July 18,2008
According to TIME magazine this week, You would expect Americans, in a period of falling home prices, a wobbly stock market and an ongoing war, to be less than satisfied with the direction of the country. It's natural. But Americans are not simply dissatisfied. They are very unhappy. 85% of respondents in an exclusive TIME/Rockefeller Foundation poll believe that the country is on the wrong track.
It's an unprecedented downer from an optimistic nation, and depending on whom you talk to, the numbers simply get worse. Among blacks and Latinos, the dissatisfaction levels are 96% and 88%, respectively. And fewer than half of Generation Y believes that the country's best days are ahead.
The kids are not all right. Nearly half of those between ages 18 and 29 say America was a better place to live in the 1990s and will continue to decline. Some of them are living that decline already: 58% of GenYers said they have had to borrow money to make ends meet in the past year.
A majority of Americans still believe that their kids will live better lives than they did, which means the American Dream isn't exactly dead. (Although America's kids aren't so sure.) But most also believe that the social contract -- the benefits corporations and government once guaranteed -- is busted and needs to be rewritten to reflect the realities of economic life in a global marketplace. A majority (78%) say there is more risk to their and their family's financial future than in the past, and rely more on their friends and family for financial support. More than a fifth (22%) have had to borrow money from a friend or relative to meet their expenses.
Most intriguing, a majority of those surveyed believe in the power of Big Government to solve the biggest problems of our time. They support major government investments that create jobs -- 82% favor public works projects -- and they remain sympathetic to the economy's victims: 70% say more government programs should help those now struggling. It is a shocking shift in sentiment, a counterreformation of sorts in a Republican-led era that emphasizes deregulation and self-reliance.
Do Americans really want more government? The answer to that question may be provided in the November election. But history has shown that when the going gets tough, even the tough expect their Uncle Sam to get going.
As the Green Party Write-In Candidate for Congress for Ohio's 6th District, I believe it is my job to go to Washington to help lead the fight to bring back Renewable Energy Jobs, Single-Payer Health Care for All, and Clean Fair Elections back to Ohio!
I am running for Congress because I believe we must send a representative to Washington who will address the issues facing regular citizens, not Lobbyists or Corporation PACs.
My campaign will focus on the issues that Ohioans care about: affordable health care, economic fairness, quality public education, and bringing renewable energy manufacturing jobs to the valley. I am not afraid to call for Health Care for All Ohioans, economic justice, and nothing less than a renewal of America's sense of community and promise of equal opportunity for all citizens.
Write-In Dennis Spisak for Congress-Ohio's 6th District
campaign site: http"//www.votespisak.org/electspisak.tripod.com
I, Dennis Spisak, approved of this posting.
Congresswomen Betty Sutton of Ohio's 13th Congressional District joined several other Representatives and a Senator from across the nation in introducing legislation that would compensate troops and military families who have been exploited by the Pentagon's shameful practice of Stop Loss or commonly known as The Backdoor Draft.
Our military family is asking that readers on several Veterans and Military Family blogs and forums PLEASE contact your state Representatives and Senators in Congress to get behind and co-sponsor the Stop-Loss Compensation Act in the Senate and House (S. 3060 and H.R. 6205).
You will find our "Write Officials" link on the right hand side of the ProgressOhio Website, and to add extra bite we ask you to please also select "Write Your Paper" to do a brief Letter to the Editor decrying this abusive practice and asking voters to speak out.
This is not about being pro or anti-war, it is about QUESTIONING practices that harm our troops, hurt military readiness, negatively impact military recruitment, and could eventually lead our government to 'no choice' but conscription - THE DRAFT.
Bobby Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
The Mustang Major
Military Families Speak Out - OHIO
Read More »July 14, 2008
Lisbon, Ohio- Ohio Green Party Member Dennis Spisak filed as as write-in candidate for Congress today at the Columbiana County Board of Elections. Spisak will run as a write-in candidate for Ohio's 6th Congressional District.
" I am running for Congress because I believe we must send a Progressive Liberal to Congress since we already have two conservative candidates in the race, Democratic Incumbent Charlie Wilson and Republican Rich Stobbs. It's time we give the voters of the 6th district a choice between conservative values which have failed this country over the past eight years and Progressive Liberal Values that will bring back Renewable Energy Jobs to the Ohio River Valley, Single-Payer Health Care for All, and clean and fair elections back to Ohio, " said Spisak.
" I am running for Congress because we must send a representative to Washington who will address the issues facing regular citizens, not Lobbyists and Corportation PACS. My campaign will focus on economic justice and nothing less than a renewal of America's sense of community and promise of equal opportunities for the poor, working, and middle class."
Spisak was one of the first Green Party Candidates to be elected in Ohio back in 2005 when he was elected to the Board of Education for the Struthers City Schools system. As a Board Member, he was able to help take the district out of state fiscal control and debt and return the system to financial health in 2 years with the help of his fellow board members.
Dennis Spisak's Platform:
LIVING WAGE JOBS: Organize opposition to NAFTRA trade policy. Protect our workers and unions.
EDUCATION: Fund and protect public education. Make college and technical education affordable. Help provide support, advocacy, and support to Ohio parents and care givers of children and adults with developmental disabilities and autism.
A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT: Promote clean renewable energy and create new renewable energy manufacturers and companies up and down the Ohio River. Protect Ohio's air and water. Improve Mass Transit. With gas over 4 dollars a gallon, busses, vans, and trains are the way many people will get to work-and that number is expected to grow over 40% in the next 10 years. Dennis Spisak will work with Congress on green solutions and less costs to riders and taxpayers.
CLEAN ELECTIONS: Eliminate fraudulent computer ballot counts and use verifiable paper ballots. Assure all Ohioans have an equal opportunity to vote and run for office.
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OHIOANS: Pass Single-Payer Health Care Acts that cover every American for any necessary procedure their doctor orders without exclusions for pre-exisiting conditions.
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For more information, contract Dennis Spisak at 330-755-0729 or 330-503-1407
I, Dennis Spisak, approve of the contents of this press release.
...so they've taken it upon themselves to defraud the public out of $100 billion a year.
That is well over a tenth of all the income taxes collected in 2005 and I have a feeling us in the bottom 99% don't keep our rainy day money in Liechtenstein.
P.S. The Vice Chairman of co-conspirator UBS is none other than McCain confidante Phil Gramm.
The following article is reposted from Huffington Post with permission of the author Bobby Muller, President of Veterans for America (VFA). Bobby Hanafin SP/5, U.S. Army (69-76) Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired (77-94) Military Families Speak Out - OHIO Veterans for America, Editorial Board Member, Our Troops Newsladder
SEE COMMENTS SECTION FOR LINKS TO OUR TROOPS NEWSLADDER AND HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE BY BOBBY MULLER.
Read More »
Bobby Hanafin
The Mustang Major Read More »
Several of the Philanthropy organizations mentioned here were selected by Congress to be watchdogs over the growing number of Veteran and Patriotic related charities.
I personally worked with the American Philanthropy Institute (API) that gave testimony before Congress on the shameful inefficiency of many well known Veterans Service Organizations and the ever increasing number of Patriotic causes from Yellow Ribbons to Recruitment mass mailings, up to an including fraudulent claims that in order to get one's Veterans Benefits, one had to join the American Legion.
I brought these complaints to the attention of both the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service and Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio. I even asked then Ohio Attorney General Mark Dann to review the accounts on file with the Charity Office of the Ohio Attorney General to see for himself that several Veterans Organizations such as the American Legion and VFW were mismanaging fund raising efforts focused more so on recruitment outreach, administrative overhead, and paying off commercial ad agencies.
Both the federal Postal Service and Senator Brown's office tried to discourage pursuit of these findings or any investigation FEARING the political clout of the American Legion and VFW.
I frankly gave up by deciding myself and extended military family, plus anyone else who would listen to me TO NOT DONATE TO ANY PATRIOTIC OR VETERANS CHARITY UNTIL THEIR LEADERSHIP CLEANED UP ITS ACT AND MORE SO UNTIL AT LEAST HERE IN OHIO such mismanagement and inefficiency in fund raising is EXPOSED and FIXED.
Folks, we are heading into hard economic times that impact ALL CHARITABLE organizations even as these Flag Waving and Support Out Troops groups proliferate. Ohio politicians of both parties are looking the other way, so it is up to you THE DONOR to check with the Ohio Attorney Generals Office and ask for a review of all charitable organizations to confirm $$$ they are raising is going toward the purpose YOU expected.
Anyway, this is my way of A CAUTIONARY NOTE to those Veterans', Military Family, and passionate Patriotic Organizations that have set up POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES. When it comes time for a white glove audit of the fund raising accounts of charitable patriots, those with a PAC are going to receive the most attention, and better have your fund raising accounts balanced in favor of your membership and mission.
Bobby Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
PS: Those of you who believe I'm being too harsh on Patriotic War Profiteers, and Veterans Organizations (regardless how much political clout they do or do not have), take my word for it (or goe to any base and request a community tour or visit).
You will note that the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and DOD Commissary Agency provides more support for our troops, even those stationed in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan more so than anytime America has been at war. OUR TROOPS ARE ALWAYS PROVIDED SUPPORT BY CONGRESS AND THEIR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, that is their job and our tax payer dollars in action. There frankly is no need to give donations to any active duty troops or families (National Guard units could use as much moral support as possible given proximity to active duty base support is questionable).
EXAMPLE: In order to make an in their face POINT to Flag Wavers and We Support Our Troops more than thou nuts, I wear a T-Shirt that has the Military Star Card emblazed on the front and back. War profiteers HATE to see someone who knows how our troops are really supplied PROVE IT!
Put another way, our troops received better shopping and entertainment support than they did war fighting equipment going into the occupation. IN SUM, OUR TROOPS ARE NOT CHARITY CASES, SO WHY SHOULD THEY BE CONSIDERED AS SUCH WHEN THEY GET OUT???? Read More »
Our military family was thrilled to note that progressive PACs have beat this effort to the punch in battleground states by launching counter campaign ads focusing on that which American Voters can relate to - HOW MUCH THE WAR IN IRAQ COST IN $$$$$$$$$$
Stay on that theme, and as the economy worsens, and it will the longer we Stay in Iraq, that RELATIONSHIP will checkmate anything that PRO-WAR Veterans and Military Families have to say. Also, remember that those 20,000 or so mention below VOLUNTEERED to go to Iraqnam, and VOLUNTEER to stay. If that is true then 20,000 is just about the right number to garrison Iraq and Afghanistan as we pull out. SEND THOSE 20,000 back to or keep them in Iraq and Afghanistan then allow those who volunteer not to stay LEAVE.
Why do WE THE PEOPLE have to make everything so complicated. Oh, the icing on the cake. If 20,000 Veterans can afford a Million bucks to pay for PRO-WAR campaigns, they sure can raise the funds needed to PAY FOR THE WAR. There should be a tax cut for any American who does not want to pay for the War in Iraq. That way those Americans (regardless of party) who passionately want to commit to the War on Terror can do so. HAVE AT IT!!! Read More »
One in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One in four! "Additionally, teen birth rates are going up and the cost of birth control is skyrocketing," said Gary Dougherty, State Legislative Director, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio.
On May 30, 2007, the bi-partisan Ohio Prevention First Act was introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives. This landmark legislation will reduce unintended pregnancies through:
- Realistic sex education and teen pregnancy prevention programs
- Funding for family planning programs
- Guaranteed access to birth control prescriptions
- Contraceptive equity
- Emergency contraception access and education
It is critical that this commonsense legislation be scheduled for a hearing before the end of the year. You can help make that happen.
Sign the petition urging the Chairman of the House Health Committee, Rep. Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon), to schedule a hearing on the Ohio Prevention First Act.
PPAO and I appreciate your support. I can't think of any legislation the General Assembly could undertake that could benefit more Ohioans more positively health-wise.
By E. J. Dionne Jr. Washington Post
Monday, July 7, 2008; A13
EXERPTS (LINKS TO SOURCE TO BE FOUND IN COMMENTS SECTION)
Posted by Bobby Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
"When a candidate calls a second news conference to say the same thing he thought he said at the first one, you know he knows he has a problem."
With that lead in, Washington Post some OP/editorial commenter, I never heard of throws out a pun about Republican efforts to trap Obama in a Catch 22 on Iraq that they hope will either cost him votes or degrade any trust in swing voters that Obama would seriously end the Iraq War, if all "appears" to be going well with what could become an EXTENDED SURGE.
Read on. Read More »
Reposted on ProgressOhio courtesy of Veterans for Common Sense (VCS)
On Saturday, June 28, 2008, without fanfare, scheduled media attention, or photo-ops, Senator Barack Obama stopped by Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit wounded war veterans, a group that he has said endured and continues to endure substandard care under the Bush administration.
Obama was in DC to speak to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, spent about two hours inside Walter Reed. On his way in and out, he did not speak to the small group of reporters who follow him, and the visit wasn't on his public schedule.
ROBERT L. HANAFIN, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
(THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF ANY POLITICAL CANDIDATE BY EITHER MYSELF OR VETERANS FOR COMMON SENSE (VCS) WHICH I AM A MEMBER OF - MAJOR HANAFIN)
Read More »Step 1 - Click on Voter Registration Instruction Manual for Designated Agencies: High Resolution (pdf)
OR:
Click on Voter Registration Instruction Manual for Designated Agencies: Low Resolution (pdf)
Step 2 - Access Sec1:29 (34 of 46)
Step 3 - Read (D) "A board of elections shall not be required to distribute a copy of a brochure under division (B) of this section to any of the following officials or employees are requesting more than two voter registration forms at one time in the course of the official's or emplloyee's normal duties:
(1) An election official;
(2) A county treasurer
(3) A deputy registrar of motor vehicles;
(4) An employee of a designated agency;
(5) An employee of a public high school;
(6) An employee of a public vocational school;
(7) An employee of a public library
(8) An employee of the office of a county treasurer;
(9) An employee of the bureau of motor vehicles;
(10) An employee of a deputy registrar of motor vehicles;
(11) An employee of an election official.
I need to say at this point I am definitely NOT open to conversation addressing the relative merits of this law and rationalizations of why this law is okay. It is not okay. The following is "off the table for me":
1. If people really want the info, they'll get it.
2. Anybody can just print it off from the web.
3. Nobody reads these things.
4. Our taxes shouldn't be used to pay for this.
5. Single mothers/fathers and married mothers/fathers on welfare know everything there is to know about benefits. They can just as easily get this information if they cared.
I've been hearing the above opinions frequently in many different contexts. The above 5 statements have been made by normal middle class individuals who lead genuinely self - sacrificing lives to help others.
Obviously, I'm not an attorney. I wish for a magical filing of an emergency temporary (effective AT THE VERY LEAST until all formal results of the November 2008 Presidential Election are made public) injunction in a Federal District Court to shut this withholding of the paper copy of the 2008 Ohio Voter Information Guide DOWN.
Frankly, I believe that part of this is political arrogance by Democratic candidates that they or their campaign staff do not recognized PEACE groups, especially a by-state organized grassroots movement BIG MISTAKE. I would be the first to point fingers at the Republican Party, it is a given they are ARROGANT, except at least one Republican has the humility to fill out and acknowledge these most serious state and national issues.
Given, a few candidates from all parties have already stated their positions on the issues via their online campaign websites. If that be true, at the minimum respond to Voters for Peace and tell us that.
Of note, on the Ohio State page of Voters for Peace, yes WE are a presence here; ProgressOhio is listed as one of our resources. We depend on you to answer this CALL TO ACTION.
Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired Read More »
Unfortunately, when it comes to Iraq (or Iran), the senator didn't have much encouraging news to share.
Brown said he will vote against the $165 billion supplemental funding bill for Iraq and Afghanistan which will soon be on the Senate floor. This is no surprise, since Brown cast a similar vote against a $70 billion supplemental war-funding bill last December.
Once again, however, the war funding bill is expected to pass without significant concessions by the White House.
Brown's position on war funding has hardened since last June when he vowed in e-mail to Ohio Quakers to "continue to fight to fully fund our troops.."
And, in fact, in May 2007 Brown voted in favor of an earlier $120 billion war supplemental bill brought to the Congress by the Bush administration.
Now, however, "I don't trust anything he (Bush) says when he's talking about Iraq," Brown said. In view of the administration's failure earlier in the war to provide adequate body and vehicle armor, Brown said legislators can't be sure the President would recall U.S. troops even if future funding was denied.
Brown said in voting against continued war funding, he is taking a risk that congressional opposition could weaken U.S. forces abroad.
"It's a real hard call," he said. "In an election year, a lot of Democrats flinch from it. (Note: Brown was elected to a 6-year term in 2006 and isn't up for re-election until 2012.)
"But politics aside, it's a hard legitimate question," he said. "Do you cut funding when you have soldiers in the field? It's more than politics."
In his response to Ohio Quakers last June, Brown said, "I voted against the Iraq war and I generally support the principles of the (withdrawal) legislation. I will continue to fight to fully fund our troops, to ensure accountability and oversight, for economic and political changes that benefit all Iraqi citizens and to redeploy our troops as soon as possible."
Brown said he opposes any attempt by the Bush administration to ink a long-term security agreement with Iraqi officials that ties the hands of the next administration. The U.S. reportedly wants to preserve more than 50 U.S. bases in Iraq under such an agreement, and give U.S. soldiers and contractors immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.
Administration officials say they don't need to get congressional approval for such an agreement. Brown said he's not sure Congress could block such a move, although the next President could overturn any Iraqi pact not approved by Congress.
Likewise, if the outgoing administration launched a pre-emptive attack against Iranian nuclear facilities before leaving office in January, its congressional critics might not be able to do much more than complain.
"If there's an attack on Iran, and they (Iran) haven't attacked us,....there will be all sorts of reaction," said Brown. "That would be met with skepticism and rage by a lot of us..."
The bottom line, he said, is that the debate on the war has now shifted from Congress to the Presidential campaigns.
"The party will take the lead from Barack, he said. "In the end, what he says is pretty much what we follow. And we'll just have to fight about it after the election."
It was announced by Cleveland Peace Action during the conference call that an Iran Coordinating Group will meet this Saturday in Cleveland as part of the National Assembly to end the Iraq War and Occupation. For more information, go to www.natassembly.org or call 216-736-4704.
In keeping with my Embrace the Dull theme, let's talk about county government.
Here's an interesting fact -- and it may be the last you read here -- there are 88 counties in Ohio, the same as the number of keys on a piano! Whee!
Who runs county government? Three-person boards of elected county commissioners in 87 counties; just-has-to-be-different Summit County has a county executive and council.
What do county officials do? They don't make laws. They manage county business and enforce state and federal regulations. The scope of responsibility is quite broad. Counties handle public safety (police, prisons, justice system), infrastructure (highways, sewers, bridges) and public welfare (assistance programs).
All these county services are paid for with sales tax. In Franklin County, the rate is currently 6.75% (COTA buses collect 0.5% of this sales tax.) Six and three-quarters cents of every dollar spent is not such a bad deal considering all the fundamental services counties provide.
County commissioners are usually low-key individuals who you don't hear about until a bridge collapses or a levee breaks. As politicians they are almost invisible.
When disaster strikes, who you gonna call? Probably a county commissioner.
Policy Matters Ohio:
During the next year, Ohio’s unemployment compensation system is likely to borrow from the federal government in order to pay benefits to jobless workers.
This backgrounder explores why the UC system is in such poor financial shape (pdf) and makes recommendation on what should be done.
It finds that the system has been underfunded over the past decade. Employers have paid lower taxes than the national average while benefit costs have been in line with those of other states.
Ohio currently requires that taxes be paid on the first $9,000 of each employee’s earnings. As a first step to putting the fund on solid ground, the state should increase that taxable wage base and index it to wage levels.
A vendor at the official GOP State Convention in Texas was allowed to sell a button reading "If Obama is President... will we still call it the White House?"
But surely, you say, the Texas GOP is full of reasonable people, and this just slipped through. I'd ask you to peruse their official platform:
- No homosexual or any individual convicted of child abuse or molestation should have the right to custody or adoption of a minor child, and that visitation with minor children by such persons should be limited to supervised periods.
- Our Party pledges to do everything within its power to restore the original intent of the First Amendment of the United States and the concept of the separation of Church and State and dispel the myth of the separation of Church and State.
- The Party calls for the United States monetary system to be returned to the gold standard.
- The Party supports an orderly transition to a system of private pensions based on the concept of individual retirement accounts, and gradually phasing out the Social Security tax.
- We urge that the IRS be abolished
- The Party believes the minimum wage law should be repealed.
- The Party believes it is in the best interest of the citizens of the United States that we immediately rescind our membership in, as well as all financial and military contributions to, the United Nations.
This is the state party that our President and Ron Paul call home, and they presumably signed this platform:
- Any person filing as a Republican candidate for a public or Party office shall be provided a current copy of the Party platform at the time of filing. The candidate shall be asked to read and initial each page of the platform and sign a statement affirming he/she has read the entire platform.
The Dispatch has a rundown of new legislation passed in Ohio.
Because of your support, ProgressOhio played a role in getting the following bills signed into law:
You use payday loans . . . Lawmakers have decided that lenders should not be allowed to charge you 391 percent annual interest anymore. They found 28 percent more to their liking. Payday lenders might fight the law on the ballot. (HB 545)
You worry about electricity costs . . . Lawmakers set up a new regulatory system to set rates and allow companies to switch into an open market. No, this is not expected to stop rates from going up. (SB 221)
You long for a world powered without coal or natural gas . . . Utilities must start meeting annual benchmarks so that at least 25 percent of electricity generated in Ohio comes from renewable or advanced energy sources by 2025, and so that power usage becomes 22 percent more efficient by that year. (SB 221)
You're a veteran . . . Lawmakers helped you financially and paid you symbolic tribute. Military pensions are now exempt from the state income tax, and estates of those who died in a combat zone can avoid certain probate fees. Someone awarded a battle star can display the star on a special military license plate; some can now get Civil Air Patrol license plates; those who lose loved ones in military service can get "Gold Star" license plates; and I-70 and I-71 have been designated the "Purple Heart Trail." (HB 372 and SB 25) Veterans who need help from the state will soon find a new Department of Veterans Services, which replaces the current Governor's Office of Veterans Affairs. And troops trying to return home to their private-sector jobs now have more employment protections. (SB 289)
He got what he said he wanted . . .
Increased benefits to high unemployment states, but Congressman Boehner (joined from Ohio's delegation only by by Rep. Bob Latta) still voted No on extend benefits to the unemployed.
House Increases Jobless Benefits
The House yesterday overwhelmingly approved a plan to give jobless workers an extra three months of unemployment benefits, but the measure faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
With 49 Republicans joining a united Democratic caucus, the House voted 274 to 137 to approve the measure, which would provide an extra 13 weeks of unemployment checks to most jobless workers and 26 extra weeks to job seekers in high-unemployment locations such as Michigan, California, Alaska, Rhode Island and the District.
The vote comes less than a week after the nation recorded the largest one-month jump in unemployment filings in more than 20 years. The jobless rate rose to 5.5 percent in May from 5 percent in April, as the number of laid-off workers climbed to 8.5 million people, including at least 1.6 million who are likely to have exhausted their benefits.
No wonder you voted John Boehner as last year's Ohio Grinch of the Year.
Why Did a Lower-Ranked Organization Get Money While Higher-Ranked Groups Were Denied Funding?
By MURRAY WAAS
June 12, 2008 —
An organization that promotes sexual abstinence for teens received a federal grant of over a million dollars, twice what it had requested, despite the skepticism Department of Justice staffers had about the group and the fact that it refused to participate in a congressionally mandated study.
So why did the Best Friends Foundation receive the grant from the Justice Department's juvenile justice office even though dozens of competing organizations were rated higher by the office's own reviewers? Current and former staffers say it was because of Best Friends' powerful president and founder, Elayne Bennett.
Not only is Bennett the wife of Bill Bennett, a former Reagan and Bush administration official and conservative political commentator, but she is also personally close to the chief administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), J. Robert Flores.
DOJ staffers were deeply skeptical when Best Friends applied for a grant of around a half-million dollars last summer. For one thing, the organization had backed out of a congressionally mandated study to examine whether or not abstinence programs are effective.
Then there were the DOJ staffers own internal reviews, which placed Best Friends behind dozens of other competing organizations. Out of 104 grants in their category, Best Friends ranked 53rd.
But those other organizations didn't have Elayne Bennett. Bennett, say current and former DOJ staffers in the OJJDP, often spoke on the phone with Flores and had access to him and his aides that other juvenile organizations ordinarily wouldn't have.
And then there were the parties. When Best Friends held their pricey society fundraisers, Flores was often in attendance, as were some of his top aides, albeit with permission from the DOJ ethics officers, according to OJJDP staffers.
Former OJJDP staffer Scott Peterson, who left the office in disgust over Flores' handling of the grant process, told ABCNews.com that the parties didn't have much to do with assessing whether or not the group deserved government funding.
While still at the DOJ, Peterson had recommended that funds be withheld related to an earlier grant awarded to Best Friends because the group had not complied with federal regulations that it report how it was spending taxpayer money. When faced with a possible cut-off of their funding, the group did belatedly comply and provided the information.
And then there was the matter of Best Friends having earlier backed out of a congressionally mandated study on abstinence programs even after it had agreed to participate.
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