/08

    Six years after launching her effort, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl made a final pitch (emphasis added) Wednesday to a legislative committee for a government-run universal health care system.

    Senate Bill 840 would establish a single-payer system in which the state would assume the role that private insurance companies now play.

    Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a earlier version of the legislation in 2006, calling it "socialized medicine," and has vowed to do so again.

    That did not stop Kuehl, now in her last year as legislator because of term limits, or the Democrats who control the Assembly Appropriations Committee from praising a single-payer system during the overflow hearing.

    "This plan would cover every California resident with comprehensive, affordable health benefits," Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, told the committee. "Once put into place, it would seriously contain the growth in health care spending and improve the quality of care that’s provided."

    Earlier this year, the Senate Health Committee that Kuehl heads rejected a health-care expansion plan negotiated by Schwarzenegger and then-Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez. SB 840 then became the only option left in the Legislature.

    Donna Gerber of the California Nurses Association, a sponsor of the bill, testified Wednesday that a single-payer system is "the only effective approach to reining in (the) insurance industry and solving the state and national health care crisis." (Note: Donna Gerber was once a Contra Costa County Supervisor)

    Marti Fisher of the California Chamber of Commerce testified that SB 840 would create "a huge, new under funded bureaucracy while imposing new taxes and not addressing escalating medical costs."

    The measure’s supporters cited studies predicting that the legislation would drive down health care costs.

    Opponents pointed to other studies concluding that costs would escalate.

    While all the Democrats on the Assembly panel have signed on as co-author, no vote was taken because of the state’s $15.2 billion budget deficit.

    The bill, which cleared the Senate last year, could still be resurrected before the end of the current session and sent to the governor, depending on the outcome of internal discussions among Assembly Democrats.

    But Assemblyman Mark Leno, the San Francisco Democrat who heads the Appropriations Committee, predicted "this will ultimately be decided at the ballot in some coming year."

    California voters defeated a single-payer proposal in 1994, 73 percent to 27 percent. But supporters cite polls showing that backing for the concept has increased dramatically as health care costs have escalated. After Wednesday’s hearing, Kuehl said she hopes the Assembly will send her bill to the governor.

    The senator, who estimated she probably made 30 presentations in the Legislature on behalf of her proposal, said support has grown in the past six years.

    Kuehl cited 700 organizations, including most of the state’s unions, that now support the idea, which she said will live on after she leaves the Legislature.

    "There will be a new author," she said. "It will be re-introduced in January, (and) this is going to keep going until we get it."
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During this last month it was learned that Assemblyman DeSaulnier (see first bill listed) was to make a town hall type appearance at a nearby Catholic Church, speaking about health care. Parishioners joined forces, contacted the pastor and got the former bar and grill owner/operator cum legislator cancelled from the Catholic Church. Later it was learned that the meeting had been moved to a nearby Lutheran church. I have been able to get a video of that meeting and will repot on events soon.

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Planned Parenthood has with the aid of Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier of Concord, slipped another one over on the unsuspecting public.

DeSaulnier, (D-Concord) authored AB 2010 - Affiliate Clinics; Provisional License: with simply flew through both houses of the state legislature and is on its way to the Governor.

AB 2010 would allow branches of already established abortion clinics to be opened and approved without any inspection.

Basically this bill declares that:

“Amends existing law that regulates the licensure and operation of clinics, including community clinics and primary care clinics, and permits a primary care clinic to file an application to establish another clinic at an additional site which shall be known as an affiliate clinic, and a clinic or an applicant for a license that has not been previously licensed. Exempts an affiliate clinic from this provision.”

ACTION REQUESTED:

Write to the Governor and urge his veto as a public health and safety issue. Abortion clinics should not be allowed to bypass the health safety laws of our state. There is a long history of injuries, death and emotional problems experienced by women who undergo abortions even if clean places, what will happen to women and young girls who go into the legal alternative of back alley abortion clinics?

If the Governor signs this bill or lets it pass without his signature he is declaring his prejudice for abortion and for Planned Parenthood’s bias against minorities and the poor.

1. Clinics won’t be inspected.
2. Nonphysicians are already performing abortions and getting away with it until some patient dies on the table.
3. Minor daughters are encouraged to lie to the parents about their sexual activities. Parents are not allowed to be told if their child leaves the school campus to attend a clinic.

The lack of concern for pregnant women and young girls in this state by our elected officials is decadent immorality and inhumane treatment of women.

What is especially galling to me is that the young Aide/intern in DeSaulnier’s office tried to state to us last week that DeSaulnier was pro life. He knew all the time that his boss had this bill and he sat there with a straight face telling us what a nice guy his boss is.

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-Ten bills still are awaiting action in their second house. These were hold-overs from the 2007 session. The new bills for this year, 2008, are still to come. All of the bills pertain to health care and most pertain to children receiving health care in some manner. Some I will merely list, others I will highlight because they are still important. They are being held up because of the continuing budget debates.

A whole new aspect of government intervention legislation focusing on family life and children was also developing over the 2007 session to the point where they can no longer be ignored.

This is the Governor’s (and some legislators) pet project of leading the way in improving nutrition, exercise and diet for children. This is the current fad of preventive health care through reducing obesity. There were over 20 bills in this category last year. Seven failed, four resolutions passed and were signed by the Governor. These do not go to both houses and are mostly expressions of the sentiments of the legislators. They carry some weight, however.

Ten of these bills are still pending. Some of these bills are included in those CRLC has been watching, but they contain references to certain health care practices as reducing obesity including land use planning. Better planned transportation, more walk-able communities and community planned exercise and outdoors programs will prevent obesity and therefore make a better life for residents ( Tom Torlakson, SCR 39 and AB 1358, Mark Leno, Planning: Circulation: Transportation) and, by the way, reduce expenses for the state. SB 48 by Elaine Alquist, would provide incentives to grocery stores and non-profit stores to stock more fruits and vegetables and “other health food items” for the underserved communities). Obesity is one of the new buzz words and we will be hearing much more about obesity and its place of prominence in holding back our children from having successful adult lives. This, nutrition and a lack of attention to positive mental health, are some of the latest excuses being put forward as reason to increase the role of the state and community non-profits into the core of family life.

Even Carole Migden, prominent lesbian leader in the legislature, has a bill, SB 22 on Breast Feeding, as a way to overcome later problems of obesity in children. Her bill mandates that 75% of babies will be breast feed by the year 2010, 60 percent of these nourished solely on breast milk. Her bill makes reference to some U.S. Healthy Peoples year 2010 goal.

Can you believe that? Mandated breast feeding from a lesbian!
___________________________

PENDING HEALTH CARE BILLS.

AB 2086, Bob Huff, (R), Schools: Parental Notification: Sexual Orientation. SUPPORT. This is an attempt to overturn the insidious SB 777 which mandates expanded sexual orientation protection and preferences in the schools.

SB 227, Tom Harman, (R) Schools: Community Service: Academic Credit. Authorizes providing academic credit to students for volunteering in community service to non-profits.

CRLC has mixed feelings about this one. Not sure I want to encourage or reward some student for volunteering at Planned Parenthood.

SB 908, Joe Simitian, (D), Environmental Education. OPPOSE. Requires the provision of environmental education in science classes with an emphasis on climate change courses.

SB 11, Carole Migden, Domestic Partnerships. OPPOSE. The bill supports the claims of the homosexual community that, in California especially, the homosexual community has attained everything it desires regarding all the rights pertaining to marriage, but without the formal marriage certificate. It now desires to provide this same privilege to “straight” couples to register as Domestic Partners and also obtain all the rights and privileges of the married state without benefit of clergy. It also drops the age limit of one of the partners being 62 or older down to both partners being at least 18 years of age.

LOCATION OF THIS BILL: Assembly Appropriations Committee, Mark Leno, Chrman.

ACTION SUGGESTED: Send a letter (post card will do) to Chairman Leno with the following wording: Please retain SB 11 in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Send to: The Hon. Mark Leno, C/o State Capitol, Sacramento, Ca 95814.

AB 1, John Laird, Health Care. OPPOSE. Expands Healthy Families and Medi-Cal programs to middle income families, requires no income certification or immigration status.

This bill has been enrolled but not yet signed by the Governor.

ACTION: Write the Governor urging his veto of AB 1. It is too expensive. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, C/O State Capitol, Sacramento, Ca 95814.
 
SB 32, Darrell Steinberg, (D), Health Care Coverage: Children. OPPOSE.

Steinberg has been elected by his peers to replace termed out Don Perata as President pro Tem of the Senate. There have been reports of Steinberg appearing in the Gay Pride parades of Sacramento, with his two children.
________________________

News and notes:

Citizens for Dean Andal, (R), are looking for volunteers to work in his Congressional campaign. He is challenging the incumbent Jerry McNerney, (D), who won the seat away from Cong. Pombo in the last election. This seat covers the areas of portions of Contra Costa County and So. Alameda County down to parts of San Joaquin county. Mr. Andal is pro life. He was formerly a state Assembly member.

Even if you don’t live in that area your help is always appreciated. Please contact Sara Blicharz - Citizes for Andal or go to www.deanandal.com

Oaksterdam U. located in Oakland, Ca. is a training ground for students who want to learn the art of growing, cultivating and producing marijuana. The local DEA agents are aware of the existance of this training ground to grow a federally illegal substance but tolerate its existence. This article appeared online by AP reporter Lisa Leff on 2-25-08.

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The Future.

Since time began we’ve had free choice
The choice of right or wrong.
We’re free to lie and cheat and steal,
Or, sing a lullaby song.
God gave this awesome gift of choice,
A gift that’s called free will.
We’re free to laugh and cry and love;
Or, we’re also free to kill.
To tear from the womb a sacred child,
And dump her in the sod.
To nail to a cross her hands and fett,
and fling her in the face of God.

Bill Gross, 85 years old.

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This is a continuation of the report on bills left over from 2007 still awaiting action in it’s first house i.e. Assembly bills in Assembly Committees, etc.

Bills awaiting action in the Assembly Education Committee for January 9th. Gene Mullin, (D), is Assembly Education Committee Chairman. assemblyman.mullin@assembly.ca.gov

AB 1676, Chuck Devote, (R), Instructional Material. SUPPORT.

This bill has yet to receive it’s first hearing. It is worth supporting however, even if one merely sends the legislator a thank you for trying. It is an attempt to counter the racial and religious bias currently appearing in text books and requires that there be accurate portrayal of cultural and racial diversity in our society regarding historical events without advocacy for or against tenets of faith, belief or practice.
assemblymember.devore@assembly.ca.gov

AB 68, Mervyn Dymally, (D), Schools: Pupil Services Block Grants OPPOSE.

Establishes the pupil services block grant for the purpose of providing education, mental health, and social services support services to pupils beginning with evaluations of kindergartners. This bill turns the school into a center for the delivery of social and mental health services to “at-risk” students. It seeks to establish within the context of education, a whole stable of mental health evaluators, counselors, psychologists, nurses, social workers, to name a few. This is a term very broadly defined to include just about everybody.

This is a clear warning as to what the school will become once Universal health care passes. At present I’m sure there is no funds to implement it. Even more important is what the bill doesn’t say. What happens to all these evaluation reports? Where do they go? To whom do the students get sent for “help.”? Where is the parental authorization?

Too many unanswered possibilities once a big daddy government agency like the department of education, nursing, public health and mental health get a hold of your children.
Mervyn.Dymally@asm.ca.gov

There appears to be two different versions of email address for Dymally. Here is the second one:
assemblymember.dymally@assembly.ca.gov

ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE HEARINGS. Hearing date, Jan. 15th.
Mervyn Dymally, Chairman. mervyn.dymally@asm.ca.gov

AB 93, Bonnie Garcia,(R), Food Facililties: Trans Fat: Study. OPPOSE.

This appears to be a totally unnecessary use of tax money to require a government agency to develop a study on the benefits of eliminating saturated and trans fats from food facilities in the state.

One of the supporters of this bill is a group calling itself the American Academy of Pediatrics - AAP. This is not an official arm of any Pediatrics Association. This is once again, another deliberate attempt to influence people through the clever use of a name. This group often collaborates with Planned Parenthood on any number of activities.

If the state can get away with banning one food item as a danger to consumer health just imagine what they will do with other currently non-=politically correct foods and food additives just because they can wield the authority to do it.

Everyone wondered why this Republican woman crossed over to help out the democrats on this one. assemblywoman.garcia@assembly.ca.gov

AB 53, Mervyn Dymally, Office of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education. OPPOSE.

This bill requires the state Department of Public Health to oversee and coordinate the division of the counties into 6 separate regions for the purpose of establishment of 6 regional centers to deal strictly with HIV/AIDS (it also changes the name of the state office of AIDS to the Office of HIV/AIDS Prevention and education). It also authorizes the DPH to coordinate these offices with local community agencies who will, apparently, actually provide the “services.”

This bill was first introduced in December, 2006, as a two page write-up innocuous little nothing. It is still two pages, but severely amended. It still says little leaving the DPH and community agencies wide leverage to do whatever they want. It’s the addition of the words education and prevention that concerns me.
________________________________
SCHOOL TO WORK.

Every once in a while I refer to certain education related bills as “school to work” bills. These bills deal in creating partnerships between the business world and education to guide children during their school years into certain areas of employment following their education determined by the business world’s assessment of where they will need particular workers. This program usually focuses on Academies within schools. These academies focus on placing students in certain work environments during school and providing them with an education specifically designed to produce trained workers upon graduation.

Concerns have been expressed that only students holding certificates of completion in these categories will be provided with jobs upon graduation.

There is available online a 57 page report published in 1998 entitled The Employer’s Role in Linking School and Work. It is the product of the Committee for Economic Development. Here is their statement of objectives:

To develop, through objective research and informed discussion, findings and recommendations for private and public policy that will contribute to preserving and strengthening our free society; achieving steady economic growth at high employment and reasonably stable prices, increasing productivity and living standards, providing greater and more equal opportunity for every citizen, and improving the quality of life for all.

In 2002 this group also published a report entitled: Preschool for All: Investing in a Productive and Just Society. Their goal as seen on their website, is global and social in scope. http://www.ced.org. Their web site claims that it was Albert Shankar, President of the American Federation of Teachers who in 1980 reached out to the CED with ideas of a partnership.

This is one of the major Think Tank organizations promoting so much of the basis for legislation which we strongly oppose including Universal Health Care.

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              Bills held over from the 2007 session, ready for next round of hearings.

The Legislators return on January 7th and a new round of hearings will begin on or about that date.

Some bills are ready for a floor vote in their second house i.e. bills that passed the senate are awaiting action in the Assembly and vice versa. These bills have to be acted upon by January 17 or they are dead for term.

While this set of bills are labeled as “inactive” it only means that the author has the right to bring up a bill so marked anytime he/she wants as long as there is a one day notice.

Please email your Assembly member asap to oppose passage of the following bills.

To find the email address for your legislator go to www.leginfo.ca.gov. Click on legislator, type in your Zip code, obtain the email on the legislator’s web site and notify that office of your opposition. A brief “Please vote “NO” on bill #______, titled____________ is sufficient. You may write a paragraph of description but be brief and courteous.

ASSEMBLY FLOOR.

SB 564, Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, Public School Health Center Support Program.

Specifies that a school health center may conduct routine physical health, mental health, or oral health assessments, and provide for any services not offered onsite or through a referral process. Requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a grant program to provide technical assistance, and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing centers, and the development of new centers.

Bill endorsed by a large consortium of non-profits such as Planned Parenthood, La-Raza, Children and Families Clinic groups (special note: Contra Costa and Alameda Co.) Children Now and many others.

Just today an Arizona online newspaper carried an article reporting that Children Now took a survey and decided that California’s school children were doomed to failure in all areas if they didn’t get more government intervention.
senator.ridley-thomas@senate.ca.gov

SB32, Darrell Steinberg, Health Care Coverage.
Expands the eligibility for the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs by allowing children of families with specified incomes to qualify and deletes specified citizenship and immigration requirements. Provides procedures for verification of income.

Endorsed by the usual gaggle of suspects including; 100% Campaign, a collaborative of Children Now, Children’s Defense Fund, P.P. and The Children’s Partnership (sponsor) PICO California (sponsor) American Nurses Association of California Asset Policy Initiative of California.

Please also note that President Bush is working to place limits on the expansion of the children’s Health Initiative Plan allocating the funds that are given to the states to be used only for the poorest of children first. California has taken a case to court to try to get a waiver allowing the state to give these funded services to the parents of children, to pregnant women, to single adults, etc.

Remember all of these orgs, will profit financially by gaining greater access to you and your family, billing the state and getting tax free donations to run your lives.
senator.steinberg@senate.ca.gov

SB 60 Gilbert Cedillo, DMV Federal Real ID Act.
Relates to the federal Real ID Act of 2005 to establish minimum standards for state-issued drivers’ licenses and identification cards. This is a gift to Mr. Cedillo’s Latino supporters. His Sacramento office answers the phone in Spanish.

Primary list of endorsers: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Bienestar Human Services, Inc. California ACORN California Alliance for Retired Americans California Catholic Conference California Nurses Association California School Employees Association

Mr. Cedillo’s office provides no email address. Here is a fax number:
FAX:916/327-8817.

SENATE FLOOR HEARINGS. Contact your senator to oppose these bills.

AB 2 , Mervyn Dymally, Health Care Coverage.
This bill was originally an adjunct to Assembly Speaker Nunez’s AB 8, as well as Sen. Sheila Kuehl’s SB 840 - Single Payer bill on universal coverage. It requires a reformation of the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board. Sets up this MRMIB as it’s referred to to be the single payer for health care and speaks generally about covering everyone.
Health Access is a major supporter of this bill which is yet another conglomerate of nonprofit agencies with crossovers to those other groups cited in the above legislation.
Mervyn.Dymally@asm.ca.gov

AB 56, Fiona Ma, Secretary for Poverty.

Creates a cabinet-level position of Secretary for Poverty to be appointed by the Governor. Requires the secretary to review the work of the state agencies, departments, and offices that implement and administer antipoverty programs in the state to determine whether those agencies, departments, and offices are operating in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

This bill was first introduced by Assembly member Alarcon on 12/04/06. It was then taken over by Ma in June of 2007. It continues to be a one page authorization to create a cabinet level Secretary for the Poor appointed by the Governor. That means that we, the people, have no input into who this person would be but the position would obviously carry a lot of authority with it. This is a sleeper and should be aggressively opposed. It is an obvious gut and amend.
assemblymember.ma@assembly.ca.gov

There are several other bills mostly on health care coming up for committee hearings on January 9 and 15. I will send out that information on Sunday.

Hope that your Christmas was wonderful and that your New Year will be Blessed with health, family, friends and success for protecting God’s babies. Thanks, once again, to all of you who supported our educational efforts during the last year.

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Universal health care coverage is fast becoming a reality in California. See the notice just below which came from California Healthline news today, 12/21/07. even though Sen. Perata, (D), appears to be holding back on support. I can only imagine that Perata is holding out for something special that he wants and is holding the health care captive until he gets it.

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1. Legislalive Report - state and federal.
          ACLU and the Catholic Conference.
2. ACLU- history.

________________________________________

TO OUR WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS, THANK YOU.

You have been very generous this year with your support and encouragement. Red is a nice color for Christmas, but not for one’s bank account.

We have had some extra charges this year for expert assistance in developing an online research library. From the beginning, 1970’s until about the year 2000, our office gathered much material of historical information about the people and activities prominent in the right to life arena. Many students came to our office to research their school reports, reporters were educated, etc. Soon that same opportunity will be available to anyone on the internet.

__________________________

LEGISLATION.

US Senate bill, 2407 and House bill 3192. Pregnant Women’s Support Act.

A member of our email alert has sent a request that we inform our readers of a new bill in the Congress proclaiming to deal with reducing the need for women to rely on abortion to solve with problems of employment, education, living arrangements, etc.

S. 2407 by Sen. Bob Casey, (D-PA) was only introduced on 12/04/07 and, as yet, has only a Title. HR 3192 was introduced in July, 2007, by Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn) and describes at length it’s presumed goal for reducing the need for abortion.

This bill is being supported by the Democrats For Life as a part of their overall goal about which we have written in the past year. It contains a little bit of something for everyone in the way of assisting in providing some government funded or promoted service to pregnant women such as increased access to Medicaid and SCHIP to include pregnant women and newborns. It also provides for in-home nursing visits which has been a favorite goal in several state democrat sponsored bills for the last several years. It also calls for the funding of ultra sound equipment for health centers which may be an inducement to pregnant counseling centers to support it although they should be aware that the usual anti-life groups oppose "religious based" groups getting any funding based on separation of church and state.

It is of some significance that this bill is being promoted as we approach an increasingly intense campaign season.

It is also of some interest that on the state level sb 269 by Tom McClintock regarding Cal Works funding (that’s California’s version of the federal welfare reform act known as Temporary Assistance to Needy

Families - TANF) which also calls for home visiting for welfare recipients is opposed by the Democrats. Of course, the in-home nursing visits are intended to train new mothers in the proper methods of raising a child while the home visits in McClintock’s bill is for the purpose of verifying need.

CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

The Washington Times, 11-21-07. had an article about Sen. Barrack Obama’s campaign promise to "plan to modernize and reform the nation’s public school system" www.washingtontimes.com

While appearing in Iowa Obama promised: " "I will launch a Children’s First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children ages 0 to 5," he said. "We’ll increase Head Start funding and quadruple Early Start to include a quarter of a million at-risk children."

The Times article also quoted Obama as saying:

The council [He vows to create a Presidential Learning Council) also would work to place effective teachers in every classroom in America, especially those in high-poverty, high-minority areas, with incentive rewards going to effective teachers who take on challenging assignments and help children succeed.

There is a wealth of information between the lines in that statement!

And, lastly, the article declares that:

His chief rivals for the nomination — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina — have similar plans for early childhood education, including mandatory universal pre-kindergarten and increasing Head Start funding. (calling all village people)

California’s very liberal Senator Darrell Steinberg, (D-SAcramento) has a bill SB 344, Supplemental Instruction, that sounds very much like Obama’s plan.

______________________________

November 21, 2007

Vote on Democrats’ Health Care Reform Plan Postponed in California.

This was a headline on a media online news report. All the news regarding the Democrats and the Governor’s plan for Universal health care are reporting that AB 8 is going nowhere. But Beware. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez has two sleeper bills - AB 1a and AB 2a which both sound a lot like his AB 8 and are supported by the usual assortment of pro abort lobbies including Planned Parenthood and the Western Center for Law and Poverty (a covert ACLU support group). AB2a went from a one page bill when introduced to a 135 page bill.

At present there are no bills within our sphere of interest being acted upon in the state legislature, but that doesn’t mean that a great deal of lobbying isn’t happening behind the scenes.

AB 16, Edward Hernandez, vaccinations of minors for sex related diseases is still awaiting action in the new term. World net daily published a notice of 8 more deaths connected to HPV vaccine.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58004

Posted: October 6, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Another eight deaths in just the past few months are being connected to Gardasil, Merck & Co.’s vaccine that targets the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus and is being considered by many states as mandatory for all schoolgirls, according to documents released by Judicial Watch.

There also have been another 1,824 adverse reactions to the drug, bringing the "known total" of such problems to 3,461, according to the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.

_______________________

CONTINUING REPORT on ACLU goals and objectives.

I have spent a major portion of my time these last two months researching the ACLU’s involvement in promoting and supporting abortion. This has required me to learn about the history, supporters and court cases. I reported in a previous leg alert on some of the California legislation that they supported and on other groups joining in support of those pieces of legislation. It would appear that at least 25% of the lobbying efforts of the California Catholic Conference, located in Sacramento, are given to support of bills also supported by the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and other virulent anti-life organizations.

It is safe to say that the ACLU or one of its subsidiaries such as the Committee to Defend Reproductive Rights has been deeply involved in most every case across the country focusing on protecting access and funding to abortion and denying parental right to know legislation.

The ACLU begun in 1917 as a support group for anti military service rose to national acclaim with it’s first Director, Roger Baldwin, an avowed Socialist. On the occasion of Roe v Wade’s 30th anniversary, the then current Director, Anthony Romero, first Hispanic and first gay man to become director, acknowledged in a taped interview that while First Amendment Freedom of Speech was a main focus, abortion was perceived as a way to gain prominence in that arena.

The ACLU’s legal Counsel helped write the brief for Sarah Weddington, Plaintiff’s attorney in Roe v Wade and was, itself, the lead counsel in the companion case of Doe v Bolton which identified health in broad generic terms as the prevailing right to obtaining an abortion.

It was also through the research and creativity of the ACLU lawyers that the 1981 California Rose Byrd Supreme Court case entitled Committee to Defend Reproductive Rights v Myers found in favor of using state tax money to fund California abortions as just one in a list of reproductive services. It has also been this right to privacy that has prevailed in preventing any law allowing parental consent or notification to take effect.

There are at least 11 active bills in the state legislature supported and or co-sponsored by either the ACLU or one of its parallel organizations that are also supported by either the California Catholic Conference and/or Catholic Charities.

These bills coincide with the ACLU’s declared belief agenda of freedom from any outside and/or government restraints in one’s chosen life style, undermining the status of religion and replacing God with humanist principles.

Occasionally the ACLU will provide support or amicus briefs in court cases brought by faith based or conservative groups and they have even taken up the cause of sidewalk counselors who are being threatened with bubble laws at abortion clinics. But, then, you realize that it is a freedom of speech matter and one understands their reasoning for being involved. However, just let a pro lifer want parents to have the right of speech with their child on matters of sex and pregnancy and the ACLU will pounce on them.

___________________

I do hope that you will continue to be active in defending the right to life of God’s babes in the new year. That that efforts will bring you peace and a knowledge that you are are helping to carry out God‘s plan of salvation for souls every time you write a letter, make a phone call. etc.

Also be aware that another Parental Notification initiative is now in the public and signatures are being sought. The bill is named "Sarah’s Law." Look it up online, get a pledge page and help to gather signatures.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Camille Giglio

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SPECIAL: The ACLU, the Catholic Conference and Health Care.

"Students are in school, so their health care should be there too."
Ted Kalongoski, Governor of Oregon.

Several bills that we opposed, such as AB 14 (special rights for Gays and Lesbians ) and SB 405 (curriculum guidance toward technical training) and AB 629 only Sex Ed. that adheres to Planned Parenthood’s goals) were signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.

Most of the other bills we wrote about, that remained in committee at the close of session, can be considered as two year bills. Three of these are SB 30 by Joe Simitian dealing in protecting the privacy rights of Non-profits, and AB 374, Patty Berg, Assisted suicide and AB 165 creating a state recognized office of faith-based funding, are amongst the possible two year bills to watch. About the end of January is the final date for hearings on all the bills left behind in the first part of this two year session.

Recently I wrote about the California Catholic Conference and it’s support for some bills that we felt were inimical to the family and respect for life. On further reading of the bills we saw that the American Civil Liberties Union also either supported or co-sponsored some of these bills.

Many books and blog-sites provide in-depth critical analysis of the ACLU’s published mission statements as opposed to their actual objectives. Two such books are Trial and Error by George Grant. It is Subtitled: The American Civil Liberties Union and its Impact on your Family published by Adroit Press. Mr. Grant is noted amongst pro life groups for his expose of Planned Parenthood’s agenda in Grand Illusions; The Legacy of Planned Parenthood. The second book which parallels much of the research from the Grant book is The ACLU vs America, written by Alan Sears and Craig Osten, published by the Alliance Defense Fund.

Though the ACLU is considered to be the antithesis of all that is Christian it apparently receives great respect from elected officials, the legal societies and judges, for its successes, it’s dedication to cause and its endurance.

While the ACLU claims to have been established in 1915 to protect First Amendment Rights, it is very selective in whose First Amendment Rights get protected.

The ACLU was founded by Roger Baldwin in 1920. He was the son of wealthy Boston parents, educated at Harvard who declared himself to be "for socialism, disarmament and ultimately for abolishing the state itself as an instrument of violence and compulsion. I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal." They have never strayed from that agenda.

Much of their work toward that goal directly involves judges and court cases that they see as promoting or emphasizing that goal. It is the same with legislation. The ACLU’s strength and ability to win most of its cases is due, so the experts claim, to their decentralized arrangement. The ACLU, mainly consisting of attorneys, has a main headquarters, but it also has an office in every state and branches of those offices around the various states. They carefully watch their local area for opportunities or ongoing actions that are locally supported which will also promote their cause.

The causes that they support represent the abortion, homosexual, anti-religious, anti-marriage, anti-capitalism, pro-pacifist causes around which they wrap freedom of speech, separation of church and state, and privacy rights. In that regard they have, on occasion been found to swing from supporting a far left group in one instance and a traditional conservative group on another issue if it could be twisted to advance their chief aim of dissolution of the family, religion or our Constitution one step further.

Eagle Forum and the ACLU both supported SB 30, on an issue of privacy rights by Sen. Joe Simitian (D). This bill (most likely a two year bill) protects Planed Parenthood’s confidentiality as well as Eagle Forum’s or other non-profits.

By the way, Sen. Simitian is mentioned in today’s Contra Costa Times as having a program of inviting people to submit ideas for legislation. Guess he doesn’t have any ideas of his own.

AB 22, Calworks payments - Ca. Works Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Program, Sally Lieber, (D), author. Another two-year bill. Currently families receiving aid must wait for 10 months before obtaining aid for a new baby. AB 22 provides immediately for the new baby. It removes the caps from funding limitations. Opponents state that this could perpetuate intergenerational welfare families. The Catholic Conference and the ACLU as well as Physicians for Reproductive Choice supported this.

AB 14. The Civil Rights Act of 2007 protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination in a broad assortment of situations. Chaptered. The ACLU and National Org. of Women - NOW,supported along with numerous homosexual groups.

AB 165 by Kevin Jeffries (R), creates an office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. Initiatives, that’s a code word for funding. The ACLU objects to faith based groups getting funding while they support gays and lesbians getting funding. Catholic Charities supports this one. Could be a two year bill.

"Faith Based" is another word for church. Many churches, especially those considered to be more progressive than those traditionally adherent to the gospels receive tax funding to run programs for the state. Or, they set up parallel organizations, such as Catholic Charities to receive the tax money and appear to act semi-independently. Or, they join in partnerships with non-profits and state agencies in order to benefit from the funding.

Usually they focus on promoting social issues such as immigration, welfare funding and universal health care. Authorization for Faith based funding was contained in former President Clinton’s re-working of the welfare regulations. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - TANF.

In California state legislators balked at giving tax funding to churches until a Republican, pro life legislator (no longer in office) authored a bill declaring that it was okay to give tax money to churches and in fact, state agencies were compelled to see that they did get funding. That created a whole new industry and source of funding for many flegling, fly-by-night groups as well as well-heeled religious organizations.

AB 374, Patty Berg’s Assisted Suicide legislation could still rise from the ashes. The ACLU supported this along with a large number of pro euthanasia groups.

SB 405, Darrell Steinberg’s (D) Curriculum Opportunity For Students. Two year bill. ACLU sponsored and ACORN - Assoc. of Community Organizations for Reform now http://acorn.org supported along with other left leaning civil rights groups.

AB 629, Julia Brownley, (D), Sex Education Programs. Chaptered. The title is: The sexual Health Education Accountability Act and furthers the goals of the SB 71 0f 2003 by Sheila Kuehl entitled Ca. Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood provided the data for this bill. It holds accountable all school sex education programs to the mandates of Planned Parenthood’s design for teaching sex education.

One wonders Where the Catholic Conference was when this bill was being debated?

AB 102, Fiona Ma, (D-Southern sections of San Francisco Co.). Marriage Licenses: Domestic Partnerships. Chaptered. Allows domestic partnerships to choose which partner’s name will be the official name for the partnership. Sponsored by both the ACLU and Equality California - EQ/CA.

______________________________

Universal Health Care is mainly Preventive "Health" Care.

"Medicaid: A Critical Source of Support for Family Planning in the United States."

This is a report published by the Alan Guttmacher Institute every two years and distributed as an Issue Brief regarding Women’s Health Policy by the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation.

The report for Oct. 2007 has this as it’s conclusion:

"Family Planning is a central component of preventive care for reproductive-age women, and Medicaid has played an increasingly large role in financing these services for low-income women."

Medicaid is the federal level State Children’s Health Insurance Program - SCHIP. Medicaid is entitled Healthy Families here in California. Healthy Families is what the Catholic Conference and Planned Parenthood and the ACLU and NOW and ACORN support for your children.

The report shows that in fiscal year 2001 Medicaid (that’s Federal Title XX1 and Title X1X. of the Social Security Act) spent $260,636,000 (that’s millions) on Family Planning in California.

It spent, for the whole country, $769,627,000. California is by far the largest recipient of Medicaid dollars. The next highest is New York with a piddling $57,925,000.

That represents an awful lot of young people and an awful lot of lost babies and a great many cases of venereal disease. Guttmacher estimates that that represents 21,335 "births averted."

___________________________

Some headlines to think about.

Planned Parenthood wants all females of reproductive years to be placed on birth control. The Catholic Conference and its Bishops do nothing to protest this and so, public schools are being targeted for clinics with birth control distribution rights as well as many Catholic High Schools are referral sites to Planned Parenthood. Recent headlines have published the following:

Saturday, October 6, 2007 8 More Deaths Connected To HPV Vaccine.

Another eight deaths in just the past few months are being connected to Gardasil, Merck & Co.’s vaccine that targets the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus and is being considered by many states as mandatory for all schoolgirls, according to documents released by Judicial Watch.

There also! have been another 1,824 adverse reactions to the drug, bringing the "known total" of such problems to 3,461, according to the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.
To view the entire article, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58004

Nov. 6, 2007 - Study Links Birth Control Pill to Arterial Plaque. (Reuters as reported by Yahoo News) Women who had used oral contraceptives were more likely to have a buildup of plaque in their arteries, leading to the possibility of strokes and heart attack.

Nov 10, 2007. Merck (manufacturer of Gardasil the so-called anti HPV vaccine which AB 16 would have mandated every 11 year old female be given) Will pay billions to Vioxx Users. They agreed to a settlement with those who claimed that pill caused heart attacks or strokes. The miracle pill turned into a death sentence for many.

A recent article which I read in the SF Chronicle (and now have misplaced on this messy desk) reported on the USAID program having to withdraw injections of an HIV vaccine it was giving to African women. Rather than acting as a preventive for AIDS it was actually producing causing more women to contract AIDS.

Nov 10, 2007. Nun’s Health-care Mission Receives Praise. A Virginia based online dailypress.com reports on a Sister Shaun Malone who is helping to enroll children in health insurance. She is quoted as saying: From a Catholic health-care perspective, we believe everybody has dignity as a child of God and so basic health care is a right of every person. I believe, as a society, we need to see that our people are taken care of."

She is enrolling children in Virginia’s version of SCHIP and blithely ignorant of or ignoring the dangers to the children’s physical and spiritual health. So are many faith based groups here in California.

Nov 10, 2007 Contra Costa Times editorial by Theresa Brown, Ca. Nurses Assn.

"Nurses have key role in future of health care. She is calling for a massive build up of trained medical technical and nursing aid people to help care for the huge increase in health care clients. They are preparing for the eventual passage of universal health care during which every resident of the state will be under the supervision of some medical health person or center. She sums up her article by saying: "Our physicians and our nurse practitioners collaborate and work together to deliver quality medical treatment to keep the state as healthy as possible."

Nov 10, 2007. Oakland City Council to Side walk counselors: Shut up! The Oakland, Ca. City Council will decide by December 4th if it will enforce an 8 feet bubble law around abortion clinics. If passed violators will face penalties of up to one year in jail and fines of up to $2,000.

This is one of the ACLU’s pet projects - silencing pro life demonstrations and sidewalk counseling. So far, the Oakland, Ca. Catholic Diocese has remained silent on this important First Amendment right of freedom of speech.

We are God’s little David against the anti-life’s Goliath. If David brought down Goliath with one well placed rock think how much more effective our prayers, letters, phone calls and witnessing would be if we had but the faith of David and the trust that God would direct our efforts to the proper target.

Many blessings to you and your families during the Thanksgiving season.

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THE MEDIA AS PROPAGANDA TOOL, or How to make a living by deceiving.

My local Contra Costa Times should be congratulated for consistency if nothing more. It persists in using it’s newspaper words and photos and often graphs to support and promote special interests. Saturday’s (11-2-07) front page article entitled : "Debating birth control" was the last straw.

Perhaps you have already read the reports of other national pro life authorities who have critiqued the Alan Guttmacher (Planned Parenthood’s research arm) facts and statistics on the estimates of teens using contraceptives or the role that contraceptive use is playing in reducing teen pregnancy so I won’t go into that. Suffice it to say that their figures are skewed to their advantage.

They always fail to mention the parallel rise in life long venereal diseases teens contract while using contraceptives.

The birth control/abortion industry has run into a stubborn president who won’t give them full funding through the SCHIP children’s insurance program so they are resorting to appealing to the public to do their lobbying for them.

My focus right now is on the media and their shameless selling of their newspaper space to these special interests.

I attended a conference a couple of weekends ago during which a husband and wife team, Daniel and Judith Graham, conducted a workshop on how to recognize the deliberate falsities used by reporters and on-air hosts. I was surprised to learn that a few of the long time, hard working pro life attendees were totally unaware of the deliberate use of false logic and fallacies to distort reports. Sean Hannity and his interviewing techniques were the basis of the 3 hour course.

Back to the "Debating Birth Control" article. Everything on a front page that is featured above the fold is as valuable as prime real estate and, therefore given only to important items or special interests. The main portion of the front page article was filled with a photo of a very heavy set youngish woman holding a child. The caption says that she supports giving birth control to minors. The background is a hazy green presumably a woodland type setting. The woman is not looking at the child. She is smiling coquettishly into the camera. The child in her arms is holding what appears to be green grass or herbs.

This is a photo that could be used for just about anything including environmental issues. She could even be a Planned Parenthood employee for all we know. Planned Parenthood is prone to stacking meetings and photos with their own people.

We are supposed to presume that though this woman supports birth control for minors without parental consent, because she is holding a child she is open to giving birth so, it’s okay for kids to be sexually active. They will chose a child when the right time comes.

On an inside page is a photo of another woman. She is named in the caption under her photo, but we don’t know what her answers were to the survey nor is she mentioned in the article. We are to presume that she opposes birth control for kids. Her photo is black and white. She is sitting in an obviously well furnished living or den room but she has no child. The message is that no matter her answer she doesn’t like kids and probably doesn’t have any of her own.

As to the statistics….. The article states that 37% of those surveyed approve of birth control for minors with parental approval. 30% approve of giving birth control to any minor who wants it. The total number surveyed is listed in extremely tiny type size - 1,004 adults were surveyed between Oct 23-25, 2007.

So, because 67 % of 1,004 adults (that’s about 670 people) out of the millions of adults who make up America say that kids should be engaging in sex and using contraceptives we are supposed to surrender our children to Planned Parenthood types for their moral and sexual upbringing.

Who were these adults? Even if randomly chosen they still could have come from a total list of Guttmacher’s employees. They don’t tell us.

What were the questions on the survey? Do the results accurately reflect the thoughts of the respondents? How many times have you gone to a meeting, sat in small group discussions, written down the thoughts of the group only to later read the results of the discussion and realize that your discussion has no similarity to the reported results?

By the way the reporter, Alan Fram, works for the Associated Press out of Chicago according to his online bio. The woman featured on the front page supposedly lives in Florida. The woman pictured on the inside lives in Walnut Grove, Ca. This, too, is a part of the propaganda. The approval for contraceptives for teens is nationwide.

One statement in the article is very outrageous in it’s concept. Supposedly this whole brouhaha has come up because a school in Portland, Maine, began distributing contraceptives to all it’s students so this has, so we are encouraged to think, sparked a nationwide dialogue. As though dialoguing about the dissolution of parental authority over minor children is only a matter of talking about it.

This one paragraph says: "Portland school officials plan to consider a proposal soon that would let (my emphasis) parents forbid their children from receiving prescription contraceptives such as birth-control pills." Let is a permissive word which reflects the nice, indulgent school people. The word Forbid is a very negative and harsh word depicting cruel parents.

Bad, bad parents how can they forbid their darling children anything so safe and protective?

This indicates that the school district already presumes that the children are theirs to guide and instruct in the ways of sexuality. What an elitist attitude. If this passes parents have surrendered their children to the state. The presumption would be that but for those few parents who would forbid, the children are the property of the school system.

Just to make sure the reader understands, further down is a quote from some 29 year old (this time from Alabama) saying: "parents should be in on it." This is code for the promotion of a school/parent partnership in the upbringing of the students. Remember Hillary’s It takes a village?

When statistics are quoted for those who object to dispensing contraceptives they are tagged as Protestants, Catholics and evangelicals, but those who approve are not labeled as atheists, homosexuals, or anything else, only concerned parents.

In today’s Contra Costa Times (11-04-07)is another example of misrepresenting the truth. You may recall that Congressman Pete Stark (D-Fremont. Ca) got a lot of bad press over his vicious verbal attacks on President Bush. He was quoted as saying, to the effect, that President Bush was getting a kick out of watching our soldiers go off to Iraq to get their heads blown off.

An article about Stark (Page A34) in today’s paper referring to Stark’s "emotional" statement is entitled "Congressman gets warmer reception before home crowd." Further down in the article we find that only 80 people showed up for his local appearance.

The bottom line is be very critical of what you read in the papers or hear on radio and tv.

A few things to look out for might be:

1. Does the heading match the content of the article?
    

2. What’s the Topic? The last paragraph may be totally different than the first. Is the argument off the topic? Is it meant to distract?
    

3. Is your reaction to the article or the quote So what? Does this contribute to the overall Knowledge needed to decide something or is it merely selling one aspect?
    
   Instead of presenting facts does it appeal to emotion, pity? Does it use ridicule?
    

4. Who is saying it? Is the one quoted reputable? Is he/she really knowledgeable on the subject?

   Does it magnify a minor segment of the whole while downplaying the importance of the situation?
    

5. Are the quotes ambiguous or so generalized they confuse any conclusion?
    

6. Do the photos or graphs distract or support the information?

With the upcoming elections we will be subjected to a flood of campaign material and statements. Hope this helps you pick out the true from the deceptive. The important from the unimportant.

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1.   Plan B and the Catholic Bishops.
          Special Request
2. Warning to AIDS Volunteers]
3. There’s a Pharmacist in your bedroom

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UNITED STATES BISHOPS MEETING IN BALTIMORE Nov 12-14.

If you live in California (or elsewhere) please consider writing a letter to the Catholic Bishop in your area concerning
one or more of the following items:

1. Encouraging the Bishop to take a firm stand in opposition to the use of Plan B - morning after pill - in Catholic hospitals.
2. Enforcement of Catholic Church Canon Law 915 - refusal to give Holy Communion to pro abortion Catholic elected officials.

Background: Recently the Bishops of Connecticut issued a statement declaring that they give approval to Catholic hospitals in their state to administer Plan B, the morning after pill, to victims of rape.

This has caused quite a commotion amongst the Catholic faithful across the country. The morning after pill is a known abortifacient. This approval clearly indicates that the Bishops of Connecticut are willing to bow to secular demands to put aside Catholic moral teaching which prohibits the deliberate destruction of an innocent human life, especially at it’s most dependent and vulnerable time - the womb.

Allowing the child conceived by a rape to be destroyed is an admittance that there are some lives which society may declare as undesirable and unworthy of life. Though the rape is, indeed, a criminal act the child should still be considered a gift of God. Admittedly not all of God’s gifts to His human creatures are immediately recognized as a gift to be cherished.

Other bishops such as Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, Colorado, have spoken out in opposition to the Connecticut Bishops decision. He has declared that should the state of Colorado require Catholic hospitals to administer the pill he would recommend pulling out of the hospital business.

Four states including California have mandated that Catholic hospitals provide abortifacients to rape victims. The Catholic Charities Organization of California acting for the California hospitals did sue for the right to be exempted, but lost and have complied with the law.

Father Peter Damian Fehlner, theologian, and North American Superior for the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in the United States has issued the most adamant statement opposing Plan B. He is quoted as saying: "even if the pill in Plan B is only ‘dubiously’ abortive, we simply may not use it at all"
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/oct/07102305.html

He has also indicated that he questions the validity of the United State’s Council of Catholic Bishops Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.

CANON 915.

The Catholic Church has a lengthy and very clear set of church laws under which it operates; it is called The
Code of Canon Law. Canon Law # 915 sets down who may receive the sacred Eucharist (Holy Communion)
lest misuse of the Host create a situation of scandal for the church. Basically Canon 915 prohibits “giving the
Eucharist to anyone who obstinately perseveres in manifest, serious sin.”

Catholic pro lifers have, for years, chaffed at the knowledge that federal and state elected officials who obstinately persevere in voting for abortion and mandating that our taxes go for abortion and family planning, continue to be recipients of Holy Communion. they make a big deal out of how well received they are by the Catholic hierarchy during election time. Also, recently the Peace and Justice department of the San Francisco Archdiocese hosted a conference to which all of the pro abort bay area Democrats were invited to discuss providing for the poor. Well, we already know one of the “services” they want to provide to the poor.. There are also others often in the public eye who also seem to receive deferential treatment by Catholic officials thereby causing scandal to the church as well as great sorrow to the faithful.

All of this recently came to a head when San Francisco Archbishop Niederauer, during a recent Mass, gave Holy Communion to a couple of members of the outrageous Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This is a group of gay men who dress up in the clothing of Nuns while doing their best to scandalize the faithful and make a public mockery of the Mass.

Writing that letter.
 
The Bishops will conduct their annual national meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, beginning on November 12 to 14. They will be discussing The above issues. If they should consider avoiding these issues your letter encouraging discussion will prompt and, perhaps, guide their discussion. Below is a list of names and addresses for the California Bishops. Letters should address a Bishop as the Most Reverend……..

Archdiocese of San Francisco
Most Rev. George H. Niederauer
One Peter York Way
San Francisco, Ca 94109-6602

Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Most Rev. Roger Cardinal Mahony
3424 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, Ca 90010-2202

Diocese of Fresno
Most Rev. John T. Steinbock
1550 N. Fresno St
Fresno, Ca 93703-3711

Diocese of Monterey
Most Rev. Richard J. Garcia
631 Abrego St.
Monterey, Ca 93942-2048

Diocese of Oakland
Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron
2900 Lakeshore Ave.
Oakland, Ca. 94610-3614

Diocese of Orange
Most Rev. Tod Brown
C/0 P.O. Box 14195
Orange, Ca 92863-1595

Diocese of Sacramento
Most Rev. William K. Weigand
2110 Broadway
Sacramento, Ca 95818-2541

Diocese of San Bernardino
Most Rev. Gerald R. Barnes
1201 E. Highlands Ave
San Bernardino, Ca 92404-4607

Diocese of San Diego
Most Rev. Robert H. Brom
P. O. Box 85728
San Diego, Ca 92186-5728

Diocese of San Jose
Most Rev Patrick J. McGrath
900 Lafayette St, Suite 301
Santa Clara, Ca 95050-4966

Diocese of Santa Rosa
Most Rev. Daniel F. Walsh
P. O. Box 1297
Santa Rosa, Ca 95402-1297

Diocese of Stockton
Most Rev. Stephen E. Blaire
1105 N. Lincoln St.
Stockton, Ca. 95203-2410

Bishop Blaire is also President of the California Catholic Conference. The Conference, as this SOT has mentioned has cooperated with Planned Parenthood in supporting certain health care legislation.

3. Warning to South African AIDS Vaccine Volunteers.

The Washington Post, 10-25-07, World News section, published a warning distributed by Merck Pharmaceutical company that it is stopping it’s experimental HIV prevention vaccine which has been distributed to volunteers in South Africa and in several U.S. cities including Los Angeles, because the vaccine seems to be enhancing rather than diminishing the instances of AIDS being contracted.

MERCK’S GARDASIL VACCINE NOT PROVEN SAFE. This is a report published on the website of the National Vaccine Information Center - NVIC. This site lists several cases of serious and life threatening health reactions to the Gardasil vaccine.

AB 16, the mandatory vaccination bill which includes shots of gardasil for all female students still sits in committee and may become a two year bill.
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A Pharmacist in Your Bedroom.

Even though the Governor vetoed two universal type health care bills, it hasn’t stopped health care people and their parallel organizations from trying to get a piece of the funding action.

The Contra Costa Times Sunday, Oct 28 edition has an opinion piece entitled Pharmacists can play role in health care by Kathleen Johnson, professor and chairman of the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy at the U. of Southern California - USC, and Shirley Svorny, professor and chairman of the Department of Economics at Cal State Northridge.

They are advocating a great role for pharmacists in counseling for, authorizing and dispensing a wide variety of drugs without physician oversight. They claim that the 2006 authorization by the FDA for the over the counter “dispensing of emergency contraceptives” opened the way for a larger role in health care for pharmacists.

They also claim that pharmacists often have more extensive training and knowledge than nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are taking on up to 80% of primary care tasks.

Implicit in this article is the understanding that pharmacists will be installed in school site health care clinics prescribing and dispensing contraceptives directly to your children and grandchildren. They won’t even have to go to the drug store.

Maybe in future students can even bring home Mom and Dad’s birth control drugs.

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IT’S ALL IN THE GOVERNOR’S HANDS NOW.

Nine hundred plus bills have received final approval by both houses of the state legislature, been enrolled and sent to the Governor for either his signature or veto. He can also just not respond to a bill and it becomes law by default so to speak.

Another group of bills that were popular but did not get quite enough votes and are held in committee may become two-year bills, meaning we will see them again beginning in January.

The Governor has up to 30 days after receiving a bill to act upon it. This is the time to flood the Governor’s office with letters, phone calls and snail mail.

I have been doing a great deal of research on the groups supporting and opposing many of the bills we have designated as anti-life/anti-family. As a result of this research I have become involved in an email dialogue with the Associate Director for communications, Carol Hogan, of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops. The Conference’s name appeared frequently amongst the supporters of bills that we opposed. More about that later.

Here are the enrolled bills in which we found reason to be concerned:

AB 1, John Laird, Health Care Coverage. Amended 7 times in the course of 9 hearings.

Major sponsors, Children’s Defense fund, a Hillary Clinton creation of dozens of antifamily groups and the Pacific Institute for Community Organizing, a partner with the state’s Catholic Bishops. Intervenes in family primacy and privacy. It also includes the California Coalition for Compassionate Care, the group that just opened an office in Sacramento to "educate" people to their right to die choices. It was this group that the Catholic Conference, in conjunction with a number of disability groups, fought so hard, to defeat the Berg/Levine Assisted Suicide bill.

Expands medi-Cal and healthy families coverage to children in families with up to 300% of the federal poverty level or approximately $65,000/yr income.

AB 12, Jim Beall, Adult Health Coverage, Sta Clara Co. Uses the citizens of Santa Clara Co. for a pilot program in developing universal health care and requiring employers to pay into the health care coverage without any qualifying restrictions.

Ca. Health Access, a consortium of pro abort organizations and Jericho, an anti-poverty non-profit founded by a Catholic Nun amongst the supporters. Jericho also a frequent partner with the Catholic Conference.

AB 14, John Laird, Discrimination, Civil Rights Act of 2007. Amended 5 times in seven hearings. Expands classification of individuals who feel targeted for discrimination as a part of certain groups and encourages legal action to be taken for their protection against discrimination.

The Catholic Conference opposed this bill but in their opposing statement left room for an understanding that though discriminated groups needed protection this bill was too heavy handed.

One group supporting the bill was the California Church Impact, the advocacy arm of the Council of Churches. one of its links or associates is the California Interfaith Power and Light - CIPL. This is an environmental advocacy working in the churches. It is behind the promotion of changing from incandescent lights to fluorescent lights and promoting environmental causes through parishioners.

AB 34, Anthony Portantino, Cord Blood Collection Program. Creates an office of Cord Blood Collection and banking services, data collecting and authorizes the Umbilical Cord Blood collection Program fund. Cord blood to be used for the general good, not just the individual who’s cord blood it is. Permits the sale of cord blood if it is needed.

The Catholic Conference and several branches of Planned Parenthood endorsed this bill.

AB 43, Mark Leno, Gender Neutral Marriage. Amended only once. Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, various protestant churches, lesbian and gay associations, unions.

AB 81, Alberto Torrico, Child Protection-Safe Surrender. Amends the original legislation which allowed surrender of a newborn infant up to 72 hours after birth, to an extended time of 7 days after birth. The original AB 81 stipulated 30 days following birth. While this is a much more acceptable bill this changes the purpose of the bill from one of saving a life from imminent death at fear of discovery following birth to one of protecting a parent from child abuse charges when he/she surrenders a child with whom the parents grew tired of playing house.

AB 629, Julia Brownley, Sex Education Programs. Creates the Sexual Health Education Accountability Act. Holds all public schools accountable to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood for what is taught as proper sexual activity and conduct.

Why the Catholic Conference is absent in this important bill is a good question to ask of the Conference.

"Health" is the new buzz word for acceptability in anything. How either of these groups can be given credibility for determining what is healthy in sex is beyond me. We’ll see if the Governor thinks PP is a better determiner of sexual health than parents.

SB 94, Sheila Kuehl, Medi-Cal Reimbursement Rates. This bill went through about 4 amendments, starting out as a fiscal and budget review bill, to a medi-Cal reimbursement request to a 9th hour out and out funding for family planning sponsored by Planned Parenthood under the guise of a group called Family PACT - Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment.

The following quote is taken directly from the legislative analyst report on the cost to the taxpayer:

"Based on a June 1 estimate by DHCS, the rate increases required by this bill will increase Medi-Cal costs by $4.8 million General Fund (and $13.8 million in federal funding) in 2007-08, and by $15.5 million General Fund (and $44.5 million in matching federal funds) on a full-year, annual basis, in 2008-09, and subsequent years."

The rationale provided is that funding family planning now provides a savings in future expenditures that would have been required to fund undesirable elements in society.

Actually family planning clinics have been closing due to reduced clientele and they are losing money.

SB 405, Darrell Steinberg, Schools: Curriculum: Opportunities for Pupils. Amended eight times in 10 hearings. The ACLU is the sponsor. An interesting note; even though Steinberg is a member of the Jericho advisory board they did not support this bill.

This mandates an accountability reporting system for why certain students did not get sufficient counseling and direction to continue on to academic or technical post graduate schools and requires the schools to perform certain services to students to see to it that they do get there.

SB 777, Sheila Kuehl, Discrimination. The Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act. Revises the list of prohibited bases of discrimination and requires schools to see to it that students identified as potentially discrimination prone will not be harassed and will receive proper educational opportunities. This is labeled as an (anti) hate crimes protection bill. Is a companion to AB 14.

Information about the number of students subject to harassment was derived from something called the California Healthy Kids survey.

AB 16, Edward Hernandez, Vaccinations. This bill may well become a two-year bill and return for a vote when the legislature comes back into session in late November or January.

The Catholic Conference originally opposed this bill but dropped their opposition when it was amended. However, through subsequent amendments this bill became even more dangerous to family unity. The mandate to require all female students to be vaccinated with an anti-HPV virus injection was expanded to mandate that all school children be subjected to whatever a group of private federal level consultants appointed by the FDA said students needed, regardless of parental resistance or else the child could not enter school.
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I have mentioned the California Catholic Conference several times in this report. The Catholic Conference refers to itself as the California Bishops office for Public Policy issues. It is headquartered in Sacramento and studies legislation identifying issues of concern for the church and then takes a position of either support, oppose or watch.

The Conference, while remaining in the background on the issue of Assisted Suicide, played a major role in organizing the Disability Rights groups to oppose the latest bill.

The Conference believes that a strong, public position on legislation such as euthanasia or abortion taken by Catholic people and groups has a negative rather than positive effect on legislation and so they tend to discourage Catholic or pro life involvement on certain social justice issues such as life and death and health care.

It became impossible to ignore their position recently when a member of a Catholic parish sent us a copy of their Sunday Church Bulletin which contained a full page request for parishioners to urge passage of AB 8 and SB 840 and the federal SCHIP legislation which President Bush has vowed he will veto. He has stated, as late as today, 9-20-07 that the reauthorization of the SCHIP in its expanded form is a sneaky way to inaugurate a federal universal health coverage mandate.

The bulletin also carried a suggested "10 Things you can do to care for the earth: #4 being Look for the Energy Star and buy fluorescent light bulbs to help save the environment. This is the promotion of the CIPL with which many Catholic Churches are forming partnerships. Can you envision the costs to churches as they convert to fluorescent bulbs?

When I phoned the Catholic Conference to inquire as to their reasoning behind supporting health care legislation which, in the estimate of many pro life groups, will expand Planned Parenthood’s access to our children as well as carry the potential to create euthanasia laws through lawsuits I was quite shocked at the response given to me by Carol Hogan, Communications Director. I asked why the Catholic Conference’s name appeared in support with such groups as Planned Parenthood, NOW, NARAL and Lambda Letters and others. Were they accommodating our faith to Planned Parenthood’s agenda?

MS Hogan responded that she did not like the word "accommodate" she preferred to think of it as "not letting the perfect get in the way of the good." Helping women to obtain health care even though some might use it to obtain an abortion was still a good. Further she acknowledged that the CCC often worked with Planned Parenthood to obtain health care for indigent women. She based this cooperative action on the fact that abortion is already accepted in our culture and even if Roe v Wade was eliminated California would still have abortion on demand.

In effect she appeared to be saying that we will stand aside while the state aborts your baby and euthanizes your ill parents, but we will demand that you get good health care in between all that until you become too ill or a burden to the community’s health.

I began to research how many times the Conference’s name appeared in support of bills endorsed by Planned Parenthood and others of their ilk. It is a depressingly large number of times. It was also a surprise to see that the Conference had not taken a position of opposition to a number of bills that suppressed family authority in education, health care and undermined the American taxpayer in regards to immigration.

Sad to say I am of the opinion that the Catholic Conference may speak for the state’s Bishops but they do not speak for the state’s Catholic populace in the area of public policy. They need your prayers and your input.

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1. Health Care and the Catholic Church.

2. Other bills
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1. SB 840, Sheila Kuehl, Single Payer Health Coverage and AB 8, Fabian Nunez, Health Care Coverage

Employers and Employees.

All indications are that these two bills will fail an Assembly floor vote or, if they manage to garner enough votes, the Governor will not sign them. You are most earnestly urged to contact the governor through phone, email or snail mail - asap -and request that he veto these bills should they arrive on his desk. Not just that he not sign them but VETO them. They contain a very evil hidden agenda of population control.

It very recently became impossible to overlook the sad fact that the California Catholic Conference of Bishops, (Representing over 30 Bishops and auxiliary Bishops in the state) Ned Delejsi, Director, headquartered in Sacramento, Bishop Stephen Blair, President, actively supports these two bills plus a federal level Universal Health Care Bill, HR 676. There is a full page of supporting organizatons listed such as non-profits including Planned Parenthood, unions, and Democrat social clubs.

There is a hidden agenda contained in these bills. One is reminded of the Nesting dolls, hollow on the inside and each one fitting inside the other. It looks like there is only one doll, but many are there in secret.

A large majority of these groups will profit financially, including Catholic Hospitals which will receive increased funding, patients while accepting the trade off of performing abortions and distributing contraceptives. Also this will force all doctors and employers to surrender a portion of their income to pay for this care including abortion, thereby overriding moral and ethical objections to killing as a preventive medical treatment for indigency.

So, this is also a request that you write to the Catholic Conference expressing your extreme sadness at this accommodation of faith to pragmatism. 1119 K St. 2nd Fl. Sacramento, Ca. 95814-3904. You might also send a copy to the local Bishop regardless of whether you are a Catholic or not. Their support of these bills defies every teaching of the Catholic Faith and jeopardizes the standards of other Christian Faiths.

I spoke over the phone with Carol Hogan, Associate Director of Communications and Pastoral Projects on Tuesday, August 28, asking her to help me understand why the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in California would accommodate our beliefs in the sanctity of life by joining with Planned Parenthood in supporting abortion as a means of obtaining questionable, at best, health care for needy people?

Ms Hogan replied: "I do not like the word accommodate. I prefer to use the phrase ‘not letting the perfect get in the way of the good.’" This so-called support for universal access to government controlled health care, she claimed, came directly from the Pope as a matter of justice. "It is standard practice for the US Bishops to support universal health care." "The California Catholic Conference," she said, "has supported universal health care for about 30 years." (note: no Catholic is required to be obedient to the political activism of a Bishop)

When I asked her if support for abortion was a trade off for many of the disability rights groups support in opposing assisted suicide she said: "We have worked with Planned Parenthood on several occasions such as health care for indigent women." The Catholic Conference, she said, "believes in the incremental approach in crafting public policy. She further declared that: "it is a tragedy, of course, when someone choses to use their health care to obtain an abortion but women need health care. The culture in California has changed. Abortion is accepted in our culture. If Roe v Wade were to be overturned tomorrow, Californians would still have a right to abortion."

These statements by Hogan, that the Pope and the Bishops have a mandate of sorts to lobby for government controlled and directed health care as a matter of justice are a clear distortion of Catholic and Christian ethical and moral teaching.

It is a fact that the CCC has supported universal health care since Cong. ‘Pete" Stark, (D-Hayward) began touting it decades ago, but it has never been a church mandate. In fact many papal writings including the often quoted Pope Leo Xlll Rerum Novarum, May 15, 1891, spoke of a principle of Subsidiarity. This means in simple terms, initiating something close to home, something that the local citizens can do. Brotherly love. The true teaching of the Good Samaritan. That was a part of the impetus for churches to open shelters, hospitals, schools, etc. That was why doctors volunteered their services to the poor and truly needy and Catholic hospitals treated the poor. Mother Theresa seems to be a good example of that principle. St. Vincent de Paul centers used to be a good example of people helping each other.

When religious organizations and people begin calling for the government to step in and do the work of faith they are exposing the faithful and needy of all faiths to the surrender of their freedoms and their Constitutionally guaranteed rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The church has, unfortunately, accommodated our faith to the secularists ever since Roe v Wade. Yes, there was a period of a couple of years in which spokespersons for the church appeared before Congressional committees on behalf of the right to life, but that seemed to stop when the Bishops were given an offer they couldn’t refuse - funding for social relief programs. Churches, Catholic and Protestant, both are major beneficiaries of city, state and federal funds to run government relief programs. Catholic Charities is a very good example not only in the community non-profit programs that they support, but in the health care coverage they provide to their mainly non-Catholic employees. Every health insurance program on the market includes a reproductive package of services and support. That is code for abortion and contraception.

Catholic and Protestant faiths have gone way beyond just this stretching of ethical activities. Many mainline faiths are actively represented on boards and committees of other secular, humanistic agencies that view parishioners as little more than untapped resources for government programs of environmentalism, (one church in the Oakland Diocese carries a notice in it’s church bulletin to buy environmentally approved light bulbs to combat global warming. Several churches have played Al Gore’s Global Warming movie "An Inconvenient Truth" as well as the seriously flawed Michael Moore movie "Sicko" portraying Republicans as denying health care to immigrants, the poor and needy.

The Catholic organizations of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of America are good, well meaning, pro life organizations which have done much to support pro life efforts such as praying at clinics to stop abortions. However, they follow the lead set by the Conference. If your K of C or CDA group are lobbied to support any universal health care bill please remind them that these bills promote abortion and birth control for minors and adults and is not something that you or they should be supporting.

Please also consider writing to your Congressman (information can be found in the government pages of the phone book) urging a "NO" vote on H.R. 676, Universal Health Care. Cong. John Conyers is the author.
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2. Other legislation.

Now that the budget is passed the several hundred bills sitting in suspension in the Appropriations committees or awaiting their final floor vote, are coming up fast for hearings. The Republicans have declared their non support of the two health care bills, SB 840 and AB 8. The Governor may call a special session to forge some health care legislation. We will know what has been passed by Sept 15. Then it is all up to the Governor. He is the one on whom we should focus for a "NO" vote on these bills. We might see certain portions of every one of these health care, and homosexual/ anti-discrimination bills.

SB 20, Tom Torlakson, (formerly entitled Trans Fats) gutted and re-titled Charter Schools.

The seven times amended and formerly titled Trans Fats, education bill, sailed through both houses of the legislature where it was finally pinned down for its expenses. As amended this bill is no longer within the sphere of right to life or family issues, but it will authorize $18 million of Prop 98 funding to be set aside for charter schools and will continue to encourage tight control of the students diet .

I guess Torlakson who is going to run for Superintendent of Public Instruction, doesn’t care all that much about what children eat as long as he has control of it and gets bragging rights for passing education bills.

By the Way, does the title "Public Instruction" bother anyone else? What happened to the word Education as in academic education? Public Instruction is very generalized and includes adults and continuing education to retrain and retool the public mind.

SB 840, Sheila Kuehl, Single Payer Health Care. It is very likely that the wording and agendas of many bills now pending would be merged into the one surviving health care vehicle should the Governor get his way and an omnibus health care bill be crafted.

So, here is a brief reminder of what health care might look like should the Governor be able to cobble together some form of socialized medicine. Keep in mind that most Insurance Companies are not opposing this legislation. They are willing to surrender their ability to guide and direct their own private enterprise in exchange for guaranteed customers. It’s the old make them an offer they can’t refuse enticement.

AB 1, John Laird, Health Care Coverage, deleting citizenship and immigration status requirements thereby expanding the Medi-Cal roles to families with income at or approaching $60,000/yr

AB 2, Mervyn Dymally, Health Care Coverage. Reforms the health insurance market (by the way, SB 840 will effectively shut down all other carriers of health insurance since the state will be the sole negotiator.) to require carriers to cover everyone regardless of pre-conditions and will set the rates for payment and who gets what services.

In the 1970s a federal committee was formed at the President’s request to assign a value to auto insurance medical costs. It was decided that some injuries cost more than the patient’s ability to be productive was worth.

Newspaper and political reports about the numbers of people uninsured can be very misleading as AB 10 reveals. This bill mandating the offering of health care coverage to every "working" family is referred to as a "Bridge" program because the bill states findings that 20% of "working" families are often "between jobs" for brief periods throughout the year. This could have significant impact on the figures touted as the number of people without health insurance.

AB 12, Jim Beall, Adult Health Coverage Program: Santa Clara Co. This will be a pilot program for the state as a way of ironing out the problems in gaining compliance and delivering services. It resembles the Nunez bill in that it requires employer to underwrite the costs and allows non citizens to participate.

AB 14, John Laird, Discrimination: Civil Rights Act of 2007. Expands the number of groups that fall under victimization by white, anglo saxon christians allowing them to sue for redress. This will circumvent initiatives, etc. and some challenge will go directly to the state or federal supreme court, i.e. assisted suicide.

This is why it makes no sense for the Catholic Conference to have worked so hard and used up parishioner funds to oppose assisted suicide which wasn’t going anyplace anyway. They now support legislation that will be a vehicle for mandating some form of euthanasia if not now then some time in the near future.

The Ten Commandments are being re-written to start off with

1. I am thy health care provider thou shalt adore no other.

2. Thou shalt honor thy father and mother unless they are old and feeble and in need of assistance out of the world.

AB 16, Ed. Hernandez, Pupil Immunizations. Expands the types and numbers of immunizations to which a child must be exposed as an authorization to attend school. This is a perfect example of the public/private partnership or one of those nesting dolls setting inside the big doll. This bill mandates that the state Director of public Health (a new level of bureaucracy with staff, funding, etc.) to work with an unelected body of so-called experts - Advisory Committee on Immunization Policy - ACIP - to mandate what vaccinations children will receive. This expands from communicable diseases such as mumps, measles, chicken pox, etc. to sexually transmitted diseases. The state and federal health department presumes that every child is going to be sexually active. They use the phrase "at risk" but it means the same thing. Just approaching the age of puberty means that they are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases.

AB 51, Mervyn Dymally, Gallegos-Rosenthal Patient Advocate Program. This is reflected in SB 840. Sets up a new level of bureaucracy within the state to supposedly advocate for patient services.

One wonders if this person will truly be a patient’s advocate or an advocate to evaluate each individual patient’s worth and investment of finances and time by the state.

AB 75, Sam Blakeslee, (R-Santa Maria), Healthy Choices. This bill was introduced early in the term as a Republican response to the Democrat spate of health care bills. It has gone nowhere. However, the Governor has not found a Republican to author his version of a health care bill. To get legislation one must get a legislator, normally of one’s own Party to submit a bill. The legislature has been known to usurp bills, gut them and amend in anything they want.
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California Right to Life Life References Library. We are beginning to chose items from our extensive paper references library to put onto our web site. Please check once in a while to see what might be there. I was reading a 1977 Planned Parenthood report recently entitled Planned Births. The last item listed on their agenda was Universal Health Care with a mandatory "fertility package."

http://blog.callifeadvocates.org

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The following bills are all awaiting hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee for August 20. They have been held up in committee because they contain funding concerns of $150,000 or more dollars. Once the budget is approved these bills will quickly be heard. All letters, faxed or snail mailed should be addressed to the V. Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Dave Cox, (R) C/0 Capitol Bldg #2206, Sacramento, Ca 95814. This committee will not accept faxes or emails.

(AB = Assembly bill, SB = Senate Bill)

AB 629, Julia Brownley, (D-Woodland Hills) Sex Education Programs.

Enacts the Sexual Health Education Accountability Act. While this bill allows school districts to invite local, community agencies into the classroom to present abstinence information, the paper work that must be filled out and the reason for a non-confirming agency to appear will be so time consuming that it will effectively shut out any but

Planned Parenthood from entering the classroom and your child’s value system. Every single group listed as supporting is aggressively opposed to pro life groups.

SUPPORT: American Civil Liberties Union (co-sponsor), California Commission on the Status of Women, California Family Health Council (co-sponsor), California Medical Association, California National Organization for Women, California Nurses Association, National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (co-sponsor).

AB 43, Mark Leno, (D- San Francisco) Gender Neutral Marriage.

Enacts the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. Provides that marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil contract between 2 persons. "to end discrimination against same-sex couples in the issuance of marriage licenses in California."

This is the 5th time in 6 years for the Gay and Lesbian caucus to attempt successful passage of a Gay Rights piece of legislation. Wording in the bill calls the current practice of issuing a license only to a man and a woman as " pernicious."

The bill claims an entire page listing of support groups including some progressive churches, lawyer groups such as the ACLU, every gay and lesbian support group as well as pro abort and pro feminist groups, Nurses, doctors, etc. There are only 4 major Christian organizations listed as in opposition. When the LGBT groups win Planned Parenthood also wins because they are mostly of the same persuasion.

AB 1, John Laird,(D- Santa Cruz) Health Care Coverage.

Expands coverage of Medi-Cal and Healthy Families (federal state Children’s Health

Insurance Program title in California) to new, middle income people, children and adults, in California. Removes citizenship requirements. Approves membership with no more than a signature, no investigation of applicant’s financial ability to purchase health care on their own.

This program appears to closely follow developments in Illinois where they have enacted something called All Kids Insurance. Illinois has apparently been the model for other states to follow. See AB 12 for California’s local model).

AB 2, Mervyn Dymally, (D- Los Angeles) Health Care Coverage.

This bill works in tandem with AB 1 which was originally Dymally’s bill. It speaks to the private Insurance Market requiring them to conform to government standards of accepting anyone regardless of status or previous conditions. Thereby it enables the universality of government health insurance plans.

AB 8, Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), Health Care Coverage: Employers and Employees.

Creates the Cooperative Health Insurance Purchasing Program as a statewide purchasing tool for health care coverage by employers.

This is the omnibus bill into which much of the other health care bills have been dumped and covered in glory by using Nunez, Speaker of the Assembly’s power and prestige to move the bill to approval.

AB 12, Jim Beall, (D-San Jose), Adult Health Coverage Program: Santa Clara County.

This bill authorizes the county of Santa Clara to be used as a "pilot Program" for implementing employer covered single payer universal access health care. The residents of Santa Clara will be used as guinea pigs to work out some of the kinks they know that they will encounter in developing a statewide program.

AB 16, Edward Hernandez, (D-W. Covina), Pupil Immunizations.

Last year through legislation a totally separate department of Public Health was formed with a Director who has the authority to set norms for the public health. This bill, amended 7 times, authorizes that Director to conference with federally commissioned authorities to establish what vaccinations are appropriate for our children to receive and to mandate that schools and other institutions dealing with children public or private initiate those vaccinations regardless of parental concerns.

The following groups are in support. Please note the number of Planned Parenthood affiliates who are in support. The reason is that they seek the right to immunize our children with drugs that have nothing to do with communicable diseases and everything to do with blocking the after effects of promiscuous sex down to the age of puberty.

Supporting:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX/CA American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO California Association of Physician Groups, California Commission on the Status of Women, California Medical Association, California Optometric Association, California State PTA, Kaiser Permanente, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

AB 81, Alberto Torrico, (D-Fremont), Child Protection: Safe Surrender.

This bill replaces the maximum 72 hour period in which a newborn may be anonymously surrendered to a designated site with a law permitting anonymous surrender up to 30 days and under without questioning possible abusive treatment.

Though proponents claim that this expanded time frame will save babies lives other groups declare that this won’t save any life, but may absolve mothers or caretakers of charges of abuse to newborns. Records of deceased abandoned newborns show that the child was most often abandoned within one day of birth. This quick and impulsive destruction of newborn life is due mainly to a mother’s fear of discovery. This will not be prevented by expanding the timeframe for surrender. There are other, as yet unapparent reasons for expanding the timeframe.

The following bill will be given its final hearing before passing to the Governor on the Senate Floor following resumption of Senate floor activity.

AB 14, John Laird, (D-Santa Cruz) Discrimination: Civil Rights Act of 2007.

Expands the power and authority of groups who claim discrimination to sue for redress with resultant legal punishment for any person, business, school, church, profession, landlord, medical personnel through acceptance or rejection of contracts, credit applications, social clubs, higher education, local appointed officials, emergency medical services and care, welfare and food stamp eligibility to name a few.

Carries many of the same supporters as Mark Leno’s AB 43. Is opposed by the California Catholic Conference which suggests that this is too draconian (my words).

To be heard on the Assembly Floor prior to passage to the Governor.

SB 777, Sheila Kuehl, (D-Los Angeles), Discrimination. Companion bill to John Laird’s AB 14. Amended on Senate floor, approved and re-referred to Senate for approval. Could be heard as soon as August 20th.

Call your Senator and/or Assembly member and urge a "NO" vote. To find your legislator look in your local phone book and ask to be recorded as in opposition to SB 777.

Prohibits the State Board of Education and the governing board of a school district from adopting instructional materials that reflect adversely upon persons because of their age, race, sex, color, creed, handicap, occupation, national origin, ethnic group identification or ancestry. Revises prohibited bases of discrimination and prohibited instruction, activities and instructional materials. Amends references to students, adults and persons with disabilities. Provides for non-English speaking persons.

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Life Decisions International recently published its current list of businesses, non-profits, etc. that support abortion. http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jul/07072402.html

Included in that list was the American Association of Retired Persons - AARP. I conveyed to AARP through an email my concerns over their support for abortion. Why would a group that claims to be interested in the problems of senior citizens be interested in supporting abortion? Isn’t that sort of killing the goose that lays the golden egg?

Below is AARP’s faceless, anonymous response. I have decided to de-construct their response to show the true meaning behind their lofty sounding phrases.
___________________

AARP:
Thank you for contacting us to express concern about AARP’s support for younger generations.

As an organization of people who are 50 and older, it’s true that many of our programs and legislative initiatives serve the needs of the current older population. Yet the vision of today’s Association is much broader-to improve the quality of life for all people as we age.

CRLC:
AARP is not unique in this desire to go where the action is. Like so many non-profits that may have started out with compassion and interest in a segment of humanity, this group has grown a staff and special interest in staying alive. It must diversify if it is to continue. That’s just a fact of business. The nonprofit (human services) industry is is just another segment of the corporate world/. The only difference is that it doesn’t pay any taxes, but it does make a profit on it’s investments. Just look at Planned Parenthood’s bottom line.

AARP:
Adequate income security and healthcare programs do help prolong the independence of older Americans, no doubt. It is important to remember that when the independence of elders is maintained, the burden of responsibility carried by other family members is lighter, and family resources are freed to better assist the young.

CRLC:
What is their definition of “adequate”? Does “independence” only consist in endorsement of government controlled health care? Those two words “no doubt,” are meant to leave a lot of doubt in the reader’s mind. Does this paragraph actually mean that families should cast off their senior citizens (Through Grandma from the Train?) leaving them in the hands of the AARP.

And, by the way, what is their definition of family? Isn’t there a great hue and cry amongst the welfare agencies and legislature that families also need governmental intervention because they are not giving to children the things that bureaucrats say they should be..like condoms and “medically accurate” sex information?

AARP:
Social Security and Medicare have dramatically improved the quality of life for today’s retirees.

CRLC:
If the above is true then why do we need Medicare reform?

AARP:
AARP continues to work to protect and enhance these programs not only for current beneficiaries, but to strengthen them for young people who will need to depend on them in the future.

CRLC:
This one sentence sums up the whole government as nanny philosophy. Legislation at both the federal and state level is targeting the very young and the elderly for programs and slowly working to create what is called bridge programs to extend government care all the way through life.

AARP:
For most people, financial security depends on a lifetime of working and saving. AARP serves all working people by fighting against age discrimination in the work place, advocating for expanded pensions and other retirement savings opportunities, and working safe, affordable and high-quality utility services, to name a few examples.

CRLC:
In other words, more tax increasing legislation. More of the philosophy of “From those who have, to those who have not.”

To fight age discrimination organizations are also supporting the whole host of life style choices antidiscrimination legislation like California Assemblyman John Laird’s AB 14, the 2007 Jesse Unruh Civil Rights Act which calls for the right of these designated protected groups to sue for redress. Also, right now one sees more 50+ year olds working, especially on the Airlines and in stores, because there are not enough young people capable of or willing to work at some jobs. This age discrimination they talk about is to facilitate older people working longer and being a contributing factor to the government’s bottom line. If they stop working their yearly taxes are reduced and the government loses money.

AARP:
As we participate in the policymaking process in Washington and the state capitals, we recognize that many of the troubled medical and financial circumstances in which people find themselves late in life result from childhood problems such as poor education and poor health care. Therefore, AARP works with the Children’s Defense Fund, Generations United, and other intergenerational organizations to support measures that improve services to children, improve educational opportunities and our schools, or provide health coverage for uninsured children. Legislative strategies that pit one deserving group against another are not tolerated by AARP.

CRLC:
The Children’s Defense Fund!! This is Planned Parenthood and Hillary Clinton’s failed idea of universal health care which she tried to promote when her husband was President.

“Legislative strategies that pit one deserving group against another are not tolerated?” There is no tolerance for debate? No right to disagree? No voice but that of the elitist organization?

Is AARP also saying that they want the right to dictate savings and spending for families? And, who is responsible for the poor education? Half of the general fund in California goes to pay for public school education. Why is that poor? What does the National Education Association do all day? Who’s overseeing the overseers?

AARP:
We are also concerned with the federal budget deficit and the fiscal burden that may be inherited by younger Americans. We have supported budget discipline measure, such as congressional "PAYGO" rules for tax cuts and entitlement changes. In addition, we constantly look for ways to address waste and unnecessary spending in public programs, especially in health care. We look at expenditures from revenues within the tax code as well as at direct-spending programs for opportunities to save taxpayer funds. In the long run, investments in human capital, biomedical research, and physical infrastructure will support a stronger economy and the growing numbers of older Americans.

CRLC:
Fourteen state Republican legislators are bravely defying their Governor and public criticism by holding up the state budget approval because of the bloated figures and costs for newly invented layers of government. Senator Tom McClintock published an article listing dozens of line items that could be taken out of the budget, thereby balancing it.

President Bush has stated that he will not sign the re-authorization of the state Children’s Health Insurance Bill with the bloated amounts of expenditures it contains. Where is AARP on this issue of saving the taxpayers money?

AARP:
We know that, like you, most AARP members are very concerned about the shape of the future for their children and grandchildren. Our priorities carefully reflect those concerns as we work to improve the quality of life for today’s older Americans and for future generations as well.

CRLC
I am not an AARP member and will not be. I don’t need an agency to tell me how to live or where to live. Nor do I need a health care system that will, eventually, place a value judgment on my worth (human capitol) and tell me if I can live.

And, lastly, there is not a “growing number of older Americans.” It may appear that there are a lot of older Americans but that is because of a decrease in younger Americans. Part of the reason is abortion and part of the statistics depends upon what years you use for your comparison. I recall a family member, born in late 1940s, just at the start of the so-called post WWII “baby boom.” (that boom ended just 19 years later when 5 states passed their legalized abortion laws.) rejoicing over the fact that that age group would form a larger segment of society. He said something to the effect that, now we will be able to control the government and tell them what to do.

Well, I’m afraid it’s the other way around. Groups like the AARP have seen a monetary and political advantage in gaining control of the older population through legislation and tax funding, turning us into agency dependents and telling their clients what to do.

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Yesterday I sent out a report on SB 840 the health care coverage bill by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, and it’s connection to the federal SCHIP reauthorization bill, HR 3162. In this report I quoted a statement by Cong. Charlie Rangel which I am re printing here:

"We do this, [expand government control over health care needs] not just because it is the right and moral thing to do, but because in the long run, it makes for a stronger America, stronger communities and helps prevent expensive, debilitating, chronic diseases. Expanding access to health care for children not only saves money in the long run, but it puts this country on a path to be more competitive internationally."

Then I made the following observation:

In other words, children are a commodity. Just as one puts their car in the hands of a good mechanic we will put America’s children in the hands of government approved doctors and psychiatrists who will properly oil, lube and tune-up the kids to produce a worthwhile, long running, finished product.

I just have to comment on this because of what I read in today’s Contra Costa Times are in an article entitled: Car fixes free for state officials, (7/29/07 - page A4) The article is reporting on the state (actually the taxpayer) covering all the costs of repairs to damaged state owned vehicles leased and driven by state legislators or any other family member rather than requiring the legislator to accept responsibility for the accident and pay for the repairs themselves.

State legislator, Hector de la Torre, D-South Gate, chairman of the Assembly Rules Committee is quoted for offering the reason that the state picks up all the costs. He said:

“The state is ultimately responsible for repairing any damage - be it scratched, dinged or totaled. The vehicle is a state asset, and so our responsibility is to make sure that that asset is in top condition.”

I think there you have the Democrat philosophy in a nutshell. What the state owns and damages the state must repair. And, the reason that the state must repair it is because the state through it’s education and health care and family planning legislation has dinged, dented and totaled our children.

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                    1. Status of California Legislation.

                                a- Universal health care.

                    2. Planned Parenthood’s profits

LEGISLATION

The Assembly is out of session now. They will return around the end of August. Most of the bills are now held in committee awaiting the legislature’s return. This is a very good time to write to the Governor to express your opposition to the expansion of government authority over the lives of private citizens.

a) SB840, Sheila Kuehl, Single Payer health Care. In Assembly Appropriations.

            The budget is overdue. The legislators, especially 15 brave Republicans, are refusing to approve the budget because of the extreme expense. Universal or government sponsored health care is one of the major stumbling blocks.

            There are innumerable questions as to what a government single payer universal access health care program will encompass. It is quite probable that many of the health care bills that concern us will fail final passage if the sought after limitations to spending wins out.

            Some of the bills that undoubtedly will create an increase in costs to the taxpayer are:

SB 564, Mark Ridley-Thomas, School Health Centers. held in Assembly Appropriations.

            Relies on approval of the creation of an independent, authoritative Department of Public Health and approval of this department forming a partnership with the Department of Education; will authorize this partnership to expand, fund and direct school site health centers which will administer mental (psychiatric), physical (immunizations-reproductive services) and oral health in "response to community needs." It will also authorize these clinics to refer your child to outside, community based (social) service centers. Uses the Planned Parenthood phrase of the delivery of "age appropriate material. Authorizes third party agencies to determine what is age appropriate, but excludes parents from making that decision.

AB 16, Edward Hernandez, Vaccines. Amended 7 times, it now sits in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

            Originally intended to require all female students to surrender themselves for the HPV vaccine, This 9 page bill encompasses a vast expansion of authority over the lives of children including an array of potential immunizations based on the recommendations of a national Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices - ACIP.

            This includes non-communicable diseases such as HPV or any future determinations of appropriate vaccines. The bill allows for student opt out of a particular vaccine due to religious or other objections, but that parent must obtain valid proof from some recognized authority to exercise this removal. What this means is that every parent, under this bill, will lose their primary rights as parents to direct their child’s health care. They will be forced to petition the government or some authority figure for approval.

AB 50, Nell Soto, Parent/Teacher Involvement Program. Held in Senate Education.

            Soto’s desire to use teachers to investigate and report on home situations of students under the guise of encouraging parental involvement in the student’s learning process was approved in the 1999 term and funded with $15 million only a small amount of which has been spent. The original bill also required that 50% of teachers in a particular school and 50% of parents to agree to submit to this. Apparently this program was a dismal failure so now they plan to fix it by expanding it and removing the 50% involvement. This current bill removes the percentage of participation requirement and expands the numbers of people and types of jobs authorized to make home visits.

SB 32, Darrell Steinberg, Health Care Coverage: Children.

            According to the author, "SB 32 is needed to finish the job of providing California’s children with access to coverage and ease the enrollment process for families and help maintain coverage for children for as long as they are eligible. The author adds that SB 32 would ensure that all of California’s children, regardless of immigration status, have access to health insurance so that they may grow up healthy and strong."

            Notice the reference to "as long as they are eligible." What this really means is that the government will be given every advantage to keep all these children under their watchful eye until they are adults or age 21 because they know good and well, that merely sumitting children to government oversight will not in and of itself produce "healthy and strong" human beings. The true intent here is to make all young people dependent upon government Nannies rather than parents.

(note: all of these bills contain elements of goal setting, of governmental authority to assess the value and worth of each young person for that person’s ability to benefit the state either in health or productivity. In order to attain this goal - of creating the cooperative citizen - it is necessary to train up the child to be obedient to the demands of a bureaucratic elite. Our state legislators are so eager for this objective that they are recklessly creating government deficits to pay for it.)
__________________________

PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S PROFITS.

Lest we lose sight of why these bills must be opposed and why they are key to diminishing the sovereignty of Planned Parenthood over our children’s lives the following information obtained from the National Right to Life and the American Life Leagues web sites is worthwhile reading.

National Right to Life Newsletter, July, 2007, pg 8 article by Randall O’Bannon details the contents of the latest Planned Parenthood IRS report as regards income sources and salaries.

$46.1 million was received for Sexuality Education. Much of it, apparently, spent on maintaining two websites plannedparenthood.org and teenwire.com.

Also reported is the salary for the immediately past President of PP, Gloria Feldt - $935,000. The salary for the current President,Cecile Richards, may well be above that.

$23.5 million went to "Services to affiliates" including Clergy Advisory Board which establishes a "theological basis for choice" designed for religious and lay leaders.

http://www.nrlc.org/news/2007/NRL07/PlannedParenthood.html.

The American Life League affiliate STOPP also contains reports on the latest financial status of Planned Parenthood. www.all.org/stopp/wsr070613.htm.

The latest edition of the Catholic Newspaper in my Oakland Diocese carried a letter to the editor declaring that God would be pleased to support abortion and that it’s evil to oppose it.

At least one-third of PP’s income is derived from your taxes, federal, state and local and included in the yearly budgets for government. Much of it resides in the shadows because it is listed as family planning or HMO services but the legislators know it’s there.

The stable of Democrat Party Presidential Candidates are very upfront with their statements about their intended budgets (should they win) containing increased amounts and means of access to abortion and family planning funds.

Please begin your letter writing to the Governor now. One letter for each piece of legislation. Write: The Hon. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor, C/0 of State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Planned Parenthood is NOT to be trusted

(copied from the Wednesday online STOPP Report for 7/25/07)

Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties is currently being sued for medical malpractice by Rebecca Glover, a former customer who claims PP misdiagnosed her cervical cancer. The malpractice suit explains that Glover did not find out that Planned Parenthood had hidden this important medical information from her until her cancer had advanced to stage three, over a year later.

According to the lawsuit, Planned Parenthood failed to tell Glover that the results of her pap smear revealed that she had cervical cancer. To make things worse, Planned Parenthood allegedly attempted to cover up this grave mistake by subjecting Glover to a series of unnecessary treatments and ultimately refusing to turn over her medical records.

You may remember reading in the June 27 issue of the Wednesday STOPP Report that Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties is the same affiliate that is being sued for the death of 21-year-old mother and her pre-born child. Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties is also one of the affiliates clamoring for more government funding in California.

Ironically, Planned Parenthood is a business that claims to be "the nation’s most trusted sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider." As you can see from the numerous lawsuits being brought against Planned Parenthood, this could not be further from the truth. In reality, Planned Parenthood is consistently lying to and hurting men and women–and killing children–all across the country.

It is time to loudly and publicly tell our communities and their leaders that what Planned Parenthood offers is not health care; that Planned Parenthood cannot be trusted and doesn’t deserve a penny of our money.

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This is a request to contact your Congress member urging opposition to HR 3162 - the CHAMPS re-authorization bill soon to be sent to the House floor for a vote. Letters should be sent to: The Hon.________, C/0 House of Representatives, US Capitol, Washington, D.C. 20515.

_______________________________

Recently the media carried reports of wrangling over extending and expanding the life of the federal SCHIP Act (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) between the House Democrats and President Bush. The Democrats want to increase the funding appropriation by $50 billion and the President and a house Republican caucus which basically approves of SCHIP says no to any increase.

Congressman Charlie Rangel, (D-NY), first elected to office in 1970, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has been using this legislation and the media to attack President Bush labeling him as uncaring. One presumes that Rangel is talking about the President being uncaring about children, but what he really means is evident by what he said:

"Expanding access to health care for children not only saves money in the long run, but it puts this country on a path to be more competitive internationally. By starting with our very young, our very fragile, we give them an opportunity to have better health, which means a better education and a better job and ultimately more productivity."

(House Ways and Means press release, 7/26/07)

When one reads Rangel’s own words it becomes clear that it is Rangel who cares little for the children per se. He cares only about achieving a healthy product, namely a child, which will mean a more financially productive adult and a more superior world position for America.

Rangel’s press statement continues with this:

          "There is no question in my mind that everyone on this Committee as well as the Congress and the country has the burning desire to expand healthcare for American children"

Well, Congressman Rangel, not everyone believes that just bringing more children under the government Nanny umbrella and throwing more tax dollars at government sponsored health care will produce a healthier, better educated or more productive American.

BACKGROUND:

In 1997 Titles XVlll, XlX and XXl of the Social Security Act were amended to create a federal Children’s Health Insurance Program. This Act has since then funneled billions of tax dollars into various states which eagerly passed legislation creating their own state version of SCHIP. California’s program is entitled Healthy Families. The funds received have enabled California to greatly expand health care programs to a larger number of residents, legal and illegal. If this had been successful we shouldn’t be continually reading in the media about the poor state of children’s health, should we?

This is the 42nd anniversary of passage of the Medicare Act which is the basis for all the health care legislation. This federal SCHIP Act is soon to sunset unless Congress can extend its life. The Democrats want to fund SCHIP at $50 billion higher than now, expand the types of coverage and approve applications for coverage to those who’s income is 300% of the federal poverty level up from it’s initial 150% FPL.

The Senate is currently hearing debate on the final wording of their version of the bill so, as yet, there is no bill number. The 400 plus page House version re-authorization bill, HR 3162, is retitled CHAMP - Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 and authored by 52 year House member, John Dingell, (D-Mi). Co-authors are Charlie Rangel, (D-NY), and Pete Stark, (D-Fremont, Ca). The bill is being heard now in both the House Ways and Means Committee, J. Dingell, Chairman and in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Charlie Rangel, Chairman. Pete Stark has been an aggressive advocate of universal health care ever since he was in the California state legislature.

If the House version passes both committees it will come before the House floor for a vote before the end of the year.

The major fight between the Democrats and the Republicans will be the increased amounts of funding. According to the bill, HR 3162, increased funding will come from a further increase in the Cigarette excise tax or tobacco tax and along with other, as yet unidentified tax increases.

Increased funding of federal tax dollars to the states to cover increased funding for state programs such as California’s Healthy Families and universal health care, AB 8 by Fabian Nunez, will facilitate successful passage of expanded Healthy Families and Medical programs scheduled for inclusion in the California budget. California Democrats along with the Governor are at an OK Corral showdown with the Republicans who refuse to approve the California Budget with so much greater funding amounts included.

What all this means, basically, is that the federal legislators desire to pass a federal level universal health care program just like California’s intended program. The effect of this passage will mean that every state will be enticed to create their own version of the federal plan which, of course, California and a few other states are already doing.

Much of the legislation, both federal and state, so far, talks about preventive programs rather than curative programs. About designating community and religious based organizations as government social service vendors and about creating tax incentives of some sort to encourage citizens to lose weight, stop smoking, eat government approved foods in government approved restaurants, feed breakfast and lunch to a captive audience of students, require parents to surrender their children to the school system, public and private, for vaccinations ( California legislation, AB 16) that some government agency deems best to protect society against your child. On and even more serious side this government take over of health care will usher in government mandated voluntary and involuntary euthanasia (California AB 14 by John Laird). If everyone has a right to whatever is labeled as health care it will only take a lawsuit at either the state or federal level Supreme Court to usher in approval of the final act just as happened with Roe v Wade and abortion.

Government health care includes the right of the state to evaluate each individual as to his or her value and productivity. This measurement will determine what care and what types of care anyone gets. No use spending money on someone who is not going to benefit the state.

Please, write your letter, telephone your Congressman, today. The message is vote "NO" on HR 3162 - The CHAMP ACT.

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(Re printed from the Priests For Life Newsletter, May-June, 2007 Vol 17 #3 www.priestsforlife.org)
Fr. Frank Pavone

At the time of this writing the Supreme Court had not yet issued its decision on the constitutionality of the federal ban on partial-birth abortion. The decision is expected soon, however, and we need to think ahead to how we will respond to the various possible outcomes.

At issue are actually two cases for which the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on November 8. I was present in the court for the entirety of those arguments because I am involved with one the briefs that was submitted to the court. Both cases address, from various different angles, whether the bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the President in 2003 is constitutional. The arguments focused on a) whether, to be constitutional, this ban requires a health exception (which it does not have); b) whether the law is too broad, actually banning abortion procedures other than partial-birth abortion; and c) whether the law is too vague, not specifying clearly enough the particular action(s) for which a doctor could be prosecuted.

It is impossible to predict what the Supreme Court will say in its decision. Here, however, are some considerations for our response in a few different possible scenarios.

1. The Supreme Court says the law is constitutional.

In this case, of course, an important victory will have been won. For the first time since Roe vs. Wade, the United States will have effectively banned abortion, albeit abortion by one particular method. Until this time, neither federal nor state legislatures have been able to do anything but regulate some of the circumstances under which the procedure was performed.

Of course, babies who would have been killed by partial-birth abortion could still be killed by other procedures. But the point of this victory is that it shows that we can in fact ban abortion. The ability of the government to ban all abortion – and that is a necessary goal of the pro-life movement – rests on its ability to ban abortion at all. To prohibit a particular abortion procedure is, if you will, like a legislative “stretch of the arms” after a long sleep, during which it did not touch the legality of abortion at all.

If the court gives deference to the findings of Congress that partial-birth abortion is not necessary for health reasons, this will provide momentum to establish further findings that can be used to close the “health exceptions” loophole in future abortion-related bills.

In the light of a favorable decision, we should push forward, without apology, toward protection for all children in the womb, and expose the horror of the other abortion methods as we did with partial-birth abortion.

2. The Supreme Court says the law is unconstitutional.

This scenario would require a vigorous response of outrage that our government cannot prohibit a procedure as barbaric as partial-birth abortion. Public education about the nature of the procedure should, in such a case, be redoubled. The concepts of “pro-choice” and of “Roe vs. Wade” should then be clearly and continuously linked with partial-birth abortion, because that essentially is what the abortion supporters will have asserted, that the “right to choose abortion” includes the right to choose partial-birth abortion. All but a small part of the public rejects partial-birth abortion. Should the procedure remain legal, we need to use that outcome to taint the slogans that otherwise may sound so benign.

An unfavorable outcome of this type would also provide an additional strong basis to fight against judicial tyranny. Most state legislatures, as well as the Congress and the President, have called for partial-birth abortion to be banned. The Supreme Court should not contradict such an obvious expression of the will of the people.

3. The Supreme Court asks Congress to revise the law in some fashion, or instructs the lower courts to reconsider some aspect of their decisions.

There can be various other scenarios in between simply upholding or striking down the law. The specifics of whatever the Court hands down should be studied carefully. If further Congressional action is required, an intensive lobbying effort needs to be launched.

In any outcome, prayer efforts should be organized in our Churches specifically addressing partial-birth abortion, letter writing campaigns should be mobilized, and public demonstrations should be held to express the will of the people.

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Recently I had the opportunity to ride the small, free, shuttle bus in my home town.

It started out as a pleasant experience until I began to notice the signs posted inside the bus. You’ve seen these signs, "Federal law requires….according to public law such and such you must vacate this seat if," or, "You are required to vacate this seat if…" there is also the one I dearly love posted at church parking lot entries "violators will be prosecuted if…."

This is how our elected officials talk to us. It is well known that people tend to ignore and think nothing of these harshly worded signs and since there are not, yet, enough government employees to ride every bus or transmit car or stand at every church parking lot even the government ignores it’s own mandates.

And, yet, if some government official gets the notion, he/she can activate that public law and prosecute the ordinary citizen who fails to surrender a seat to a handicapped or wheel chair dependent person, or, a Pastor who doesn’t like your pro life brochure, can demand that you be prosecuted for daring to enter your own church parking lot with an offending brochure at election time.

The government, it seems, has replaced the tradition of common courtesies with forced behaviors. We are being controlled and manipulated to act in certain ways, not out of respect and courtesy for our brothers and sisters, but by fear of punishment if we don’t. California’s elected officials including the Governor are now taking this attitude - that we can’t be responsible to do anything on our own - a giant step further. Should certain California legislation get passed we are going to be punished if we fail to or refuse to heed the government demands to lose weight, stop eating trans fats, eat too many calories, fail to exercise and fail to closely adhere to medical association demands to follow their health prevention mandates.

Once again there are not, yet, enough government employees to follow every single citizen to check on their health habits (I just read that the federal payroll has greatly increased) , but, then, they don’t have to. The laws pertaining to health care have, for years, mandated feedback on services rendered and on client information from agencies receiving government funds. Every day one reads of another government "fact" or survey showing human statistics on a wide range of activities or attitudes. For decades we have all been catalogued, pigeonholed, surveyed, organized and turned into someone’s useful statistic.

The push for school based clinics and every child in a health care program is a very good example of a complete dossier on every child. The school and the state health department will, one day, know more about your child’s health than you do. The state mandates sex education to help prevent, so they say, youthful pregnancies, but the state also mandates school clinics because they know that the sex education will itself produce pregnancies, venereal disease and an unwanted rise in the population so they tell us our children need preventive medicine. Maybe the citizenry doesn’t believe we pro lifers when we say that preventive medicine is just a code word for contraception and abortion. Here it is straight from the horse’s mouth. In a 2002 Newsweek commentary, abortion spokesperson, Anna Quindlen said: "Preventive medicine is the ruling principle of good health care, and birth control is no more, or less, than one form of preventive medicine." We are coming very close to a situation wherein parents will be charged with child abuse if we refuse to follow the government mandates on what is best for our child.

Assemblywoman Sally Lieber and others believed that forced vaccinations of our children was good preventive medicine as well. Thank goodness that bill, AB 16, failed. Thanks to all of you who cared enough to protest that bill.

Recently a guest commentary appeared in my local newspaper entitled "Obesity an Epidemic." The writer suggested that in future restaurants should be made to pay a "fee" (actually a tax) for food served that exceeded the preferred human requirement. The fee was not to be on the first level of calories, but on any amount that exceeded the state mandate. So, you, the brainless consumer isn’t going to be punished because you, in the eyes of the bureaucrat, don’t know any better than to consume more than is good for you. The restaurateur is going to be punished because he is encouraging you to consume excessive calories.

The legislators like John Laird, (AB 14, Unruh Civil Rights Act of 2007), and Mark Leno and Carole Migden (several gay and lesbian bills) must be very frustrated because their considerable efforts to present their lifestyles as desirable have failed. They now want to use fear as an incentive. Fear of losing a business license if a business owner doesn’t provide the respect for a gay or lesbian that he/she desires. If the landlord exercises his/her values to refuse to rent to someone, if schools don’t teach respect and acceptance specifically for homosexual lifestyles.

You get the point. The government mandate is replacing the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments.

Please keep up your efforts to defeat the bills we have been writing about. Write or call your legislators, urge that they vote "NO" on these bills And pray. Pray that God will continue to give us just one more chance to stop this mad rush to a secular humanist dominated world.

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We are pleased to announce that a total of 34 bills which were of concern to us have either been put on a suspense file or on an inactive file. This does not mean that they are dead. They may become two-year bills or be resurrected following summer recess in which case they will have until January 31 to pass.

Now, though, we are able to concentrate on some of the more serious bills that have survived and passed over to the second house.

These bills are coming up for hearing very quickly with little notification. With the lopsided Democrat majority there is small chance that they will be stopped. We are going to have to rely on the Governor’s veto.

However, please continue to contact your Assembly and Senate members. The Republicans are holding fast and voting "NO" on most of these bills and they need your support to under gird their stand. The Democrats need to hear from you as well to let them know that you aren’t going to just take it.
_________________________________

SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE HEARINGS -July 11, 2007 Sheila Kuehl, (D) Chairman.
Sam Aanestad, (R)V. Chairman senator.aanestad@senate.ca.gov or, 916/651-4004

Please understand that our opposition to these health care coverage bills occurs because of the assumed right of the government to expose everyone to abortion and family planning services while we who are pro life are forced to pay for it and Planned Parenthood profits by it.

Remember the tried and true adage that what the government pays for the government owns. The government will own, so to speak, the rights to your health. You will offend the state if you gain weight, don’t exercise, smoke, drink alcohol, serve your children too many empty calories while allowing your children to get dental carries. Will it stop there? Who knows? Will lit get to the point that it is in other countries where the government determines how many children you should have?

AB 1, John Laird, (D-Santa Cruz) Health Care Coverage - OPPOSE.

This is a virtual universal health care coverage for children of parents with incomes anywhere from 135% of federal poverty level all the way to 300% plus it will allow for a "buy-in option for families with income over 300%. Part of the costs of coverage will be born by federal Medi-Cal matching funds. This means that you, the tax payer pays twice, once with California taxes and once with federal taxes.

It deletes any requirement for an applicant to declare residency. This medical care will, in all probability provide physical, dental coverage and include immunizations as authorized by:

AB 16, (whether ab 16 passes or not) and be delivered at school site clinics. The parents will never know what or on what day their child will be seen and evaluated by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner who may well have an agenda all his/her own.

AB 2, Mervyn Dymally, (D-L.A.) Health Care Coverage OPPOSE.

This bill would appear to authorize the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board - MRMIB and iot’s Medical Insurance Program - MRMIP to be the single payer for health care coverage. AFter July, 2008, if there are any private insurance companies still operating in California, it would require them to contribute toward the very cov erage they are selling or pay a fee into MRMIP.

AB 12, Jim Beall, (D-San Jose), Adult Health Coverage Program: Santa Clara

County.

This bill authorizes Santa Clara County to become a pilot program for administering universal health care coverage. It also mandates that all the residents of Santa Clara County become guinea pigs for universal coverage while employers are mandated to sell you the insurance and provide the major portion of the coverage.

AB 8, Fabian Nunez, (D-LA), Health Care Coverage: Employers and Employees.

OPPOSE

Nunez and Senator Don Perata have joined their two bills into one patterning it as closely as possible to the desires of the Governor regarding universal health care coverage. It’s been amended 4 times going from a one page bill to a 35 page bill.

Summary listing # 12 states:

Requires CHHSA - California Health and Human Services Admin - to encourage fitness, wellness, and health promotion programs that promote safe workplaces, healthy employer practices, and individual efforts to improve health. (see editorial comments).

Nunez and Asm Mark Leno of San Francisco hosted a tv panel on health care several months ago. One of the panel "experts" claimed that it would be necessary for this coverage to pay for fitness programs for overweight people.
_________________________________

ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE HEARING. 7/03/07. Mervyn Dymally, (D-LA) 
Chair. Alan Nakanishi, Vice Chairman, 
assemblymember.nakanishi@assembly.ca.gov

SB 32, Darrell Steinberg, (D-Sacramento) Health Care Coverage: Children

OPPOSE

This bill expands eligibility for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs to include children of families with incomes under 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

Information for this bill has come directly from the 100% Campaign (Partnership for Children, Children NOW, Children’s Defense Fund) and a number of special interest community agencies. It also includes PICO-California and the Service Employees International Union - SEIU. You may recall I’ve written several articles about PICO and its subversion of the Catholic Bishops of California. This is the main reason why you see and hear so much propaganda from the Bishops supporting universal, government payer health care.

The bill does the following:

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT (as stated in the bill analysis): According to the author’s office, this bill finishes the job of providing California’s children with access to needed coverage and eases the enrollment process for families and helps maintain coverage for children for as long as they are eligible. The author’s office adds that this bill ensures that all of California’s children, regardless of immigration status, have access to health insurance so that they may grow up healthy and strong. The author’s office notes that children with health insurance are healthier, are at less risk of suffering from preventable illnesses, have better access to needed health care services, and perform better in school. The author’s office points out that, despite efforts to increase the numbers of children enrolled in existing programs and to streamline the enrollment process, there are still almost 800,000 uninsured children and this number could grow if the CHIs are not sustained.

(note) if Healthy families and Medi-Cal for children was such a great deal why is it that agencies like Planned Parenthood are continually crying about the large numbers of children who are not signed up? Parents who sign up their children are seldom required to pay but a pittance of the cost of insurance coverage.

SB 564, Mark Ridley-Thomas, (D-L.A. area) Public School Health Center Support

Program. OPPOSE

1. Expands the definition of "school health center" to allow the center to conduct routine physical health, mental health, and oral health assessments, and provide for any services not offered onsite or through a referral process.
    

2. Requires DPH to establish a grant program within the PSHCSP to provide technical assistance, and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school health centers, and the development of new school health centers, as specified.
    

3. Requires a school health center receiving grant funds under the PSHCSP have a plan regarding how the center will: provide comprehensive services; provide primary and other health services including mental health and oral health; work in partnership with the school nurse; coordinate services with health care providers; serve all students regardless of ability to pay; operate during school hours and facilitate transportation.

Notice this bill never once includes parents?

SB840, Sheila Kuehl, (D-Ventura) Single-Payer Health Care Coverage. OPPOSE.

Establishes the State Universal Healthcare System. Makes all state residents eligible for specified health care benefits under the system, which would, on a single-payer basis, negotiate for or set fees for health care services provided through the system and pay claims for those services. Creates the Universal Healthcare Policy Board to establish policy on medical issues and various other matters relating to the system.
___________

SB 11, Carole Migden, Domestic Partnerships. OPPOSE.

This bill was heard today in the Assembly Judiciary Committee, Darrell Steinberg, Chair. It passed out to the Assembly Appropriations on a 6-3 vote.
Assembly Appropriations Chair Mark Leno, (D-San Francisco) Mimi Walters (R-Laguna Niguel) assemblymember.walters@assembly.ca.gov

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Bills that survived a floor vote in their house of origin have now crossed over to begin their odyssey through the Senate. Most have been amended, some totally gutted and new authors attached.

The budget is also being fought over. Here is something from American Life League to ponder regarding Planned Parenthood and your tax dollars. The following report was released on June 14, 2007:

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ANNUAL REPORT
SHOWS THAT IT RECEIVED $305,300,000
IN TAX MONEY LAST YEAR – A 12% INCREASE!

Last week, Planned Parenthood quietly issued its latest annual report http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/Annual_report.pdf. As always, the report was packed with lies about its "mission" to provide "quality health care" to women.

The one big truth in the 20-page report is that it got a total of $305,300,000 in free tax funding last year. That’s a whopping 11.95% increase over the $272,700,000 it got thee year before.

Let’s put that $305,300,000 in two equally important perspectives:

Perspective #1: Last year, Planned Parenthood surgically aborted over 264,943 pre-born babies. As a ratio to the funds it gets on the government dole, that’s $1,152.32 for each baby torn apart in the womb!

Perspective #2: During the same year, the top five national pro-life organizations continued to receive exactly ZERO dollars in government funding. In the first six months of 2007, our own contributions are $160,000 behind the same point last year. And we’re the number one enemy of Planned Parenthood!

AN OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT’S MOST OUTRAGEOUS HEADLINES

I urge you and every pro-lifer to visit www.all.org and read our summary of Planned Parenthood’s annual report.

Until then, here are the key points every pro-lifer should know:

• Planned Parenthood had a total income of $902.8 million dollars. That’s a record and a 2.4% increase over last year.
   

• For the 34th year in a row, Planned Parenthood reported "excess of revenue over expenses", otherwise known as "profit." Last year’s profit was a whopping $55,800,000 dollars.
   

• Since 1973, Planned Parenthood’s total profits exceed $700,000,000 dollars.
   

• It has amassed a treasure chest of assets worth $839,000,000 dollars.
   

• It reported total "clinic" income of $354,000,000 dollars. We estimate that $112,600,000 of that came from abortions and $200,000,000 from the sale of contraception.
   

• Every penny of the $32,000,000 increase it got in tax dollars effectively went into its $55,000,000 profit.
   

But Planned Parenthood wants even more of your taxes. Planned Parenthood has been staging rallies, writing articles in newspapers, lobbying state legislators for more money. Even though some of their bills might fail passage, there is always the budget into which single issue legislators can cram more money for HMO services, family planning or reproductive health care and Planned parenthood ends up getting its sought after raise.

This reality of our pro life tax dollars funding Planned Parenthood may become even more of an issue in the upcoming elections. Certain members of the state Republican party are seriously supporting non-partisan primary election privileges in Republican primaries. According to a Cal-Span program I recently watched the Chairman, Duff Sundheim, of the state Republican Party, debated the benefits versus the negatives of opening the Primary to more voters. That means that someone registered as a DTS - Declined to State (no Party affiliation) will be allowed to assist in choosing Republican Candidates. The state’s number of DTS registered voters is outgrowing the numbers of registered voters. Voters who may be fiscally conservative but socially liberal will be choosing Republican Candidates and, thereby, choosing who goes to the conventions to establish the Party Platform. Republican Candidates, in order to appeal to these middle-of-the-roaders will become even more center left leaning than they are now.
____________________________________

Legislation to be heard this coming week - June 25-29.

Tuesday, June 26 - Senate Judiciary Committee.

AB 81, Alberto Torrico, (D-Fremont) Child Protection: Safe Surrender. OPPOSE.

This bill will change the 72 hour time limit for a newborn to be surrendered to authorities to a 30 day limit without penalties. This is a bill that makes a politician feel good and look sympathetic on paper but in reality this time expansion subverts the original intention and may actually place more babies in danger of abuse or death because it requires the receiving agency to try and obtain information from the one surrendering the baby.

It also may have the effect of allowing infant abusing parents and care providers from prosecution for abuse to the infant occurring within the 30 day safety net period.

The fact that it contains a $5,000,000 grant for safe surrender publicity aids only those agencies receiving the funds and does nothing to help the baby or scared new parent.

Last term the governor vetoed a similar bill, ab1873, also by Torrico. We may have to hope he does so again.

AB 14, John Laird, (D-Santa Cruz) Unruh Civil Rights Act of 2007 Oppose.

This bill affects 14 different government and business codes with a total of 51 amendments and expands the scope and breadth of those groups and lifestyles designated as targets of discrimination.

The legislative analyst’s office defines the core of this bill as:

KEY ISSUE: SHOULD VARIOUS CODE PROVISIONS SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION IN GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS SERVICES BE UPDATED TO ADD PROTECTIONS AGAINST DISABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION ALREADY COVERED BY GENERAL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS?

In 1996 California voters passed Prop 209 known as the California Civil Rights Initiative - CCRI. This placed limitations on the groupings who could be protected against discrimination. Several organizations protested and vowed to defeat this law.

2001 California Appeals Court Case Angelucci v Century Super Club found that a person could not sue a business for discrimination unless that person had actually been discriminated against. This case was brought by the LAMBDA Legal Defense fund, a Lesbian and Gay organization.

In 2001 the Assembly Committee on the Judiciary, Darrell Steinberg, chair, authored a bill, AB 1701, to rename a section of the state code as the Unruh Civil Rights Act extending legal protection to a broad definition of lifestyles and ethnic groupings.

Again, in 2006 Assemblyman John Laird authored a bill, AB 1400, to expand the definition of who can be protected against discriminations. Lambda was a chief supporter.

Now John laird is trying it again with this bill. Each time the intent of the legislation has been very intrusive of personal rights placing the government in ever greater control of thought and actions of the American citizen residing in California. This bill forces Christians, mainly, to be silent and inactive or subject to punitive damages while other groups of people with what is now termed deviant lifestyles, for the most part, are allowed free reign to act as they please.

The California Catholic Conference has presented the best case for opposition to this bill:

The California Catholic Conference states, "Given the current lack of moral consensus on some of these [protected] characteristics, at the very least there ought to be an accommodation made for individual consciences lest California appear to be strong-arming its citizens into state-regulated beliefs and politically correct behavior."

This bill will be heard, as stated, in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Darrell Steinberg, the chairman of the Assembly Judiciary Committee in 2001 that authored AB 1701, is now a member of the Senate Judiciary committee along with other Gay and lesbian supporting legislators - Sheila Kuehl and Ellen Corbett. The committee consists of 5 members - 3 Dems and 2 Republicans.

This WILL pass out of committee. It is obvious that the Governor will have to be contacted to request a veto.

ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, Dave Jones (D) Chairman - JUNE 26.

SB 777, Sheila Kuehl, D-Oxnard) Discrimination. OPPOSE

This bill concentrates on expanding the numbers of lifestyles and groups designated as having "protective status" on school campuses especially affecting educational material.

Has the effect of silencing opposition from Christians or anyone opposing the forced acceptance of lifestyles they consider to be deviant and/or immoral.

SB 11, Carole Migden, (D-San Francisco) Domestic Partnerships. OPPOSE.

This bill would allow any coupling of two people to register as domestic partners taking advantage of all the benefits accrued to heterosexual married couples.

Aside from the morally offensive aspects of this bill there are the increased financial costs of this bill to religious groups who will have to begin including the "partner" in insurance benefits.

The bill is opposed by the California Catholic Conference in recognition of their increased expenses. It is supported by Planned parenthood, children NOW and LAMBDA as well as the California Nurses Assn.

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PROTECTING "OUR" CHILDREN:
From What or whom?

Governor Schwarzenegger along with the Democrat packed legislature is determined to install the state as the primary health care provider and overseer of wellness for every man, woman and child in the state regardless of legal residency status of an individual or that individuals ability to pay for their own health care insurance. And, especially no matter how much it negates parental supervision, authority and responsibility for one’s children. This same situation has been going on in many states not just California for some years.

Beginning in January a large number of bills covering every imaginable variation of state mandated coverage on health care has been submitted mainly by Democrat Legislators. As the months passed the legislators began amending some of these bills to match the signals that the Governor has put out regarding what he will sign into law.

With the advent of this legislative term both in the states and in Congress it is becoming impossible to avoid recognition of the legislators desire to see themselves as an elitist, highly qualified body of governors of humanity who are determined to take charge of and direct every human life through education, health care, employment, doing it through a partnership with approved community agencies, local government officials and educational promotions. The goal of which is not individual human self sufficiency and intellectual development. It to direct these lives in such a way as to benefit the state, to benefit the state’s coffers, (sick people cost money, Employees with outdated skills cost the state money, the elderly and disabled cost the state money).. To meet every need of groups and individuals is the goal of politicians in order to keep people pacified and comfortable and above all to protect the state against those who would be seen as independent thinkers and, therefore, troublemakers.

Earlier this year the Governor held a conference with the business, medical and community service type agencies regarding health care coverage. This resulted in a 10 page report located online entitled Governor’s Health Care Proposal.

Here is the opening statement of that proposal:

The Governor’s vision for health reform is an accessible, efficient and affordable health care system that promotes a healthier California through prevention and wellness and universality of coverings. For the Governor’s vision to be realized, health care reform must reflect a ‘systems’ approach that incorporates three essential building blocks in an integrated manner.

These building blocks are:

Prevention, health promotion and wellness
Coverage for all Californians
Affordability and cost containment

Of all the bills submitted (the date for submitting any others is over).. All they can do now is amend the current bills or cut and paste wording into some other bill.

The Governor and the authors of these bills have declared that no new taxes need be raised to cover this huge expansion of health care insurance to every resident. This means that it takes only a majority vote to pass through committees. Since all committees are stacked with Democrats any Republican vote in opposition is useless. Only when taxes are involved does a Republican vote count since this requires a 2/3rds vote.

However, the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees have the authority to place on suspension any bill coming through their committee that it deems may have costs of a minimum of $150,000. Most of these health care bills have been placed on suspense. The Assembly speaker, Don Perata and others are now heavily lobbying to allow some of these bills to pass out of Appropriations regardless of the expense.

The bills to strongly oppose are:

AB 1, John Laird, (D-Sta Cruz) Health Care Coverage.

1. Would expand eligibility for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program by raising the percentage above the federally defined poverty level of anywhere from 150% to 300% thus covering all welfare recipients on up to most middle income people.
2. Would delete any citizenship and immigration status requirements.
3. Accept an applicant’s signature as v verification of value or income.
4. Will surely cover most or all children and some families through the Healthy Families

Program.

Companion Bill:

SB 32, Darrell Steinberg, (D-Sacramento, Health Care Coverage.: Children

Contains wording similar to AB 1 and establishes the Healthy Families bridge to Medi-Cal through presumptive eligibility.

AB 8, Fabian Nunez, (D-LA) Health Care Coverage: Employers and Employees.

This bill is getting the media attention and fast tracking through the legislature with the support of Senator Don Perata.

1. Creates the Cooperative Health Insurance Purchasing Program.

1. Notice the similarity in initials - CHIPP - with the federal SCHIP mandate - state/Federal Children’s Health Insurance Program. SCHIP pays almost half of the state health insurance program.
    
2. Federal programs make allowance for state requested waivers to the federal requirements so one never knows just what the state will desire to "waive" in order to get the federal money but create their own services.
    
3. This would become the single payer source for the state. See also AB 2, health Care Coverage, by Mervyn Dymally which authorizes making the MRMIB program the single payer. (Major Risk Medical Insurance Program run by the MRMIP Board of appointed special interest representatives).

AB 12, Jim Beall, (D-San Jose), Adult Health Coverage Program: Santa Clara County.

1. Authorizes creation of Adult Health Coverage Program as a countywide pilot program administered by the county or "local initiative." These words are code words for private sector non-governmental organizations that do the work of the government and are protected from the taxpayer’s access.
    

2. Would require employers to pay for employee insurance or contribute to a state fund. In other words this would be a testing ground or forerunner for a statewide mandated program using Santa Clara residents to work out the pitfalls in this form of health care provision by a government entity.

AB 14, John Laird, (D-Sta Cruz) Discrimination: Civil Rights Act of 2007.

Amends about 51 sections of the state codes.

1. Expands greatly the groups which will be empowered to sue for perceived acts of discrimination. Though it seems to maintain wording protecting conscious clauses for medical personnel even this can be challenged in a courtroom as a form of discrimination ala abortion, contraceptive prescriptions, even Assisted Suicide. Which means that even if we succeed in defeating AB 374, Choice in Dying by Lloyd Levine and Patty Berg - the assisted suicide bill, all it would take is a court case claiming some sort of perceived discrimination in health care due to age or disability or something, to create a state Supreme Court Decision supporting assisted suicide.

(Ed note: The California Conference of Catholic Bishops has mounted a strong opposition to AB 374 and qualified opposition to this bill).

Coauthors of this bill are worthy of note because some of their bills focusing narrowly on certain aspects of discrimination will be strengthened by passage of AB 14. Assembly members Loni Hancock, (D-Berkeley), Mark Leno, (D-SF), Sally Lieber (AB 755, Corporal Punishment - spanking) and Senators Christine Kehoe, (D-San Diego) and Sheila Kuehl. AB 16, Edward Hernandez, (D-W. Covina) authorizes the department of education to vaccinate all school children whenever the FDA authorizes certain vaccines as beneficial to students. Supported by Planned Parenthood.

See also SB 777, Sheila Kuehl, (D-Sta Monica) Discrimination. Amends or adds to 59 various state codes. This bill is a companion to AB 14. It specifically focuses on discrimination in educational instructional materials that "reflect adversely upon persons because of their race, sex,color, creed, handicap (this has a new definition as compared to disabled), national origin, or ancestry. This bill heavily supported by the homosexual lobbying groups Is already awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.

SB 840, Sheila Kuehl, (D-Sta Monica) Single-Payer Health Care Coverage.

1. Establishes the State Universal Health Care System.
2. Creates Universal Healthcare Policy Board to establish policy on medical issues.
3. Bill lists a total of 38 legislators and an entire page of closely typed supporters including every conceivable special interest group plus the California Catholic Conference and Planned Parenthood.

This would seem to contradict the Catholic Conference’s stand in opposition to the other bills I listed. This bill along with AB 51 a Mervyn Dymally bill creating an Office of Patient Advocate within the state Health Care Coverage dept has the strong potential to usher in not only Assisted Suicide but euthanasia.
_______________________

I have included the following article from an online newspaper publication in Nevada County, California to show the current thinking of health department officials. It is obvious that the person speaking is more concerned about the community’s health than she is the child or the family.

This seems to me to epitomize the philosophy found in all these bills - the state knows best, the parents are failing their children and consequently the state.
 

Protecting Our Children, Protecting Our Community

By: Cynthia W. Schuetz, PhD, MPH, First 5 Nevada County
Published: Apr 19, 2007 at 08:24

Did you know that Nevada County has the lowest percentage of children entering kindergarten who are fully immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases of any county in the state? (ED. This reinforces the claims of AB 16.) Or that we are at risk for an outbreak of some contagious diseases because our "community immunity" isn’t as high as it should be? Indeed, we recently experienced an outbreak of whooping cough in our community, a disease that can be deadly to infants. Here are a few facts:

- In 2006 only 73% of Nevada County’s young children beginning kindergarten were fully immunized compared to 93% state-wide.

Federal law requires that all children entering kindergarten and in child care be vaccinated against whooping cough and ten other vaccine-preventable diseases.

(Ed. What does "vaccine preventable" mean? It means vaccinating young children against sexually transmitted infections - non airborn communicable diseases - and anything that the FDA approves without parental consent)

- California has passed a law that allows parents to exempt their child from being vaccinated based on "personal beliefs" simply by signing a form.

(Ed. AB 16 may also allow a religious opt out, but the student won’t be permitted to proceed to the 7th grade without the Gardasil and/or other FDA approved vaccines)

- Over 14% of 2006 entering kindergartners in Nevada County were exempted from immunization based on "personal beliefs." That’s ten times the state average.

(Ed. childhood diseases such as vaccine induced autism are on the rise brought about scientific experiments claim by too much and too early vaccinations)

- It has become more difficult for busy parents to "keep up" with children’s immunizations and it may be expensive.

(ED. so, therefore turn your child over to the state without question or input for the state employee/child care provider/teacher/social worker, isn’t too busy between 9 AM and 5 PM to provide for your child)

The Board of Supervisors, concerned about our low immunization levels, has proclaimed the week of April 21-28 Infant Immunization Week in Nevada County, part of a national effort sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control. They know that we must protect our children –and all of our citizens; our low immunization levels threaten our "community immunity." This week is a perfect time to check and see if your children are up-to-date with their immunizations. Help them grow up healthy and strong. Love, protect, and immunize them on time every time–at birth and at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 15 months of age.

Why is it important for children to be immunized?

First, of course, is to protect them from several diseases. Many of us have forgotten or never experienced the tremendous toll contagious diseases can take.

(Ed: venereal diseases such as HPV are not contagious diseases. They are spread through sexual activity)

Before vaccines, parents in the United States could expect that every year:

- Polio would paralyze 10,000 children.

(ED. polio was wiped out by DDT spraying. Environmentalists banned DDT and now polio - the mosquitos that carry the disease- is coming back. Now, instead of spraying mosquitos we have to vaccinate our children placing some of then in danger from after effects, but the disease carrying mosquitos are allowed to live)

Rubella (German measles) would cause birth defects and mental retardation in as many as 20,000 newborns.

- Measles would infect about 4 million children, killing 3,000.

- Diphtheria would be one of the most common causes of death in school-aged children.

- A bacterium called Haemphilus influenzae type B (Hib) would cause meningitis in 15,000 children, leaving many children with permanent brain damage.

- Pertussis (whooping cough) would kill thousands of infants.

Second, immunizing children also protects the community from an outbreak of disease…or even worse, an epidemic. Un-immunized persons are protected-indirectly-against some infectious diseases by being surrounded by immunized persons. This is known as community immunity. Community immunity requires a high percentage of fully immunized people, who act as a kind of "firebreak" in the spread of disease, slowing or preventing the further transmission of the disease to others. As more and more children in our county are not immunized, the risk of losing our "community immunity" increases, which could result in a resurgence of certain diseases.

While community immunity protects us all, it particularly protects:

- Those too young to be vaccinated.

- Children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

- Those for whom the vaccine proves ineffective.

- The elderly and others, whose immunity has worn off.

(ED. so, it is a parent’s duty to protect the community by subjecting their child to vaccinations?)

Are vaccines safe for my child?

Parents may ask themselves if the vaccine’s benefits clearly and definitively outweigh its risks. On this doctors, scientists and public health professionals are almost unanimous: the effects of the diseases are much greater than the effects of the vaccines. (ED. tell that to the parents of autistic children) We have years of evidence that show vaccines are safe. In the vast majority of cases, they cause no side effects or only mild reactions like fever or soreness at the site of the injection. Severe reactions to vaccines occur so rarely that the risk is usually difficult to calculate. Children will be much sicker if they catch the disease than they will be if they experience the possible side effects of the vaccines.

There are many resources available to parents who wish to do their own research about the safety of vaccines and educate themselves about immunizations. We have provided a list of the resources we consider to be the most helpful in an accompanying sidebar.

What if I don’t know which vaccines my child has had?

We are all so busy, it is hard to keep track of our children’s vaccine schedule. Sometimes we change doctors and that makes it even harder. The Nevada County Public Health Department is developing a new "Shots for Tots" database that will keep track of your child’s immunizations.

(ED. the state will now be the repository of information on your child’s immunity because you can’t be trusted to keep track.)

That will make keeping track easier, but even now, you can ask your medical provider to help you figure out which vaccines your child has had.

Is there a way to get low-cost vaccines?

Another issue is the cost of vaccines. The good news is that there are places in the community where you can get all of the vaccines for a low cost or even free. We’ve provided a list of those places elsewhere on this page. And you can always call the Department of Public Health, 265-1415 for assistance in finding out about vaccines.

(ED. there is no such thing as free vaccines. The taxpayer will pay a high price for these free vaccines, especially as the illegal immigrants are given these shots. These are the source of exposure to contagious diseases.)

There are several health care bills in the state legislature that will authorize universal health care coverage either for children through the Healthy Families program, or, for adults or for both. Illegal aliens aren’t getting or required by the state to get vaccinations before coming into this country so the state is saying that in order to "protect the community" your legal citizen child must be vaccinated, not the illegal immigrant.)

Parents may also receive a call from their child’s school, offering to give vaccines. Nevada County Rotary Clubs and Superintendent Terry McAteer are providing schools with a health aid to follow-up and offer services to families this school year.

One more point: We live in a "global village," (emphasis added) and while the United States has had wonderful success at limiting contagious disease, thanks to our high immunization rates, other countries continue to struggle with diseases like polio and measles. Even if we don’t travel internationally, we have neighbors who do.
___________________________________________

Beginning May 26th until June 15th the office of CRLC will be closed. These last three reports have included every bill of significant importance to the family and child that we could find. Please continue to write your legislators and the Governor.. In speaking with legislative policy and fiscal analysts it was clear that they are concerned about the Governor’s proposals. There is already a $1.7 Billion working deficit at the Capitol.

All letters should be addressed to:
The Hon.___________________
C/0 State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

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BILLS BEING HEARD IN THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS - 5/14/07.
Tom Torlakson, (D-Concord)Chair, senator.torlakson@senate.ca.gov . Dave Cox,(R-Roseville) V. Chair senator.cox@senate.ca.gov

SB 32, Darrell Steinberg, Health Care Coverage: Children. OPPOSE

STATUS: Amended three times. Passed the Senate Health Committee

This bill would:

1. Raise to 300% the amount above federal poverty level -= fpl allowable to qualify.
2. Allow self-certification of applicant for income and assets. No checking up.
3. Delete federal SCHIP requirement for proving citizenship or immigration status.
4. Allow all children, from birth to 19 years of age, living in California to have access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage.
5. Would end up placing almost every child in the government health care plan where parents will have no oversight or authority for health care.

List of Supporters:

California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies Children’s Health Initiative of Napa County Health Access Jaeger Family Olive Oil Latino Coalition for a Healthy California Latino Issues Forum Mental Health Association in California Northern Santa Barbara County United Way Service Employees International Union United Way of the Bay Area United Way of Santa Cruz County Western Center on Law and Poverty
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SB 20, Tom Torlakson, Pupil Nutrition: Free and Reduced-Price meals. OPPOSE.

Amended four times. Repeals several sections of the Education Code relating to pupil nutrition and declaring this an urgency item.

The bill purports to be focused on providing the highest quality nutrition for students, but is all encompassing of both public, private and pre schools. It requires the schools to eliminate any competition from outside restaurant or food supply sources including the family lunch bag.

This bill is endorsed by a variety of child centered organizations including Partnership for Youth, Lambda Letters Project and a variety of public health and food advocate groups plus California Nurses Assn and the CMA.
____________

SB 405, Darrell Steinberg, Schools: Curriculum, Opportunities for Pupils.
Creates the Fair Competition for College and Career Program. OPPOSE.

Establishes a pilot program with expanded counseling services and assistance to get students into college and provide their high schools with increased incentives to see that the chosen students get there.

It would extend the school day, school week (whatever that means) or school year to accomplish this goal.

Tracks students through school. It seems that students will be walked through school, carefully monitored to succeed and go on to a college program that is part academic and part technical in order to prepare them for the work place.
_____________

SB 777, Sheila Kuehl, (D-LA), Discrimination: The California Student Civil Rights Act. OPPOSE.
Refers to the Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, also authored by Kuehl which would:

Revise the current list of prohibited bases of discrimination and the kinds of prohibited instruction, activities, and instructional materials in the Education Code, and instead would refer to the protected characteristics contained in the definition of hate crimes in the Penal Code.

This bill would also define disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation for this purpose.

This bill would change the current references to "handicapped" individuals in the Education Code to instead refer to individuals with physical disabilities.

The Legislative Analyst’s office states that:

Opponents contend that this bill would ban any instruction or activities in schools that reflect adversely upon homosexuals, transgenders and bisexuals, and therefore "any teaching promoting traditional families would be discriminatory. Any activities such as having a prom king and queen or gender-specific bathroom would also be considered discriminatory."

(Letter from Capitol Resource Institute, dated April 9, 2007.)

Opponents further argue that this bill would "silence students and teachers from the free expression of beliefs and opinions that run contrary to total and complete acceptance of all forms of sexual behavior." (Letter from California Family Council, dated April 10, 2007.)

"Schools must be careful not to (through curriculum, ancillary materials, activities or publications) foster acceptance of behaviors involving sexuality and practices that often contradict the moral and religious teaching within families." (Letter from Concern Women for America of California, dated April 11, 2007.)

HISTORY (provided by Statenet)

Source: Equality California (A strident pro homosexual lobby)

Related Pending Legislation:

Prior Legislation: AB 537 (Kuehl et al., Ch. 587, Statutes of 1999) added the characteristics used in the definition of a hate crime to the prohibited bases of discrimination found in the Education Code.

AB 222 (Kuehl of 1999) would have added sexual orientation into the prohibited bases of discrimination throughout the Education Code (This bill died on the Assembly Floor).

AB 499 (Kuehl, Ch. 914, Statutes of 1998) reorganized, updated and clarified the student civil rights protections found in the Education Code.

Proponents are a long list of gay and lesbian groups, Planned Parenthood, Anti-Defamation League and the California Teachers Assn.
_____________________

SB 840, Sheila Kuehl, Single-Payer Health Care Coverage. OPPOSE

Establishes the State Universal Healthcare System, making all residents eligible for specified health care benefits under the system. In other words, socialized medicine.

This passed easily out of Kuehl’s own Health Committee and is awaiting a hearing on 5/14 in the Senate Appropriations committee like all the others.

Would establish a new state agency, the California Universal Healthcare Agency to oversee the CUHS and receive all federal, state and local monies and establish 6 new advisory type boards. It would, apparently, be under the Supervision of a Cabinet level Director, not accessible or replaceable by vote.

Related Legislation (also opposed)

SB 1014 (Kuehl) would impose a health care coverage tax on the wages of an employee paid by both the employee and employer.

SB 48 (Perata) insures all working Californians and their dependents as well as all children regardless of residency status in households with incomes up to 300% of FPL.

AB 8 (Fabian Nunez) insures all working individuals and dependents employed by firms of two or more employees, all children regardless of residency status with household incomes up to 300% FPL.

SB 236 (George Runner. R) Enacts CAL CARE Program to increase access to health care services and provide health coverage incentives.

There is one entire paige of tightly spaced supporters including a large number of Democrat clubs, Public employee unions, PP of San Diego, Jericho (a pseudo-Catholic lobby).

There are about 10 opponents including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn, Kaiser Permanente, and other private insurance carriers.
_________________

May 16, 2007 ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMM.
Mark Leno, (D-S.F.) Chair. assemblymember.leno@assembly.ca,gov.
Mimi Walters,(R-Laguna Niguel) V. Chair, assemblymember.walters@assembly.ca.gov.

AB 1, John Laird, (D-Santa Cruz) . Health Care Coverage. OPPOSE.

Expands Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program to cover all children with family incomes at or below 300% of federal poverty level (FPL) plus establishes a Buy-in program for children in families with incomes above 300% FPL. for health, dental and vision coverage.

"Renames" the Department of Health Services to Department of Health Care Services and transfers certain (we don’t know what, yet) public health responsibilities to a newly established Department of Pubic Health.

It always amazes me that both the legislation itself and the legislative analysis never explains just what coverage will be available and who will be allowed to authorize or approve services.

CRLC is listed as an opponent because we see this as an expansion of access to abortions for minor and unmarried girls without parental notification and will allow illegal alien children to enroll in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Programs.

Related Legislation:

AB 8 Fabian Nunez, California Cooperative Health Insurance Purchasing Program CALCHIPP. OPPOSE

Creates a one shop health care purchasing pool to provide insurance to employees (and their dependents (illegal or legal).

SB 48, Don Perata, Health Insurance Connector. Establishes the purchasing pool itself. Mandates that all workers and their families have coverage.

AB 1326. Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) Authorizes the (currently named) DHS to implement Medi-Cal PE for children through county welfare departments.

All of these are designed to grab hold of the young child and never let them go through their teen years and into young adulthood keeping them dependent upon the state.

The lead supporters are:

100% Campaign (pro abort), Children Now, (pro abort), Children’s Defense Fund (pro abort) Children’s Partnership (I urge you to google this group. You will be devastated by the numbers of agencies covered under this heading, but even more interesting is the fact that many of the groups listed here are also listed under the Children’s Partnership. Who told all these people that they had a right to establish goals and make plans for our children?)
________

AB 14, John Laird, (D-Sta Cruz) Discrimination: (The Jesse Unruh) Civil Rights Act of 2007. OPPOSE.
ON ASSEMBLY FLOOR ON THIRD READING. It passed

both the assembly Judiciary (7-3) and Assembly Appropriations, (11-5). Creates broad, sweeping inclusionary groups protected from( their definition) of discrimination.

Cosponsored by Equity California, a very strident homosexual lobby and the NAACP California Conference. Also, in part, the ACLU AIDS Project, California Professional Firefighters (this is a questionable group) Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services,Inc. Gay-Straight Alliance, Stonewall Democrats, Lambda Letters Project and the Transgender Law Center.

Opposition:

California Catholic Conference, California Family Council, Traditional Values Coalition and 3 dozen individuals and businesses.
__________

AB 16, Ed. Hernandez (D-W. Covina) Pupil Immunizations. Amended five times. OPPOSE.

This is the bill formerly carried by Sally Lieber who took her name off the bill when it was exposed that her family had an interest in the Merck Pharmaceutical company that manufactures Gardasil.

This bill has changed from one that requires vaccination against HPV to an all inclusive government directed vaccination program.

"Defines "fully immunized" as the pupil has been vaccinated in accordance with recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), as specified."

2. "Declares that the legislature refuses to relinquish its responsibility on matters of immunization requirements and will continue oversight of this process through legislative and budgetary mechanisms, as necessary."

Who ever gave them this responsibility in the first place? Certainly parents did not.

3. "Prohibits any "governing authority" of a private or public elementary or secondary school, child care center, day nursery, nursery school or family day care home from unconditionally admitting a pupil unless he or she has been fully immunized."

In other words, only the state may have overall authority in the matter of immunizations for children, not even parents. Even if a parent should prove that the child is exempt from a specific vaccination, "the school may temporarily exclude the child until the local health officer is satisfied that the person is no longer at risk of developing [the] disease."

4. This bill, also, renames the department of health services to the Department of Health Care Services.

5. Creates a new office of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - ACIP which will make recommendations regarding immunizations.

6. Will require the schools to provide parents with notification of an opt-out option (which usually is meaningless).

RELATED LEGISLATION

SB 533, Leland Yee (D-S.F.) Adds pneumococcus (flu) vaccine to the list of diseases for which immunization is required to enter school.

SB 676, Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-LA). Allows the DPH to review and modify the immunization requirements at will.

Supporters: ACOB/GYN, CMA, Ca. Optometric Assn, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

Now, what in the world does the PPAC care about immunizations when they would prefer to see all children dead before birth? I submit that it has to do with removing yet another piece of authority from the parents so that they can immunize your child, at will, from the after-effects of their sexuality training.
__________________

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COMMENTARY ON CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION
Part 2 of 4/23/07 Report
by, Camille Giglio
California Right to Life Committee, Inc.

This report focuses on two articles found online that clearly show the thinking and planning of those special interest groups who would use education and health issues to advance their own funding and status in the political bureaucracy while undermining the family. I have interspersed my own commentaries throughout these two articles.

1. EDUCATION - “Produce Skilled Workers of Face Decline.”

We all are aware that education is going through a change. For years conservatives have attempted to alert parents to the meaning of “Outcome based” education. The meaning of OBE is usually stated as a system to design a pathway to a career for every student. In other words, a de-emphasis on academics and an increased emphasis on using education to produce a predetermined number of skilled workers for the various forecasted needs of the business community.

The following article pulled off the internet and reported by George Avalos of MEDIANEWS, dated 4/19/07, is a very good example of the school as trainee for the workforce.

Produce skilled workers or face decline, panel told.

Cal State East Bay hosts labor talk discussion; Lt. Gov. Garamendi gives interview.

(here are some excerpts from that interview)

HAYWARD — California must find ways to produce more skilled workers from its school system or face an erosion of its economy, a state-organized panel was told here Wednesday.

"The economy in our state will falter unless we make this investment," Lt. Gov. John Garamendi said in an interview after the Hayward event concluded. Garamendi had gathered a group of business, education and government leaders at the California State University, East Bay campus to discuss ways to prepare young people to find jobs in California’s knowledge-based economy.

The common theme: Not nearly enough money and resources have been deployed to bolster the ability of universities, community colleges and high schools to train people to join the work forces of the future.

……………………

“At the same time, though, colleges and high schools must become more efficient at delivering effective education services and training to students,” Garamendi said. He called for a complete revamp of the state’s “creaky” education laws.

"Schools have to respond more nimbly to the needs of businesses," Garamendi said.

Those who gathered at the event at the university’s Valley Business & Technology school pointed to a drastic shortage of job candidates.

“About one-third of the candidates who are considered for jobs at the NUMMI plant are unable to pass the middle-school-equivalent exam,” said James Potts III, an assistant general manager of human resources there.

"We do not expect all of our employees to be college-educated," Potts said during the forum. "But we do expect our employees to improve the business in a manner that keeps us competitive."

“The health-care industry must wrestle with significant shortages,” said Colleen McKeown, area manager for Kaiser Permanente’s southern Alameda County region.

“Health-care providers also are scouring the labor pool for people to work in imaging centers, laboratories, nuclear medicine, radiation labs and MRI operations,” she said.

"California continues to rank last among the 50 states in the national nursing shortage," McKeown said.

Other business officials said state officials must move quickly to revamp the education system as California faces heightened global challenges.

"Our world is changing, and our 1950s school system is not keeping up," said Dennis Cima, an official with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

___________________________

Perhaps you have heard of “Academies” which are located on school campuses? Some parents and educators claim that academies are the latest name for the old tracking system of the 1950’s etc. Young students are being evaluated at early ages to determine just how the schools will direct their education in order to meet the local and global business community’s quota.

You notice that contained in these quotes from members of the business community is the focus on school time trained workers emerging upon graduation. There is no mention of an interest in their intellectual maturation.

Several bills in the state legislature concern themselves with creating Career Technical Education - CTE - graduates. For instance, Sen. Darrell Steinberg’s SB 405, Schools: Curriculum: Opportunities for Pupils. This bill will amend 10 sections of the Education Code, changing the focus of academic education to CTE. Reading between the lines in this bill is the intention to track students through school insuring that they pass and go on to advanced technical training in the university or state college system. It would also take over from the parents the direction of the student’s life choices to meet the demands of the state’s need for workers.

Also Sen. Tom Torlakson’s SB 21, Education: Regional Education and Economics. This is a companion bill to Steinberg’s only with more sophisticated language and establishing collaborative of education, business and industry and community. Oh, parents get to have an interest also.

SB 35, Tom Torlakson, School Facilities: Joint Use Facilities. This would allow construction adjacent to school sites that would house the special interests involved in education outcomes. Or, how about his SB 507, Schools, Science Instruction: Grant Programs awarding grants to K-12 schools for targeted science education.

Here’s an interesting one. SB 668, Torlakson: Property: Housing: Field Act Exemption. This talks about the construction of housing on campuses and exempting this type of building from certain seismic safety review and approvals. Housing? Isn’t it enough that they are passing bills to feed breakfast and lunch to students in a closed setting, now they want to house the students?

SB 672, Torlakson: Pupil Instruction: Course of Study: Graduation. This would require pupils grades 9-12, inclusive, to complete 2 courses in career technical education to receive a high school graduation diploma. Some other legislator wants to demand that registering to vote be required before allowing students to graduate.

One program I watched on tv hosted by the state’s union leaders presented ways to entice students into the building trades academies because the unions were afraid that they would not have enough workers to accomplish the new goals of construction being set for the next 10 years in the state.

AB 68, Mervyn Dymally, Schools: Pupil Services Block Grant. This provides education, mental health, and social services support to pupils including school psychologists, counselors, nurses, social workers. This was written before the Virginia Tech shootings.

Starting this total submersion of the child into the goals and objectives of the state is one of the basic goals of pre-school education. Remember the old adage: As the twig is bent so grow the tree”? Many of the bills in the California legislature this year focus on reevaluating the importance of technical education to meet new goals.

There is a great emphasis on teaching children about environmental issues, health care issues, global relations, etc as a prelude to instilling in the minds of our youth a willingness and openness to accept goals pre-determined for them.

How many times have you read articles about students taking their time in school to tend vegetable gardens? How many times have you read articles in the papers or church newspapers about students being taken to Sacramento to lobby for various issues?

Students, according to today’s education goals must be open to change, free of mental inhibitors (moral or social) to fulfill the governments needs, healthy and trim, well exercised (see the list of school menu bills), protectors of the earth even if it means placing the animal and mineral world’s needs ahead of their own, totally obedient to their facilitators rather than their parents (AB 288, Leland Yee) and ready to accept whatever health care services the state says is necessary (see AB 16).

An example of this is Sen. Leland Yee’s, SB 288, Pupils: Comprehensive Learning Support System. If students and families are going to be required to accept the goals and objectives set for them by the state it will take the concerted efforts of psychologists, social workers, community agencies, churches, to insure that these children or families don’t stray from the planned course.

I just mentioned churches. They are being enticed to join in this effort, through funding streams, to use their teaching role to encourage children and parents to become more involved in the environment (Mother earth), immigration programs (Good Samaritan, helping the poor and downtrodden) and becoming spokespersons for social change.

In that regard, I have written much about community activist organizations such as PICO-and CCISCO and the Industrial Areas Foundation using a thin religious covering to gain entry into churches and the faithful in the pews turning us into lobbying fodder for their legislative goals.

Now comes AB 165, by Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries, (R-Riverside) State Government: Office of Community Initiatives. This bill will authorize the creation of a state office of Community, non-profit charitable organizations sitting at the right hand of the Governor, using our tax dollars to continue to recruit unsuspecting children of the naive faithful to become activities for government services.

To Be Continued, next time the department of Public Health as primary health care parent.
Part 3.

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Actions to be taken this week on bills
April 23, 2007
Part 1

“Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.” (John 21: 1-19).

I offer this bible story about Jesus’ command to the apostles as a simile to the people in the Pro Life Movement.

In this account, following Jesus’ resurrection, he stands on the shore of Lake Tiberias and calls to his apostles who have had a disappointing day of fishing. Peter gets so excited when he realizes it is the Lord that without thinking he jumps into the water to answer Jesus’ call.

Following the 1973 Supreme Court Roe v Wade Decision I think many of us responded without thinking of the consequences, to Jesus’ call. We didn’t jump into any lake, but we cast our lives and our beliefs into the swiftly flowing streams of humanity to answer God’s call to “feed my sheep and my lambs.”

God’s way of showing His love for us and our work is to feed us spiritually with the strength to keep on casting our nets over the side to bring in the lives about to be lost through abortion.

Even in writing letters to legislators, making phone calls, voting for pro life candidates, standing face to face with priests and ministers unwilling to get involved we are answering God’s call to feed His sheep.

______________________________

BILLS TO BE HEARD ON APRIL 24 in ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE,

Mervyn Dymally, (D) Chairman, Alan Nakanishi, (R) V. Chairman

assemblymember.nakanishi@assembly.ca.gov

AB 1, John Laird, (D-Sta Cruz), Health Care Coverage. OPPOSE

This bill, formerly authored by Mervyn Dymally has been gutted and rewritten to be a corollary to Laird’s AB 14, Discrimination: Civil Rights Act of 2007. It eliminates any citizenship or immigration status requirements to receive health care in the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program, and accepts applicant’s signature as verification of income level merely on applicant’s hearsay.

AB 8, Fabian Nunez, (D-LA), Health Care Coverage: Employers and Employees. OPPOSE.

This bill amends over 20 different sections of the state codes. It Requires Employers to act as salesmen to pressure employees into buying into the state’s idea of the best health care coverage.

Coverage to i “encourage fitness, wellness and health promotion programs and require health care provider performance benchmarks.” Creates another layer of bureaucracy through the California Cooperative health Insurance Purchasing Program (Cal-CHIPP) which sets of a continuous funding stream to pay for this health care originating from employer revenues.
_____

This is similar to buying car insurance that includes coverage for a new battery should the old one conk out. It could well require employers to pay for employees health club memberships.

This funding stream is also a way for the politicians to get around the idea of an increased or new tax to pay for it all. This way it only requires a majority vote.

The bill requires the state to seek federal waivers to allow children entry into Healthy Families and Medi-Cal without citizenship or immigration status requirements.

This is how the bureaucrats get around the state Constitution and the opportunity for the people of this state to know what is happening to their rights.

And, remember, all these health care programs turn children into independent contractors for their health care, deny parents the right to exercise authority over their children’s health care

and provide an automatic coverage for your child’s privacy rights to abortion, contraceptives and STD treatments. Planned Parenthood will realize a major increase tax dollars because of these programs.

______________________________

TO BE HEARD IN THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE, Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) Chairman, Mark Wyland, (R-San Juan Capistrano) V. Chairman

senator.wyland@senate.ca.gov

SB 288 Leland Yee, Pupils: Comprehensive Learning Support System. OPPOSE.

Leland Yee is a psychologist by profession. His bills reflect a special interest in inserting mental health “services” into the education program. This is his second try at getting this passed. Section 1 (h) states: “

(h) The overriding philosophy is that educational success, physical health, emotional support, and family and community strength are inseparable. “ Learning support in this context is not assistance with academic goals, but with social and mental health counseling to everyone in the family meaning, eventually, everyone in the community.

My concern, especially after the Virginia Tech shootings, is that bills like this will quickly pass to the Governor so the legislators can show that they are compassionate and that more and more people are in need of what only a government program can give them - direction in their chaotic lives.

SB 20, Tom Torlakson, (d-Concord) Pupil Nutrition: Free and Reduced-Price Meals.

This bill mandates the provision of breakfast and lunch to all students in both public, private and pre-schools and day care centers in a closed campus atmosphere. The closed campus is to avoid students attending competing outside restaurants.

If a school is unable to comply because of inadequate or no cafeteria facilities the state will provide the funds to remodel if the school agrees to provide approved foods.

Senator Torlakson is a health nut who desires that everyone follow his ideas to a healthy, productive life.
____________________

APRIL 25, ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE, Gene Mullin, (D-San Mateo), Martin Garrick, (R-Carlsbad

assemblymember.garrick@assembly.ca.gov

AB 16, Edward Hernandez, (D- W. Covina) Pupil Immunizations. OPPOSE

AB 16 requires the State of California to mandate all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which has already approved the HPV vaccination for girls as young as 11. The ACIP is a federal government bureaucracy that consists of "15 experts in fields associated with immunization." AB 16 will remove legislative approval of mandatory immunizations and place it in the hands of a state government bureaucrat: the State Public Health Officer, appointed by the governor. The new State Public Health Officer will have complete control over which vaccinations, recommended by the ACIP, will be mandated. By completely removing the legislature from the process, a single unelected official will now have complete control over which vaccinations are required for our children. Parents will no longer have a voice, via their elected representative, on which mandatory vaccinations are required under state law.

(re-printed from Capitol Resource Inst alert)
____________________

4/25 - ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, Mark Leno(D-SF) Chairman, Mimi Walters, (R-laguna Niguel)V Chair assemblymember.walters@assembly.ca.gov

AB 90, Ted Lieu,(D-El Segundo) Pupil Nutrition: Trans Fats and AB92 Bonnie Garcia, (R-Cathedral City). Pupil Nutrition: School Meals. OPPOSE.

I have grouped these two bills together because they are both created out of the current health faddists desire to dictate to everyone what they can and can not eat. Booth bills are supported by special interests such as the California Food Policy Advocates, and unions and both require schools to provide breakfast for all students.

Once again, there are hidden costs. Both of these bills should be viewed as to their connection with Senator Tom Torlakson’s (D-Concord) all encompassing SB 20, Pupil Nutrition: Free and Reduced-Price Meals.

_________________

Please do not hesitate to let me know if you need more information on bills or other items that we e-mail. We have been reporting on legislation for years and may get comfortable using short cut language that might be confusing to you.

There is a part 2 to this report which will arrive in a day or so. It will also be placed on our web site at www.callifeadvocates.org/blog

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1. Commentary - seducing the public
2. Legislation - bills up for imminent hearings.
_____________________________________

GIRLS MAY BUY CONTRACEPTIVES.

In 1972, according to the June 7th Oakland Tribune, “More U.S. Funds asked for Family Planning.” On that date the House Appropriations Committee approved $156.5 million for family planning grants and contracts for the fiscal year 1973. This was an increase of $42 million more than previously authorized. This was all based on a 1970, Title X funding bill

which included a stipulation that none of these funds could be used for abortions. George Bush senior was one of the Senators who voted both for the Family Planning funds and the stipulation.

Girls May Buy Contraceptives.

This was the headline for a Contra Costa Times article for September 21, 1975. It states that, thanks to a bill by then state Senator, Anthony Beilenson, now Congressman, (signed by Gov. Jerry Brown and previously vetoed three years in a row by Governor Ronald Reagan) the bill authorized girls under the age of 18 to be able to buy contraceptives without parental permission or knowledge. Beilenson along with Howard Berman, was a co-author of the 1968 California Therapeutic Abortion Act.

Beilenson’s stand on this was based on the fact that current laws permitted boys to buy over the counter condoms and girls could have abortions “all without their parents consent,” said Beilenson, thanks to Roe v Wade, so why couldn’t girls get tax funded birth control pills.

Now we read headlines of girls complaining that their contraceptives are costing too much. Due to certain restrictions placed on Pharmaceutical Companies ability to get tax relief, they are increasing the costs of birth control pills causing the price, to college coeds through campus health clinics, to rise from $12.00 a supply to around $43.00. A particular article quotes young women bemoaning the fact that they had budgeted for the $12.00 amount but not the increase. Now pro contraceptive groups are bemoaning the loss of customers and using the a ge old fear tactic of predicting that there will be a rise in pregnancies.

Of course the pitch is all to gain more increases in family planning dollars underwritten by the taxpayer. This is one of the reasons that pro life groups tend to oppose family planning bills. We are paying for the sexual pleasuring of everybody else’s kids. We pay for the contraceptives and, then, we pay for the abortions or the venereal disease treatments brought on by misuse of or failing methods of birth control.

Girls are trained to consider themselves victims of a faulty pharmaceutical business while totally unaccountable for their own actions.
___________________________________

First 5 Presents “Leading Ladies” for School Readiness
Wednesday, 04 April 2007
RIVERSIDE
By Marti Taylor

“Members of the California Association of Ministers‚ Wives and Widows are spreading the good word of early childhood development through a partnership with First 5 California. “

The article explains that this partnership is being formed between First Five and African-American church congregations to promote enrolling more African American children into early pre school programs.

“Using African-American churches to disseminate that information to Black communities was a natural choice according to Mrs. Brackett. " ‘The African American community has always looked to faith leaders for guidance and advice when others rely on family members or politicians," said Mrs. Brackett. In the Black community, pastors are considered a trusted source of information ‘."

This tactic, of infiltrating and using the African-American church pastors using them to seduce their congregations has long been a tool of the abortion advocates. Now this pattern is being re-tooled as a method of expanding the out-reach to church-going people to convince them to accept the latest politically correct gimmick - turning their children over to the state at very early ages to receive politically correct nurturing.

Of course, it is not only the churches in the Black Communities that are being drawn into accepting direction and guidance from special interests. Special interests have long known that to reach the faithful in the pews it is necessary to first reach the church leaders in the pulpit be they Protestant, Evangelical or Catholic Church groups.

Across California and much of the country environmental, centralized government and pro illegal immigrant activists as well as state controlled health care interests, have been infiltrating churches attempting to turn them into mouthpieces for their causes based on pseudo biblical commands. Sad to say, many of these groups are succeeding such as the California Interfaith Power and Light faction of the environmentalists. Articles abound in the media about churches espousing “green” systems to help save the earth from pollution by its human beings. Articles promote the Al Gore concept of saving the earth by using fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent ones, for instance. The new Oakland Diocese Cathedral who’s costs have risen by millions of dollars and named the Cathedral of Light might better be known as the Cathedral of fluorescent light

Some well informed political insiders suggest that the supposed promotion of AB 374, the Assisted Suicide bill, is more a tool of diversion to distract people from fighting other very important anti human being legislation.

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LEGISLATION
AB 14, John Laird, The Jesse Unruh Civil Rights Act of 2007.

This bill would amend 51 different sections of state codes to deny the right of business owners, religions, hospitals, schools, race tracks, welfare institutions, courts (jurors or judges) plus dozens more groups to exercise their right to refuse service or access of these identified groups to areas or services based upon a broadly defined set of criteria.

STATUS: Was heard in Assembly Appropriations Committee, passed on a 7 to 3 vote with two abstentions, amended and re-referred to that Committee. This bill attacks every conceivable area of individual rights, denying people the right of refusal for certain things based on moral and/or religious beliefs as well as a whole host of previously understood individual and personal rights.

If signed by the Governor, this bill would circumvent any legislation allowing so-called victimized and abused groups to sue in court for recognition.

(ed note: In England a bill has passed their parliament prohibiting religious institutions from advocating their own religious beliefs. Any child could bring suit against a school and church if he or she claimed that they were offended because some teacher made negative statements about, say, homosexuality.

http://ncregister.com/site/article/2180

LONDON — Britain has a new law banning Catholic schools from
teaching Catholic morals — and it was steered through Parliament
by a Catholic.

Under the new Sexual-Orientation Regulations, it will be illegal
for a teacher in any school, including a Catholic school, to state
that homosexual activity is morally wrong, and that this is a
teaching that should be accepted as true. A teacher could be
prosecuted if a pupil were able to claim that, by teaching the
sinfulness of homosexual activity, the teacher had discriminated
against him and caused him to feel hurt or humiliated.
(forwarded online by the Catholic Media Coalition)

This is what will happen in California if AB 14 passes. For instance, there is, in Salinas, a senior citizens residence entitled Madonna Manor. It is privately funded partially by the state Catholic Daughters Organization. It is a home originally designed to provide shelter for widowed or single Catholic Women who were members of the Catholic Daughters organization. This home recently became approved as a state approved assisted living residence which means that women who become disabled or unable to provide adequate care for themselves can remain there and get caretaker services. This bill would place all of that in jeopardy if they refused to take in, say, one or two lesbians who wanted to live in he same apartment exercising their “rights” to continue in a gay lifestyle.

How many other churches have similar provisions for their senior citizen members?

Assembly member Laird has also had AB 1, Health Care Coverage, amended to place his name as primary author rather than Mervyn Dymally. The bill has been totally gutted and rewritten mandating free and unrestrained health care under Healthy Families to any resident of California legal or illegal. This bill should be regarded as a corollary to AB 14.

BILLS TO BE HEARD ON APRIL 14 IN ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE.
Health Committee Chairman, Mervyn Dymally, (D), Alan Nakanishi, (R) V. Chairman

AB 2, Mervyn Dymally, Health Care Coverage. This 44 page bill would amend or add to the state codes over 20 state civil codes, expanding the authority of the MRMIP (Major Risk Medical Insurance Program) health care advisory board and expand the funding stream under the Tobacco Tax measure to pay for expanded health care coverage. This is a way to get around a required 2/3rds vote on an otherwise increased funding bill.

Again, this is one piece of AB 14 searching for w ays to pay for all this expansion without raising an alarm within the taxpaying community at the increased costs of providing coverage for more and more elective services.

AB 13, John Laird, Maternal Dental Care. This bill originally entitled Health Care Coverage was greatly amended and turned into a very questionable bill. It would call upon the UC system to convene a panel of experts to study the negative effects of dental carries and poor dental care of pregnant women on their children’s health at birth and for a period of time following birth.

The bill claims that dentists are very reluctant to provide care for pregnant women during most of the nine months of pregnancy. This panel is charged with determining a proper set of standards for dentists to follow in accepting and caring for pregnant women’s dental needs.

When I questioned Laird’s aide about any hidden costs in this bill for convening and drafting regulations, etc. she did acknowledge that the bill might once more be amended to include the state Health department in contracting out the hosting of this set of conferences.

The implications for charging negligence against women who do not seek dental care during pregnancy or the placing of charges against dentists who resist treating women for whatever reason is enormous.

The bill indicates that there is potentially a fiscal responsibility here but the bill further claims that it needs only a majority vote rather than a 2/3rds vote for increased tax funding.

In speaking with a legislative analyst in the Republican Assembly Caucus he suggested that the lack of information about funding is on purpose. If it gets to the Governor’s desk and he signs it, he has to look for ways to place it in the budget and find the funding. If he does not, then the bill sits there waiting for a time when there is some excess money in the state and then he bill activates itself.

AB 16, Edward Hernandez, Pupil Immunization formerly the Gardasil HPV immunization .bill. The bill has been amend three times, each time making it more dangerous to the family by further denying parents any say what so ever in whatever shots the school wishes to give its students.

“This bill would, commencing July 1, 2009, repeal those provisions to, in part, prohibit a governing board from unconditionally admitting a pupil unless prior to his or her first admission, the pupil has been fully immunized in accordance with recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, as approved by the State Public Health Officer, with certain exceptions. The bill would delete developmental centers from the scope of the prohibition”.

STATUS: Read in Assembly Committee on health, amended and re-referred to Health.
___________

BILLS HEARD ON APRIL 18 in Senate Health Committee., Sheila Kuehl, (D) Chairman, Sam Aanestad (R) V. Chairman.

SB 840 Sheila Kuehl, Single-Payer Health Care Coverage. This 62 page bill is co-authored by 38 Senate and Assembly Democrats, including John Laird. This will be it’s first hearing, held in the author’s own committee. It changes only one code adding a whole new section to the Health and Safety Code. This bill would:

:This bill would establish the California Universal Healthcare System to be administered by the newly created California Universal Healthcare Agency under the control of a Universal Healthcare Commissioner appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. The bill would make all California residents eligible for specified health care benefits under the California Universal Healthcare System, which would, on a single-payer basis, negotiate for or set fees for health care services provided through the system and pay claims for those services. The bill would require the commissioner to seek all necessary waivers, exemptions, agreements, or legislation to allow various existing federal, state, and local health care payments to be paid to the California Universal Healthcare System, which would then assume responsibility for all benefits and services previously paid for with those funds.”

There is a difference in meaning between “universal access” and “single payer coverage.”

Universal access means that under state mandate insurance companies are required to offer health coverage to anyone. This may be paid for by at least three different ways, employer coverage, welfare coverage, individual own purchase or any combination thereof.

This bill would combine the idea of universal and single payer meaning that everybody’s health care gets paid by the state and received state determined levels of care while the medical community bec omes even more captive of the state for its funding. In other words, the doctor becomes the tool of the state delivering to the patient the level of care that the state thinks the patient is deserving of.

Contrary to stated news articles this will not decrease costs of health care. It will increase the costs by allowing more people to receive care for less serious, optional treatments and the taxpayer foots it all without ever knowing what they are paying for it.

For instance, if you buy auto insurance you don’t get coverage for a new paint job or a new tire or battery replacement, but under Kuehl’s plan there is even the possibility that one’s exercise program could be funded as a medical necessity because that person is too fat and therefore, must lo weight.

_________________________
Other important bills are coming up for hearing on April 24th. More about them later.

Information and research provided by California Right to Life Committee, Inc.
1920 Monument Blvd, # 309, Concord, Ca. 94520

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1. Dancing Partners: The Media two-step
2. More bureaucracy in the Health Dept.
3. Legislation
____________________________________

1. DANCING PARTNERS

Have you ever seen a couple on the dance floor so in-step that they just flow around the room? Well, that’s a good comparison for the local media and the state legislature. Take, for example, the articles that have appeared in my Contra Costa Times recently, maybe in your newspaper as well. I’m referring to articles that appear on the front pages or in editorials as though these were leading news making headlines when, in fact, they are propaganda pieces supporting Democrat legislation.

All the hype this year about child obesity and improper diets is really a preparation of the citizen’s mind too accept more governmental influence and involvement in individual eating habits, controlling what the populace consumes as a means of protecting the state against an unwell, and, therefore, unproductive, populace.

There are several bills in the state legislature addressing the so-called need to prevent restaurants and school cafeterias from using Trans-fat labeled products. This is the current bad boy of the health and environmental interests. These bills do not specifically focus on right to life issues so I have not dwelt on them in legislative alerts, but they will have an effect, if passed, on family home, school and social life. The government is attempting to mandate to the food industry what it can present to the consumer thereby controlling what goes into everyone’s mouth.

Senator Tom Torlakson’s bill SB 20, Pupil Nutrition, will mandate that by a date certain every primary and secondary school provide both breakfast and lunch to students in a closed campus setting. It will also require kindergartens and day care centers and private schools to follow suit. It will mandate menus guided by environmental and health nut special interests.

Other bills such as Bonnie Garcia’s, AB 93 will stipulate what a food preparation company can use regarding artificial trans fat products, such as vegetable oil, being stored, distributed or served or used in preparation of any food. Other bills dance around the outskirts of all this picking a narrow focus interest to manipulate.

All these bills are coming up for hearings now and since there is a majority of Democrats in the committees these bills are going to sail on through. To help the legislature avoid an onrush of angry parents and citizens the newspapers are running stories about the. need for whatever a bill might be pushing.

On March 28, A Contra Costa Times editorial entitled: Stop The Trans fat Bill, starts off by standing firm for the consumer’s right and the business community’s right to offer to the consumer whatever the market will bear. Sounds right on. Then you get to the end of editorial and it declares “child obesity is an epidemic in our country. It’s a crusade worth fighting, so a good place to start curbing trans fat would be in our schools……We need healthier menus. There’s already a bill circulating Sacramento to address school meals: let’s pay attention to that.” Of course they don’t mention that it’s the local Senator’s bill, SB 20, that they have just touted.

Again, today, March 29, a front page article entitled: Contra Costa Tackles Growing Problem; Coalition works to reduce obesity in children” Now Contra Costa County has spawned a new community do-gooder agency called :”healthy and active before five.”

This group is grooming itself to act as the moral guidepost for the dietary needs of your children and grandchildren.

Another front page, very sad, story about a town in Tulare county being the site of the discovery of 3 abandoned newborns each related at three different intervals in the last 2 and half years. The first two babies were discovered just in time to save their lives, this last one was not found in time. The article mentions the importance of an advertising campaign that if there was the money available could have saved these babies allowing them to be turned in to proper authorities anonymously. The article doesn’t mention it, but the bill AB 81, Safe Surrender by Alberto Torrico is now being heard in the legislature. The problem with this bill is that it proposes to change the time limit for a safe surrender from 72 hrs to 30 days thereby changing the whole focus of the attempt to save newborns. The bill appeals to people because it includes $5 M for an advertising campaign. The original Safe Surrender bill two terms ago by Sen. Jim Brulte also contained funds for advertising which the Democrats removed from the bill in order to get the bill passed. So, those three Tulare county babies could have been safely received anonymously if there had been money in the law to allow for advertising how to and where to surrender newborns.

The Democrats want to change the time line and they may succeed by throwing a bone to the Republicans in the form of funding.

So, moral of this long story is, beware what you read it may be more propaganda than news.

______________________________

AB 106, Immunizations by Patti Berg was heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and then tabled on a unanimous vote. It has a funding requirement and therefore a 2/3rds vote required. It is going to be held in committee until the budget gets dealt with.

This bill mandates hospitals and nursing facilities to offer flu shots to patients 65 years and older. A seemingly innocuous, probably good idea. What hit me was the mention of changing the title of the Department of Health Services to the Department of Health Care Services, splitting the former DHS into two entities and creating a further bureaucracy ostensibly to fit in with the demands of the Homeland Security Office.

The Department of Health Services is but one department out of 12 under the umbrella of Health and Human Services Agency, a state cabinet level bureau directed by Kim never-saw-an-abortion-bill-she didn’t-like Belshe.

It is important to try to make sense out of this game of what shell hides the pea. I haven’t grasped the whole thing yet, but it appears that, in 2006, at the bidding of the Governor, Senator Deborah Ortiz,(D) and Senator George Runner, (R) carried a bill, SB 162, establishing a department level office of Public Health (I always thought that there was a department of Public Health, but not so, apparently). Seems like they never really got around to naming the department and filling the offices so this new bill, AB 106 is now carrying the mission forward.

Basically it is another level of bureaucracy overseeing the lives of individual citizens. The Governor’s big kick is healthy bodies, down with obesity, more senior citizens out lifting weights and carrying fresh groceries home or riding bikes. This new department of Public (emphasis on the public citizen) Health may become the vehicle that drives the environmental/healthy lifestyles engine.

___________________________

3. Other Legislation.

AB 374, Compassionate Choices in Dying, by Patti Berg, (D-Napa) and Lloyd Levine (D-LA). Passed the Judiciary Committee on a partisan vote as was expected. There was a 4 to 1 ratio of people present for the hearing in opposition to the bill, but it passed easily.

One ominous note: a representative of the HMO industry was there to support the bill. HMO’s like Kaiser are overflowing with very sick patients. I was recently in a Kaiser facility stashed temporarily in a unit called the Critical Care Overflow which reminded me of something one would see in a WW1 battlefield hospital, along with the Congress of Seniors (also support abortion), N.O.W., The Interfaith Council of San Francisco (this is the IAF faction entrenched in the SF Archdiocesan Office and Glide Memorial., Older Women’s League and he Hemlock Society, to name a few.

Churches are being asked to accept postal cards for parishioner signing in the very near future in opposition to AB 374. Let me know if you would be interested in obtaining post cards for your church or social group.

____________________

SOON TO BE HEARD

April 10, 2007, Assembly Judiciary Committee, Dave Jones, Chairman.

AB 43, Mark Leno, Gender-Neutral Marriage.

This bill would enact the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act,

The bill would make conforming changes with regard to the consent to, and solemnization of, marriage, and would make related findings and declarations.

Once again, this is an end run around Prop 22, establishing marriage as a contract between a man and a woman.

One bill to support -

SB 893, Children and Families Program, Dave Cox (R-Roseville). This bill attempts to circumvent diversion of tobacco tax funds by groups such as First Five mandating that the funds be spent on only children’s health care needs. It seems First Five likes to be generous and sprinkle it’s (our) tax dollars around to several questionable agencies having nothing to do with children’s health care, but everything to do with cementing relations with other community agencies and vote rendering clients.

STATUS: Awaiting its first hearing in the Senate Health Committee.
_________________________
Thank you to everyone who has been so generous and thoughtful as to include us in your donation giving. You have been very generous.

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1 . Hillary Clinton’s College Thesis.
          Is this important?

2. Upcoming legislation

__________________________________

1. Hillary Clinton’s name and political philosophy has been linked to that of Saul Alinsky, a Chicago political organizer and street fighter from the early 1930’s to the 70s.

HIllary wrote her college thesis in support of Alinsky’s work in the slaughter house area of Chicago, known as “The back of the yards”, organizing meatpackers from the black ghetto into fighting and protesting machines to gain a foothold in local government for the purpose of reforming government.

Alinsky, a known communist sympathizer, supported by a local activist Jesuit Priest in the early days formed an organization entitled the Industrial Areas Foundation - IAF - through which he trained these activists, Along the way he drew the attention and admiration of the Catholic Church.

Though Alinsky died in the early 1970s his organization and the people trained under his instruction manual “Rules for Radicals” carry on his work today. His book carries a forward dedicated to Lucifer.

Hillary almost went to work for him upon college graduation. Numerous similarly developed groups, many with leaders trained by Alinsky, have kept the flame burning. Hillary Clinton and Cesar Chavez are but two of his followers. Barrack Obama though not specifically Alinsky trained admits working as a community organizer in South Side Chicago in the Developing Communities Project which was a program of the Gamaliel Foundation. This is the most radical of all the groups as can be seen by googling their web site. They embrace socialism.

Over the years these groups have branched out, covering the country, claiming their own territory, refining their methods and messages, many spreading themselves with a thin veneer of religion. Today these are, for the most part, the main components of the faith-based partnerships that probably your own church is working with and supporting without your consent or knowledge.

These groups have similar goals; expanding and centralizing more and more human services within the state and federal governments by proclaiming that poor people have a right to health care, minimum wage, affordable housing, social services, amnesty for illegal aliens and day care underwritten by the government or foundations to an ever expanding level of people. They all unequivocally support birth control and abortion. They have to if they want to continue getting the government largesse.

I have written about some of these groups before such as PICO - Pacific Institute for Community Organizing, HopeNet out of Los Angeles. I think it was this latter group that came to a catholic church in Richmond with a Planned Parenthood training session for the area teens.

These groups are member organization groups - no individual memberships. They get part of their funding from a variety of national, well-known foundations as well as federal and state funds depending upon if they are a part of a church/community coalition, a separate non-profit partnering with a faith based organization. (in regular language faith based means church)

ENTER HILLARY

During the Clinton administration a massive welfare reform bill was passed entitled The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act signed by Clinton on August 22, 1996. It was informally referred to as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - TANF. In California this program is called CalWorks. Shades of Hillary’s abortive universal health care plans.

TANF, basically only allows recipients to be on welfare for a limited time during which time they are surrounded and supported by community services with the intention of preparing them for work. This opened up massive opportunities for community groups to form and qualify to take part in being a support service. Of course, after they got the hang of it they didn’t want to let go of the recipient/client.

TANF was amended prior to signing into law with a section authored by Republican Senator John Ashcroft and referred to as Charitable Choices. This b rought so-called faith based groups into the mix of secular agencies able to receive federal and state funds to act as social service vendors for the government. The funding can come directly from the federal government to a local church or community organization bypassing any authority, control or accountability to a state agency and therefore, the taxpayer.

California’s various government service agencies were reluctant to acknowledge the Charitable Choice program claiming that it violated the church/state separation clause of the state and federal Constitutions, This is all documented in a 65 page report entitled Faith-Based Organizations and Welfare Reform: California Religious Community Capacity Study Qualitative Findings and Conclusions.” published november, 2000, and available online.

In 1999, To correct this latest perceived inequity Senator Ray Haynes (R), beloved of the pro life and conservative communities, authored and achieved passage of AB 516 forcing the departments of Social Services and Employment Development Department to fulfill their long-delayed obligation to fund church groups who would agree to act on behalf of government social service agencies.

Through the actions of two trusted pro life legislators interested in channeling tax money to churches, churches have become the captives of these devious community organizations.

Churches began signing up the faithful for state insurance and getting a $50.00 kick back. Churches convinced that they were doing God’s work invited these organizations in to recruit and train people willing to act as volunteer lobbyists and protesters for expanded government involvement in community and family. Churches of medium size unable to sustain the professional counselors, etc, formed partnerships and coalitions with groups like PICO.

These groups now have access to the faithful in the pews to train them as political agitators. They are very active in the Latino communities inciting illegal immigrants to assume that they have a right to government assistance, voting, housing, health care, etc. This is what we are up against when trying to oppose many of the bills about which I write.

For those living in the Oakland Catholic Diocese, and the L.A. and San Diego Dioceses, especially, a look at the 2007 church directory will see that these groups have been given recognition by the diocese under a listing of community organizations. If you live in another Diocese perhaps you will get a copy of your church directory and look for similar groups with names such as ACT , L.A. Vision, in Northern California it’s FaithWorks, Long Beach Interfaith Organizing, In Oakland its Congregations Organizing for Renewal just to name a few. Of course, Catholic Charities is a major player in performing services for the government as a vendor of government social services. Many Diocesan Offices of Social Justice are little more than channels for political unrest.

Knowing who your opposition is and how they work can be a step toward overcoming them. It is the lobbying efforts of groups like these that cause the media to report on the upsurge in support for any number of social programs. It is not the ordinary citizen.

Hillary Clinton didn’t invent these groups, but she has been instrumental in causing their advancement when her husband was President

__________________________

LEGISLATION MOVING FORWARD

AB 52, Mervyn Dymally, Office of Patient Ådvocate. Intends to change the name of the state Health Services Department to that of Health Care Offices and establish a state hospital oversight Patient Advocate program.

Dymally claims to have the patient’s interests at heart, but one wonders to whom this state Advocate will give his/her loyalty, the patient or the state?

STATUS: Passed out of the Health Committee with a solid “aye” vote and one abstention.

It will be heard next in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

I link this bill with “end of life” issues and believe that its significance will not be known until or if AB 374, Choice in Dying gets passed.

Two other Dymally bills, AB 51, also on Patient Advocates, and AB 74, funneling money to his favor Charles Drew Hospital in his district to “study” obesity, passed out of the same Health Committee, but this time the handful of Republicans either said “NO” or didn’t vote.

However, since Republicans are represented just barely in most all these committees this is how all votes are going to go unless our people begin to raise a loud voice.

Bills to be heard on March 13th - in the Health Committee. Mervyn Dymally is Chairman of the Health Committee and Alan Nakanishi, (R) is V. Chair.

AB 16, Ed Hernandez, author with Bonnie Garcia, (R) co-author. HPV vaccinations for young girls age 9-18.

This bill was amended on 3/5/07, and re-referred to the Health Committee. removing the requirement that parents be handed informational material on the effects and side effects of Gardasil.

It will only be available at certain offices to which parents will have to go themselves to get a copy. If both parents work they will never get the vital information needed.

The bill, further, at one point makes reference just to pupils, not female pupils leading one to believe that this bill would authorize boys getting the shots as well. Further, the most egregious point states:

(11) Any other disease deemed appropriate by the department, taking into consideration the recommendations of the United States Public Health Services’ Centers for Disease Control Immunization Practices Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee of Infectious Diseases.

This appears to provide a covering authorization for any other vaccinations the state or education department would like to give your children without your approval.

You have two days to make phone calls on this bill.

AB 81, Alberto Torrico, Child Protection; Safe Surrender. To be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee, Chairman Jose Solorio (D), Greg Aghazarian, (R) V. Chairman.

The original bill by Sen. Jim Brulte and a reauthorization bill by Sen. Bob Dutton stipulated that there could be a 72 hour window of opportunity to turn in a new born infant with no questions asked. This bill was designed to prevent some panicked newly delivered mother from throwing the baby out the window or into a garbage can. It has saved over 200 babies.

This attempt to amend the bill and extend the time frame to 30 days changes the whole purpose of the bill turning it into a child abuse bill and denying total anonymity to the mother since it requires that some identifying information be taken at the time of surrender.

The only good part of this bill and the part that is causing some Republicans to support it is the clause that will allocate $5,000,000 to advertising and informational programs on surrendering babies. It is well known that the more publicity about this the more babies that will be saved, but not if the mother has to give some identifying information.

REQUEST:

Call Assemblyman Solorio’s office and request that he amend it back to a 72 hour safe surrender and keep the funding intact. During the Brulte bill debate the Democrats refused to put any funds into the bill.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico - 1-916/379-2020, Email: assemblymember.torrico@assembly.ca.gov

TO BE HEARD ON MARCH 27. Assembly Judiciary Committee, ave Jones,(D) Chair, Van Tran, (R) V. Chair. This committee has 3 Republicans and 6 Democrats. Laird is one of the members.

AB 14, John Laird, (D) Unrush Civil Rights Act of 2007. This bill amends 10 different civil codes expanding the groups who could file for discrimination charges. It will have an effect upon conscience clauses for religious groups and doctors.

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