Archive for July 2012
“Evidence” how Fatherlessness leads to poverty which obviously leads to a life of crime — Exhibit #1, Maryland Judge Robert M. Bell
I ran across this while fetching some information from one of my pet-peeve situations, and to post over at Lackawanna County’s (scranton political times). After all, hadn’t Lackawanna gotten some T&A — excuse me, I mean “TA” (Technical Assistance) from here, in 2002 with their Unified Family Court?
UBaltimore School of Law’s Center for Children and the Courts
But I pick up on details, and wondered whether Judge Bell was related (as in, married) to another Judge Bell who had addressed this particular center. On reading his bio, I determined it’s time we start spreading the good news: Fatherlessness does NOT lead to a life of poverty and crime,
At least not among those without fathers — but perhaps it may encourage criminal behaviors in those getting fatherhood grants which claim it does — after all, they are not well monitored… and it’s tempting…. and HHS/OIG/OAS can’t be everywhere at once….
Anyhow, just a notation “for the record” that no matter what President Obama says in his speeches, or on fatherhood.gov — single mothers aren’t all they’re scapegoated to be, nor are low-income people the plague of the earth. In fact, because low-income parents, moreover, are just a little more vulnerable to being used as lab-rats in some TANF diversionary marriage-promoting program…. they at least are providing jobs for the white-collar sector or among PhD & PhD candidates obsessed with measuring behaviors and doing test-runs of family court “outcomes” at the behest of the Tzar Secretary of “Health and Human Services” (or, the Navy, etc.) As such, thank God for ’em, right? Anyhow:
Exhibit #1 in Evidence “to the contrary” about Fatherlessness, plus sharecropping explained for those who are too young to remember and too busy getting their Mental Health TeenScreen to care or understand:
From the American Bar Association’s The Judges’ Journal (Winter 2011). Reprinted with permission.
An Interview with Chief Judge Robert M. Bell
By Judge William D. Missouri
Judge William D. Missouri retired from the Prince George’s County Circuit Court on September 4, 2010, having served since 1987. He currently sits after being recalled to the bench pursuant to the Maryland Constitution. Judge Missouri is vice chair of the ABA’s Judicial Division, chair of the Diversity Committee of the Judicial Division’s National Conference of State Trial Judges, and actively involved with numerous other ABA committees. He can be reached at wmissouri@co.pg.md.us.
In Baltimore in 1960, 12 African-American students, mostly from Dunbar High School, entered a downtown restaurant. They were refused service and subsequently arrested and convicted for trespassing. One of the Dunbar students, Robert M. Bell, led an appeal of the verdict in a landmark civil rights case, Bell v. Maryland, which eventually was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and brought an end to de facto racial segregation in Maryland.
Chief Judge Robert M. Bell was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on July 6, 1943, and raised in Baltimore. After graduation from Dunbar High, he pursued his education first at Morgan State College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1966, and then at Harvard University Law School, where he received his JD in 1969.
He soon began his historic odyssey through Maryland’s legal system. He began his legal career as an attorney at the firm of Piper and Marbury. He then became a judge on the Maryland bench, which he has served for more than thirty-five years.
. . .(personal background — “fatherless”)
I know that you were born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, but at what age did you travel to Baltimore, and do you know what went into the decision to move to this area?
Well, my mother moved to Baltimore when I was about a year-and-a-half, along with my two brothers and me. I suspect that the decision to come was largely made as a result of the breakup of my mother and father. And, of course, it was also the time when there was migration north from the rural south. I know that my mother’s brother, one of her older brothers, had settled in Baltimore and was urging her to move up, and she was attempting to better her condition since she was simply a sharecropper.
Chief, most people are not going to understand what a sharecropper is; would you be kind enough to give a brief explanation as you understand it?
As I understand it, it is where you farm land owned by a larger farmer, a white farmer. In North Carolina, in those days, he supplied all of the food and shelter, and at the end of the year when the crops came in, you settled up. Unfortunately, most of the time, when you settled up, you didn’t do too well. Indeed, usually, the only one who made any money was the man who owned the land.
Bell was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on July 6, 1943. His father, Thomas, a laborer, and his mother, Rosa Lee Bell, a house cleaner, separated when Bell was very young. His mother raised all three of her sons as a single parent. “I don’t remember ever having lived with him,” Bell said of his father to CBB. Bell grew up in a tough, impoverished African American neighborhood in east Baltimore. “I fought a good bit when I was growing up, going to and from school,” he commented to CBB. “And of course I was stopped by the police from time to time. My mother was concerned that I got in at a decent hour and didn’t run in the streets too much.” During his elementary school years, Bell read Perry Mason detective and mystery stories and began to think about becoming a lawyer.
Demonstrated for Civil Rights
At the age of 16, Bell found himself on the wrong side of the law. While he was president of the student body at Dunbar, a then- segregated high school, Bell helped orchestrate a sit-in at Hooper‘s cafeteria, which also was segregated. He and the other demonstrators were arrested and eventually convicted of trespassing.
OK, OK, so he committed SOME “crime” as a youngster. just think, in our time he might have been sold as a “Kid for Kash” into a diversionary program (Luzerne, County, PA). Or, his father would be back in his life through the child support system.
The group appealed the conviction and brought their case before the Court of Appeals, where it was refused legal recognition. Aided by lawyer Juanita Jackson Mitchell and Thurgood Marshall, chief counsel of the NAACP, the group took its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was again rejected. In 1963, following the passage of anti-segregation laws by Maryland’s general assembly, the Court of Appeals considered the case again and overturned the convictions.
Bell’s experience with the court system had inspired him to pursue a legal career and follow in the footsteps of his hero, Thurgood Marshall. (photos) While majoring in history at Morgan State College, Bell sat on the disciplinary committee. He also became chief justice of his dormitory court. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1966, Bell was accepted into Harvard University Law School. He enjoyed his classes at Harvard, especially a criminal law course taught by appellate lawyer, Alan Dershowitz. Bell graduated from Harvard University Law School in 1969.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/robert-m-bell#ixzz21y3wJzYZ
Thurgood Marshall: (link as from text, just above):
It was Marshall who ended legal segregation in the United States. He won Supreme Court victories breaking the color line in housing, transportation and voting, all of which overturned the ‘Separate-but-Equal’ apartheid of American life in the first half of the century. It was Marshall who won the most important legal case of the century, Brown v. Board of Education, ending the legal separation of black and white children in public schools. The success of the Brown case sparked the 1960s civil rights movement, led to the increased number of black high school and college graduates and the incredible rise of the black middle-class in both numbers and political power in the second half of the century.
~ ~ ~ ~ also of note, Morgan State education of Judge Bell, per his interview:
Now you attended an HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] and one of the more renowned HBCUs in America. Did your education at Morgan prepare you adequately for Harvard Law School?And had you always aspired to attend Harvard?
No, it was definitely an experience that prepared all of us who attended for whatever we choose to do later. Morgan’s foundation was excellent. In fact, when I was at Morgan, we had more professors with PhDs per student than any institution in the area. We also had excellent professors, even when they did not have PhDs. In fact, the smartest guy I knew was a man named Mr. Fisher, who was not a PhD.
They also excelled, our teachers did, in their concern for the students. I had tuberculosis. It was during that one-year period that I realized the kind of concern the professors had. It was Mr. Fisher who decided that he would bring me my lessons in the hospital. And it was that kind of encouragement that also played a role in preparing not only me, but I am sure a lot of other students, for what we were going to face and accomplish later on. Again, Morgan was really a critical part of my career path. I often said that was the case.
Maybe this is EXACTLY why there’s such a fear of strong, follows their instincts African-American mothers showing in Congressional testimony right before 1996 Welfare Reform. Heck, I think Jesus wouldn’t have passed muster nowadays — He’d be somewhere in foster care and put on Ritalin for asking too many questions of his superiors, too, and purportedly born out of wedlock, too…. I don’t know. Go ask Newt who (let’s remember) hails from Georgia and was instrumental in promoting this (WIKIPEDIA):
After being raised Lutheran and spending most of his adult life as aSouthern Baptist, Gingrich converted to Roman Catholicism in 2009. He has been married three times, with the first two marriages ending in divorce. He has two children from his first marriage and has been married to Callista (Bisek) Gingrich since 2000.
A co-author and architect of the “Contract with America“,** Gingrich was a major leader in the Republican victory in the 1994 congressional election. In 1995, Time named him “Man of the Year” for “his role in ending the four-decades-long Democratic majority in the House”.[4] While he was House speaker, the House enacted welfare reform, passed a capital gains tax cut in 1997, and in 1998 passed the first balanced budget since 1969.
**which TANF welfare reform was a creative response by Clinton to in light of said “Contract with America.” see my other blog.
You can lead a horse to water, but . . . . well, how domesticated (blindered) are You?
(images from HERE , Here, & Here , probably not best illustrations of “to drink” — or being led (notice the ones drinking have no bridles…)
From “Phrases.uk.org”
Meaning
People, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do.
Origin
Proverbs give richness to language and, to some extent, define a culture. ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’ might be thought to encapsulate the English-speaking people’s mindset better than any other saying, as it appears to be the oldest English proverb that is still in regular use today. It was recorded as early as 1175 in Old English Homilies:
Hwa is thet mei thet hors wettrien the him self nule drinken
[who can give water to the horse that will not drink of its own accord?]
[images from s8.zetaboards.com, forums.anandtech.com & HERE ]
The presence of “blinders” indicates domestication for purposes of harnessing and pulling loads, or (as it may be) racing for spectators to play the odds {gamble) on the outcome. PEOPLE should not let others put blinders on, or put their own on. But (we) do. Recommended reading on perception (people vs. animals) “ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION” by Temple Grandin who explains things better.
This post began as a response to a comment on Scranton Political Forum, whose analysis I disagreed with, primarily because it was hearsay & speculation, not analysis. . and “abstractified” . . . . Blogger was focusing on the persons & personalities — and somehow just will not perceive the plans.
If you do, this post may be repeat — but possibly with more or different evidence. Little happens in the courts which wasn’t pre-planned long ago, along with the marvel of the US “public” school system, and what a great job it does of turning people’s heads away from history, economics, and the relativization of everything, including law — and apparently math, too.
As happens sometimes, the work in put in laying out the basics about the Corporate & Nonprofit Association Connections with the County Courthouses — including their corporate registrations with addresses matching courthouses — took some time and produced a greater awareness in my head, and a greater sized comment than would fit in the comments field.
THIS was round one (minus the location-specific references, for the most part) — and goes into AFCC/CRC/Foundations involved/ Universities involved, and a good indication of Fatherhood Groups — not to mention “the Moonies” (i.e., an international money-laundering young-people-enslaving CULT run by a tax-evading self-appointed Messiah [who has literally said that Jesus messed up, but now he’s here to correct where Jesus fell short — by not marrying and propagating] – — did I mention with some indications of involvement in criminal activities?].
That last bit was a natural follow-up from Wikipedia’s description of CRC (The Children’s Rights Council) and David L. Levy, Esq. ,who took a nice award from a group which declares itself to be a joint project with . . . well, you’ll just have to read it for yourself. . . . . . .
So here we go– minus some of the graphics and pretty colors which didn’t transfer with a block-copy….
Mediation and co-parenting do not exist because of exasperated judges tired of disgruntled, nasty parents ona vendetta. they exist because of people like Meyer Elkin, Roger Alton Pfaff, Peter Salem, Jessica Pearson(originally) and the fact that tax evasion by public employees is like taking candy from a baby. They also exist because so much of the public — in general — has been conditioned to accept and trust authority when it wears a robe or holds office — and because of their basic economic // business ignorance.
They exist because private (foundation) wealth and federal gov’t grants have no shortage of Ivy League etc. (Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke, etc.) lack of professionals willing to make their livings at writing up what it’s like to be poor and what those who are NOT poor should do it — in conferences where the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Urban Institute, Manpower Research Demonstration Corpt. (MDRC) — and people like Jessica Pearson — one of the earlier incorporators on the AFCC — are willing to make it their business to write up how to manage everyone else’s business on a national level.
AFCC SAYS:
For nearly half a century, AFCC and its members have served as catalysts for generating major reforms.
That’s true. They haven’t been good reforms, but they have been reforms . . ..
Dispute resolution processes such as child custody mediation, parenting coordination and divorce educationare just a few of the innovative ideas developed by AFCC members. AFCC has developed Practice Guidelines and Standards for family and divorce mediation, child custody evaluation, parenting coordination, brief focused assessment and court-involved involved therapists.
Again, that’s part of the truth. The unspoken part is who’s paying for it (which includes federal grants)
… AFCC partners include the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), Hofstra Law School [NY] Center for Children, Families and the Law, Battered Women’s Justice Project, ** Werner Institute for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Children, Families and the Courts, Loyola University Chicago School of Law’s Civitas ChildLaw Center, Resolution Systems Institute and Marquette University Law School Dispute Resolution Program.
Fathers Under Fire:
The Revolution in Child Support Enforcement (Google eBook) (2001.) A book underwritten by Ford, Annie E. Casey & Russell Sage (est. 1907) foundations. I dare you to read the Acknowledgement andConference Participants lists. .Two of the Contributors were also from Center for Policy Research in Denver (Pearson/Thoennes).
Illinois – 1975
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CALIFORNIA — 1981 (surrendered), 1987. Margaret Little = Los Angeles County Courthouse. Look at detail below:
Entity Number | Date Filed | Status | Entity Name | Agent for Service of Process |
---|---|---|---|---|
C1587819 | 05/15/1987 | ACTIVE | ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY AND CONCILIATION COURTS THE CALIFORNIA CHAPTER | LULU L WONG |
C1091990 | 10/01/1981 | SURRENDER | ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY CONCILIATION COURTS | MARGARET LITTLE |
Entity Name: | ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY CONCILIATION COURTS |
Entity Number: | C1091990 |
Date Filed: | 10/01/1981 |
Status: | SURRENDER |
Jurisdiction: | ILLINOIS |
Entity Address: | 1720 EMERSON ST |
Entity City, State, Zip: | DENVER CO 80218 |
Agent for Service of Process: | MARGARET LITTLE |
Agent Address: | 111 N HILL ST |
Agent City, State, Zip: | LOS ANGELES CA 90012 |
Address if the incorporating AGENT (little) is a courthouse. Address of the ENTITY is Denver, but somehow its Jurisdiction is Illinois?
Currently another business out of the same address:
Entity Name: | LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES ASSOCIATION |
Entity Number: | C2062529 |
Date Filed: | 12/10/1997 |
Status: | ACTIVE |
Jurisdiction: | CALIFORNIA |
Entity Address: | 111 N HILL ST RM 204 |
Entity City, State, Zip: | LOS ANGELES CA 90012 |
Agent for Service of Process: | FREDERICK R BENNETT |
Agent Address: | 111 N HILL ST RM 546 |
Agent City, State, Zip: | LOS ANGELES CA 90012 |
What was at 1720 Emerson Street in Denver, then? Well, as of at least 2001, Center for Policy Research, and getting federal grants to write about DV and other issues. Evidence: https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=187446
This research was supported by grant number 97-WT-VX-0002 awarded to The Justice Studies Center at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the Center for Policy Research by the National Institute of Justice. The authors thank Dr. Robert Hughes of The Justice Studies Center for invitingtheCenterforPolicyResearchtoparticipateintheproject.
CPR main PhD leadership (it’s a small firm!) are: Jessica Pearson, Nancy Thoennes and Jane Venohr.
Colorado – 2007
I searched “Center for Policy Research”:
1 | 14481036331 | 14481036331 | CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH | Trade Name | Effective | Individual | 07/01/1985 |
2 | 19871433938 | 19871433938 | CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH | Articles of Incorporation | Good Standing | DNC | 04/27/1981 |
Detail on #2 above, around since 1981 — Same street, different block, Jessica Pearson:
ID Number: | 19871433938 |
Name: | CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH |
|
|
Registered Agent: | JESSICA S. PEARSON |
Registered Agent Street Address: | 1570 EMERSON, DENVER, CO 80218, United States |
Registered Agent Mailing Address |
8 | 20071026898 | 20071027463 | Colorado Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Inc. | Articles of Amendment | Good Standing | DNC | 01/18/2007 |
The same thing you noticed about Ross has been a pattern — nonprofit organizations either right IN a county courthouse, or run by county courthouse employees. See “Court Cancer Metastasizes” part of this blog:*
[from JOHNNYPUMPHANDLE…] The Los Angeles Superior Court Judges Association is a good example of one of the latter Non-Profit organizations whose stated purpose is “promotion of judicial profession pursuant to section 501(c)(6)”. (see form 3500 – Exemption application). The Association boasts a budget of over $100,000 –none of which will be received from members dues – and most of which will be funded by “Professional Education programs for the legal community“. Unlike most professional organizations, this organization was granted(?) the use of County premises, complete with facilities for it’s office space and management of it’s business within the County Court facilities at 111 North Hill Street.
(*this timeline information of the AFCC is being taken off the internet I noticed — get it while you can)
He is talking about private and/or nonprofit associations with judges as members using public buildings and premises to run their own businesses.
“It appears that this “Los Angeles Superior Court judges Association” is quite likely the predecessor of the AFCC. See this:”
Update 4/11/99Published in Washington, D.C.. . . . Vol. 15, No. 16 — May 3, 1999 . . . .
http://www.insightmag.com
Insight Magazine
Is Justice for Sale in L.A.?
By Kelly Patricia O’Meara
An alleged slush fund for the L.A. Superior Court Judges Association {“LASCJA”} is at the heart of a scandal involving possible income-tax evasion and gifts that may affect judges’ rulings.
Dozens of checks, obtained by Insight, deposited in the LASCJA account were made out to several other institutions, including the Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund, the Judges Trust Fund, the Family Court Services Special Fund and the Family Court Services.These organizations are not registered with the IRS or the California State Franchise Tax Board, and if the Bank of America has accounts for any of them, the checks were not deposited in those accounts.
(…..THAT’s the whole point . . that, and continually skipping states, changing corporation names, etc.. . .)
… …..Other corporation of interest: Children’s Rights Council, Daniel Levy, Esq. (incidentally current president is a Pennsylvanian Episcopal? Priest….) Wikipedia says plenty:
The Children’s Rights Council (CRC) is a global 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses on children’s advocacy,legislative reform, and access/visitation services. It was founded in 1985 by David L Levy, Esq. [[Compare with AFCC California Incorporation Dates, and Colorado, above….]]
CRC promotes legislation that works to benefit children through shared parenting. Seeking legislative reform, the organization is a strong advocate of joint custody. CRC also manages 26 Child Access Centers in 11 different states which provide supervised access and visitation of children and serve as safe transfer points for children who are moving from the custody of one parent to another.
In addition, CRC conducts research and submits testimony to Congress in regard to the well being of children..
David Levy, per Wikipedia:
David L. Levy (b. 1936) is a pioneer in the field of children’s rights, per the National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL) in presenting Levy with the 2011 Charles Ballard Advocacy Award at NPCL’s conference inWashington, D.C
David Levy also does “Custody Consulting” incl. on Alienation, etc. which site references the NPCL above (i.e., you scratch my back . . . . )
NPCL is a fatherhood group. its President Jeffrey O. Johnson (read!) is a Fatherhood Advocate. Charles A. Ballard is a religious Fatherhood Advocate (see below):
Jeffrey O. Johnson
He is also the 1999 and 2003 recipient of the President’s Award by The National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families. This award annually recognizes outstanding leadership in the promotion of responsible fatherhood. Dr. Johnson is a member of The Peoples Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland where he serves as [[Predictably…]] President of the Men’s Fellowship Ministry.
Dr. Johnson’s most recent project, the nation’s first Responsible Fatherhood Rally, was held June 20, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. “The National Rally for Responsible Fatherhood on Behalf of America’a Children
A particular focus of Dr. Johnson’s work has been on the plight of African-American men and families. He is regularly invited to testify before the United States Congress on matters pertaining to low-income fathers and strengthening families. He played a principal role in passage of the first national fatherhood legislation in Congress, The Fathers Count Bill. Dr. Johnson is also the author of several publications including Fatherhood Development: A Curriculum for Young Fathers
(etc. etc. — every other word in the bio is “father”) This group (NCPL — see link) has Master Trainers, and Trainers Institute etc. (“Change agents,” much?)
BY THE WAY — on the David Levy Link (not the “Fatherhood Conference one above, but a related “Access Visitation” link) he announces — which we should know — that now your custody and visitation orders (or newbies) may simply be handled as an administrative matter by the CHILD SUPPORT OFFICE . . .. per HHS changes…:
Access (Visitation) Promised for Children and Families (<<– = active URL)
…Should I go on?…..
“Levy was responsible for CRC’s 16 national conferences that attracted judges, lawyers, researchers, educators, elected officials, and custody reform activists . . .Levy received a “Lifelong Achievement Award” for his “untiring efforts on behalf of the Children of America” from the National Child Support Office in September 2000. Levy and CRC received the 1996“Distinguished Service to Children” award from Parents without Partners International, and the “1996 Legislative Achievement” award from the National Parents’ Day Coalition.** In 1989, Levy received the Prince George’s County Civic Association award for convincing Prince’s George County, MD to hire the first access (visitation) mediator east of Michigan.
[[**a UNIFICATION CHURCH GROUP: “The National Parents’ Day Coalition is a project of the Universal Peace Federation USA, Inc. www.upfusa.org” ((GUESS WHO CAME TO DINNER IN HEALTHY MARRIAGE/RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD PROMOTIONS?)). (now Sec. of State) Hillary has no problem with this connection either.]]
“About the Founders
The founders of the Universal Peace Federation are Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. They are proposing a revitalized, renewed United Nations with more than 50,000 diplomats, clergy, civic leaders, current and former heads of state appointed as Ambassadors for Peace.” {{And DAVID L. LEVY HAS NO ISSUES ACCEPTING AN AWARD FROM THIS GROUP? — That ain’t the half of it…}}
Mutual marketing: http://www.kidsfirst.cc/ Levy’s book isn’t on Kidsfirst page, but he’s also advertising for a Vicky Lansky, whose book is there — MARKETING, anyone?
Compare the books Levy is advertising (incl. authors) with those on kidsfirst.cc, remembering that KIDS FIRST is MANDATORY and the order making it mandatory was written ONE YEAR (1997) after TANF welfare reform, per the AOC report. (I actually look these things up). $10 million per year to set up programs like that, since 1996 — definitely a drop in the bucket (though not the largest one)…. Levy’s site advertises. Jeff Leving is well known FR attorney from Chicago, and his business & a grant-making business helped start the Fathers & Families Coalition (Azffc.org) which its history says was basically jumpstarted anyhow with a slew of statewide grants . . . .. .
Levy’s site quotes the HHS proposals (DNK how current): “Fostering fathers’ engagement in their children’s lives. The Budget provides $570 million over ten years to support increased access and visitation services and integrates these services into the core child support program.
Forgot to mention an attorney (in the DC area & US SUpreme Court) and Supervised Visitation Network.
Levy was admitted to the Washington, D.C. Bar and the United States Supreme Court Bar. He was a board member of the Supervised Visitation Network and Stepfamily Association of America. Active in community affairs, Mr. Levy is the Social Action Vice President of the Tifereth Israel Congregation, Washington, D.C. He served as President of the Beth Torah Congregation from 1984 through 1986 during which time he was responsible for implementing a fundraising drive which turned the financially imperiled congregation into a financially viable organization (1985)
It appears he likes to run things — from the top. . . .Wonder if this played into the first divorce or not…
Responsible Fatherhood, Faith, Marriage and Family
by Dr. Charles A. Ballard, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Institute of Responsible Fatherhood and Family Revitalization [Washington D.C.]
ON THAT BLESSED DAY, THAT VERY FIRST “PARENT’S DAY,” GOD SPOKE AND SAID: “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR OWN IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS AND LET THEM HAVE RULERSHIP OVER EVERYTHING THAT WILL BE AND GOD MADE MAN AND WOMAN.”
Wow! What a beautiful sight that must have been – two human beings, a new order of creatures, the beginning of a new planet, a new world. Then God blessed them and spoke to them saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, have many children, fill the earth and master it.” God loves family. When he spoke and said, “Let Us,” He was speaking to other members of His God Family.
WOMEN IN FATHERHOOD, INC. (“WIFI” for short):
Dr. Ballard gets HHS Grants. His Wife Frances Ballard gets HHS Grants (Women In Fatherhood, Inc.). Lots of them. I BLOGGED HERE. She also (see site) has a connections to her husband’s group (of course) and Annie E. Casey (consultant). I believe they are 7th day Adventists…
Jeffrey O. Johnson, Ph.D. (of NCPL) is involved with (NCPLS is running) a HUD Responsible Fatherhood Initiative:
Responsible Fatherhood Development and Fragile Families Capacity Building in Public Housing Authorities A project of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
This is a link under “SFFI” which turns out to be a FORD foundation “thang.”
Strengthening Fragile Families Initiatives was launched by the Ford Foundationto encourage further research and development of effective policies, in developing services that could enable both fathers and mothers to meet their responsibilities to their children.
…Well, given that <>Ms. Fitts [whose job had been to clean up FHA mortgage defaults…] characterized HUD as being run as a criminal agency ($59billion went missing), and <>some of these characters are in association/cahoots with the Unification Church (known to be a money-laundering, tax-evading group with a plan for religious global domination of the world (UN), not to mention a serious CULT, some say it’s bought out the American religious right (I’d agree basically, given that they were already for sale) . . . <>and an experience in the family law system definitely feels like a cult has got its talons into one — I’d in general have to agree….) Where do exasperated judges fit in on this? . . . . . as part of the same system.
America’s Unified Family Courts (UFCs)– forget! due process, this is about “Treating” the Whole Family
with 3 comments
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation + ABA + HHS/DOJ (+Monsanto, CIGNA + Ford) = Unified Family Courts = Treat the Whole Family
This post is three of (my) comments from the “(Kids for Cash)” topic at Scranton Political Times… Those who teach about “abuse” should be teaching about this — because how these courts were set up DOES rather explain why they have spawned (comparison intentional), literally, protest movements across the country, from their horrid treatment of litigants, particularly ignoring facts, law, and due process in individual cases). They are horrible wastes of time and mind (a mind is a terrible thing to waste, is it not?) — and exist to dominate and intimidate, literally, the human spirit and eliminate the “unalienable rights” that SOME believe are innate (“unalienable”) to every man. . . . .And now that “every man” is to include more men – -and women . . . . those crying out for “Children’s Rights” don’t even endorse what’s right to start with — the REPUBLIC (representative government under rule of law) of the United States (plural) of America — not the Oligarchy, the Aristocracy, or the THEocracy of the USA!! — and turning the entire country, starting with children, adding youth, and expanding upwards into adults — into a treatable-at-will population — is hardly a Republic!
I was checking NAFCJ.net for a link to “the money trail” and happened across an unexplored link on there to grants by this Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help the ABA create Unified Courts. These grants spanned the period 1996-1999; my attention was hooked, and this is what developed:
It is worth processing if you are concerned about these topics. I believe we need to FULLY understand who’s running the Justice and Legal Systems of the country, particularly if we are in the situation of attempting to squeeze some water out of a stone in those halls. . . . . . .
I AM WRITING as a single woman who could never have anticipated, as a 20, 30, or 40 year old how dangerous this country has become for ethical, moral, working, and competent women who are also mothers, and value that role as they also value pulling their own weight. Such women are horrors to this system — as they don’t need treatment, nor do their kids — but after a few years in it, ALL will!
So this is, literally, HOW the ABA (incl. AFCC) and others USED the family law system to turn “divorce” into a disease and treat every one for it, as collateral in treating for substance abuse and of course mental health problems. That divorce is NOT a disease hardly matters in the face of such a policy backed by such power.
PART I (first comment on the topic from Scranton PT):
Since the idea sucks,
WHOSE IDEA WAS “UNIFIED FAMILY COURTS,”
ANYHOW, and WHY?
Hey, remember “unified family courts” and “drug courts” (I believe there have been some complaint about Lackawanna County’s right?) and so forth? – – – I just found an old article detailing how the ABA and specific funders were pushing “treating the whole family” and “changing the justice systems” to address substance abuse by youth. An unexplored link over at NAFCJ.net, and the timing of 1996 with welfare reform.
The goal, and the whole point, was to change the justice system — from the outside, not the inside. Foundations pushing a concept and working through the ABA & Judges, plus money didn’t hurt either. HHS/ACF happened to agree — so once that door was open (that it’s OK to revise the courts based on somebody in power’s got a bright idea) — it stayed open.
This is a link from the ROBERT WOOD FOUNDATION grants page. They also helped AFCC, I believe:
Liz Richards (NAFCJ.net) had linked to it long ago from:
which leads to:
Grants
$$$
How our money is misused to discriminate against women and children
http://www.statejustice.org/grantinfo/chifam.htm [broken link]
http://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/029319s.htm [UFC link]
And here we can read:
Unified Family Courts: Treating the Whole Family, Not Just the Young Drug Offender
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is powerful one, focused exclusively on health fields (and the largest philanthropy with this focus; been doing this for 40 years; influences medical education field, etc.)and Unified Family Courts (for substance abuse treatment) were one of their projects
SUMMARY
From November 1996 through June 1999, the American Bar Association (ABA) developed six Unified Family Court (UFC) systems in three U.S. states and one territory and created a network of national groups to help educate the public about Unified Family Courts.
UFCs combine the functions of family and juvenile courts to provide a comprehensive approach to treating and educating young drug offenders and their families. This approach recognizes that substance abuse results from a combination of problems related to health, family structure, economics and community support. UFCs offer an effective alternative to a justice system that frequently treats substance abuse solely as a legal problem.
Key Results
I blogged this (with some sarcasm) in March 2012:
After the Grant
The ABA continues to work with the six sites and has provided technical assistance to eight other states. It also is involved in a project funded by the Scripps-Howard Foundation to examine literacy as a way to address substance abuse in four family courts.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) launched a national program, called Reclaiming Futures: Communities Helping Teens Overcome Drugs, Alcohol & Crime®. It is building community solutions to substance abuse and delinquency by developing the systems infrastructure necessary to deliver comprehensive care within the juvenile justice system. See the program’s Web site for more information. . . .Funding
RWJF provided a $481,605 grant to the ABA for its work on UCF systems..(they mean “UFC — Unified Family Courts”)
In 1994, ABA adopted a resolution calling for the promotion and implementation of UFC systems to make the courts more responsive to family problems. {{??}} By 1996, six states had established versions of UFCs statewide, and four states had some UFCs operating on the county level.
[That, friends, is how the ABA operates…] [NOW for the FUNDING]:
Other Funding The ABA solicited and obtained additional project funding from the private sector and government, including:
Those names should ring a few bells. Look at some of them!
* *”Grrreat” — Monsanto is “only” the food giant that’s trying to put non-GMO and organic farmers out of business and basically co-opt the US Food supply. (Ya gotta read this one) Monsanto, Wikipedia:
… multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is the world’s leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed in the Roundup brand, and in other brands. Monsanto is also the second largest producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed; it provides the technology in 49% of the genetically engineered seeds used in the US market.”. . .Monsanto’s development and marketing of genetically engineered seed and bovine growth hormone, as well as its aggressive litigation, political lobbying practices, seed commercialization practices and “strong-arming” of the seed industry[4…
In 2009 Monsanto came under scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department, which began investigating whether the company’s activities in the soybean markets were breaking anti-trust rules.[4][5]
What better corporation to contribute to an ANTI-Drug Abuse program which creates genetically modified seeds, bovine growth hormone, and strong arm tactics + lobbying to maintain it — and financial clout to help create an alternate justice system (treatment versus accountability….)!!
Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear (Vanity Fair Article):
[Starting to sound like the Unified Family Court “treatment Gestapo police” now in place? Birds of a feather..]
With an agenda like this, it’s understandable why Monsanto may want a role in dismantling the US legal system! !!! (Other Monsanto Gov’t ties) http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm
CIGNA’s quite a player also:
Gee, I “can’t imagine” why — right around the time of “block grants to the states” welfare reform — CIGNA, being a global “health service” company might want to help the ABA turn large parts of the US Justice system into a treatment-philosophy-based system, including treat the whole family for one member’s substance abuse!
So, here’s the ABA creating all these Unified Family Courts (hint: The ABA membership includes subset no doubt of AFCC membership, who also are into unified courts = more business for the mental health membership..)
“Other in-kind support was provided by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the federal Department of HHS, the Administrative Office of the Courts in Maryland (AOC), and ABA volunteers. “
In short — have to watch out for these outfits… (that’s the UBaltimore one — see blog post)
Here’s how the ABA overcame opposition to UFC in Washington DC:
In Washington, D.C., the ABA worked on a strategy to establish a UFC. Judicial opposition to family court reform, based chiefly on economic concerns, blocked significant progress toward the UFC model. The ABA met with the Chief Judge, the primary opponent, and worked with UFC proponents in the District. Family and Child Services, a branch of the District of Columbia’s Child Protection Agency, and an ad hoc group of representatives from the judicial leadership and social service providers, have assumed the lead in efforts to explore the feasibility of a UFC approach in the District.
Does this part of the ABA seem like it’s going to take “No thanks!” as an answer?
Publicizing by ABA:
The ABA developed a network of national organizations to support UFCs. The American Judges Association, the Conference of Chief Justices, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, {{OBVIOUSLY this group would be in favor of UFC’s – gets its membership more customers!!}} the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, [NCJFCJ] and Join Together (a national organization created by RWJF that provides technical assistance and information** to communities on issues involving substance abuse and gun violence) distributed information and/or collaborated with the ABA on UFC programs
– – – – -**The phrase “technical assistance and information” ANYwhere should be better read “indoctrination — do it OUR way; but if anyone asks, we’re just “helping” (and not responsible if it backfires).- – – – – – –
Apparently in 2006, “Join Together” was phased out by RWJF to be replaced by a “VULNERABLE POPULATIONS” project:
”
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which for two decades has been the most generous and visible private funder of addiction treatment and prevention programs in the U.S., has announced that it will no longer have a separate program area for funding addiction-related programs.
“Instead, any new grantmaking related to addiction will take place under the foundation’s Vulnerable Populations portfolio, said foundation president and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., in a recent letter to RWJF grantees. Often the neediest populations such as the chronically homeless, new immigrants, victims of domestic abuse** are faced with multiple health and social issues, including addiction, that must be addressed in an integrated way for these individuals to succeed. The Vulnerable Populations grantmaking effort focuses mainly on these populations.
**the substance abuse is often related to other kinds of abuse, which is already known (acestudy.org) from other longitudinal studies. Perhaps if someone could focus on stopping the INJUSTiCE (including violence towards family members) instead of constantly TREATING it (both victm and perp as if both were responsible) there’d be less substance abuse! (who knows?)
So now they’re going for “supportive housing” to keep kids out of the foster care system. Guess who’s helping with THAT project?
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and three private foundations to jointly fund a $35 million initiative to further test how supportive housing can help stabilize highly vulnerable families and keep children out of the foster care system. . . .Collaborating foundations include the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
This groundbreaking initiative is based on a successful pilot effort in New York City, known as Keeping Families Together (KFT) that took place between October 2007 and July 2009
This is actually an upcoming grant opportunity, $5 million available, per HHS. It’s under CAPTA (child abuse prevention).
What’s Wrong with this Picture? (coming….)
Interesting: AFCC cite to the foundation: see note at bottom of the page: http://afcc.crinfo.org/action/search-profile.jsp?key=14482&type=web
This beta-test, demonstration gateway has been developed to demonstrate the structure of the Conflict Research Consortium’s joint gateway program to the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
This test site has not, in any way, been approved by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess, Co-Directors and Editors
c/o Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado
Campus Box 580, Boulder, CO 80309
Phone: (303) 492-1635; Contac
— Edited by Outlaw_Wild_DoubleBill-KickbackCourts on Wednesday 4th of July 2012 11:06:09 PM— on Wednesday 4th of July 2012 11:23:37 PM
PARTS II & III:
The powers that be (like ABA, foundations, HHS, etc.) determined among themselves that treatment is better than justice. That some of them happened be in the treatment business must just be coincidence.
Notice: justice system — or treatment system. Which would you rather have when walking into a courtroom? Would you like to know which one you’re up for when it says “court” on the outside?
So, here comes that Robt Wood Johnson Foundation:
… USPTO and trademarking social service reform (see that “®”?)
Sure ‘nuf that’s a robert wood johnson trademark:
They trademarked the act of giving grants!
IC 036. US 100 101 102. G & S: Charitable services, namely, providing grants to programs to combat substance abuse and delinquency. FIRST USE: 2001/01/25. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20010125
{interesting, executive order GWBush establishing faith-based office was 2001/01/29…}{Filed for opposition: August 24, 2000}
(the logo is also a hyperlink)
In 2001, with a $21 million investment from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 10 founding communities located throughout the United States began reinventing the way police, courts, detention facilities, treatment providers, and the community work together to meet this urgent need
Amazing what a $21 million investment can do . . ..
“Reclaiming Futures has been evaluated by The Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago.” (RWJF helped pay for the evaluation also)
Now there are six partners, including from OJJDP, HHS (SAMSHA), another foundation, Portland State, and a research institute at Portland state.
“Re-engineer the justice system in your state” (how-to manual):
Bring Reclaiming Futures to Your State or Tribal Lands »
Re-engineer the juvenile justice system in your state or region to avoid unnecessary costs and cut recidivism. Here’s how to get started.
RWJF + ABA = UFCs + Drug Courts (cont’d.)
For the Record, American Bar Association is listed at HHS as “Private Profit (large) Business.”
HHS has donated over $20.6 million of grants to the ABA per TAGGS.hhs.gov. So taxpayers are supporting it, too, even if they’re not engaged in litigation.
ABA activism (from site below about Unified Family Courts):
From 1992 to 1996, RWJF funded the ABA Standing Committee on Substance Abuse’s Community Anti-Drug Coalition Initiative to mobilize lawyers, judges, and justice system leaders to help create new justice systems and structures to solve the substance abuse problem (see Grant Results [] on ID#s 019838 and 023195).
The ABA was also instrumental in persuading legal community leaders to support drug courts for juveniles, which link juvenile justice and community treatment resources to juvenile drug offenders and their legal caretakers.
OK, get JUVENILES into treatment, what next?
The ABA then helped cities nationwide set up drug courts for adultoffenders, which offer defendants who have been charged with a drug offense (typically first-time, non-violent offenders) court supervised substance abuse treatment in lieu of incarceration. Drug courts can motivate drug users to enter rehabilitation programs and reestablish productive lifestyles. These courts have dramatically decreased recidivism rates and drug use among participants. [have they?]
UFC’s complement the work of the drug courts. UFCs combine the functions of family courts (which handle family-related legal issues) and juvenile courts (which handle [criminal or status offence, they should’ve said] cases in which minors are involved) into one entity and provide a comprehensive approach to helping “families in crisis.“ UFCs incorporate treatment for young substance abuse offenders into the wide range of cases heard in civil court involving family matters.
– – – – -OK, what’s that mean?
– – – – Basically, where family court would’ve been perhaps about custody and divorce primarily, UFC’s tempt the judges to order more services, and treat the entire family — although the case may be as simple as a custody/visitation plan or a divorce, NEITHER of which are criminal matters. Also omitted — juvenile courts are not just for people of a certain age — they are for juveniles who’ve caused (or allegedly caused) some problems, committing a legitimate crime (breaking and entering, robbery, rape/sexual assault, etc.) OR “status offence,” i.e. violated some rules that wouldn’t apply to adults, like a curfew, or attendance at school (truancy violations).
Changed the entire climate, definitely affecting people with straightforward business in the FAMILY court who may not be sick or criminal. This was less for the families than for the court’s convenience, and for its liaisons with treatment-providing organizations.
You can look up ABA HHS grants around this time and see:
AND:
Showing: 1 – 2 of 2 Award Actions
Showing: 1 – 2 of 2 Award Actions
So, ABA is a partner in “HEALTH SERVICES.” Principal Investigator “Kathi Grasso”:
Ms. Grasso worked for the ABA Center for Children and the Law, OJJDP atsome point and is a member of NACC based in WDC. She has a degree from Catholic University. .She’s very active around the country and publishing on these matters:
Senior Juvenile Justice Policy and Legal Advisor
202-xxx-xxxx
kathi.grasso@usdoj.gov
Video 2: Keynote: Effectuating Reform in Juvenile Justice
Presenters: Kathi Grasso, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention with the U.S. Department of Justice
Link to handout and Juvenile Ten Core Principles
Mark Hardin, National Child Welfare Law Authority, Retires
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 13, 2009 — The American Bar Association is announcing the retirement of Mark Hardin, director of child welfare at the ABA Center on Children and the Law and an Oregon attorney. A legal pioneer in the field of foster care and the role of the courts in aiding abused and neglected children and their families, Hardin spent 35 years utilizing his legal skills and knowledge to improve the plight of children removed from their homes due to child maltreatment.
Beginning as a legal aid lawyer in Portland, Ore., Hardin handled family, juvenile and welfare cases, giving him practical insight into the lives of vulnerable children and families. In the late 70’s, during two years at Portland State University, Hardin forged development of the law on “permanency planning” for abused and neglected children and wrote several early publications helping social workers and policy analysts understand the legal aspects of a child’s placement in foster care. He was among the country’s first trainers of lawyers and child welfare agency staff, educating them in their legal responsibilities relative to children removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
Hardin joined the Center on Children and the Law in 1980 where, according to ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm, he became “the country’s foremost legal scholar on foster care legal and judicial reforms.”
Hardin’s experience includes having directed the ABA’s National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues, a program of the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
. . .With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.”
[Was that supposed to be a JOKE? We are having frequent issues with lawyers BREAKING the law!]
AN AWARD NAMED AFTER MARK HARDIN:
First Annual
Mark Hardin Award for Child Welfare Legal Scholarship and Systems Change
The Mark Hardin Award for Child Welfare Legal Scholarship and Systems Change, created by the ABA Center on Children and the Law in 2011 with approval from the ABA Board of Governors, honors the work of Mark Hardin. Before his retirement, Mark served for almost 30 years on the staff of the ABA Center on Children and the Law as director of child welfare. Mark has long been recognized by those who work in this area of law as an early innovator in the child welfare legal field. He is recipient of the “Adoption Excellence Award” bestowed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; an award for “extraordinary contributions to children” from the administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children; the prestigious “Outstanding Legal Advocacy Award” from the National Association of Counsel for Children; and an award for interdisciplinary collaboration between law and social work.
This is understandable, given common interests in these goups
ANYHOW, now there is a MARK HARDIN AWARD, and the FIRST (2012) recipient of it is the Director of CALIFORNIA’s “AOC” “Center for Families & Children in the Courts,” — which is part of the Judicial Council — DIANE NUNN.
… {{“multidisciplinary” is code word referring to AFCC many times. It’s their hallmark. Why just have the rule of law when you could have social workers and psychologists as well?}}
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Written by Let's Get Honest|She Looks It Up
July 5, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Posted in 1996 TANF PRWORA (cat. added 11/2011), Business Enterprise, Designer Families, HHS & HUD fraud, History of Family Court, money laundering, Organizations, Foundations, Associations NGO Hybrids, Psychology & Law = an AFCC tactical lobbying unit
Tagged with AFCC CFCC AOC Judicial Council, Due process, family law, Foundations Corporations HHS & the ABA Forcing System Change, Kathy Grasso (ABA, Mark Hardin (ABA), NACC, OJJDP, social commentary, therapeutic jurisprudence, U.S. Govt $$ hard @ work.., Unified Family Courts