Cont’d. from 11-28-2016 post-Presidential s/Election times, this post still relevant within “the First 100 days” while news coverage focuses on (a) natural and political disasters and terrorism and (b) depending on the news network or media outlet, a right vs. left  political debate roughly framed around Republican v. Democrat.

Post title with case-sensitive short-link ending “-57T”, post was published 3-23-2017:

Indicators that Both Left and Right Want Their Public Distracted, Occupied, and Entertained (engaging the Emotional versus Logical Processes) with Good Guy/Bad Guy Storytelling with Big Letters, Bright Colors and Pretty Pictures. Otherwise the Public might Actually Acquire the Basic Fiscal Literacy which underlies Good Judgment, and, in general, through Independent Action, Actually Communicate with Each Other to Achieve Economic Independence without Enslaving Others?

The current crisis combo includes but is not limited to London terrorist attack on Parliament (Parliament went on lockdown, pedestrians were mowed down, people arrested within 24 hours) and in what form, if in any form, is the new, improved (or depending on your persuasion, defective) healthcare reform (USA) taking place. For more info, tune into any MSM news station, read the NYT, the WSJ (I do), local papers or news networks.

I admit to being highly stressed out by these situations and by my ongoing observation of the basic citizen’s inability or unwillingness to talk coherently about the things I am seeing fiscally, financially and as to some of the power players.  I continued working over December, January, February and now March (i.e, over the new year, being undistracted by such things as any “family time,” or contact with my own family, or holiday celebrations as is true most years) on this blog, both individual posts and better documenting and organizing the blog itself (as to updating the Table of Contents, removing several “Sticky Posts,” upgrading the platform, reformatting some older posts for inclusion in a 2017 Retrospective — see “most recent posts” for example.  I spent considerable time focused on things “Ohio.”

In this Q1, first quarter, 2017, I’m still highly stressed by the resistance of people to doing their own homework instead of finding which bandwagon to jump on, out of what may seem like endless choices, but often boils down to just a few big ones that are playing out their, in my opinion, staged battles in public. I don’t believe this bodes well for so-called “democracy” or for individual freedom in the USA or anywhere else.

In addition, this week:  “The Broken Courts/Safe Child/BMCC” (etc.) crowd, (my label)** as they periodically do, are showing up in San Francisco tomorrow, at the California Judicial Council (bring your T-shirts and your stories, and tell your legislator you support this bill) (NO bill summary or link to it provided….). The call-out has been sounded*** to sell some more HOPE to protective parents — including HOPING to get 2 minutes of air time in a time slot of 30 minutes), while some of the more local among those calling-out, I guess continues to HOPE that my understanding of the same groups doesn’t ever contaminate the “rally, relate, and retell” group unity — or further challenge its existing leadership.  Through documentation of exactly who it is (entity-wise).

**(Under this particular collective — loosely defined but discernible by who refers to whom where, and using the common, group-specific jargon). ***This time, with a more open promotion of groups I have been specifically exposing on this blog (including NCJFCJ, BWJP and others) as a major problem, and as to where they fit on the HHS-CADV and Special-Issue-Resource Center (DV funding), how this neatly blends with the Greenbook Initiative (Wingspread Conference), and so forth.  This situation demands a formal written response to lawmakers (and cc’d to strategic others) from at least my conscience to at a minimum state:  

“I represent the demographics of the people these say they represent.  Given my dozen-years observation of some of the groups, and ten years of others, they do NOT represent me, my kids, or my kids’ best interests — or the public’s.  They operate like a cult, or a racket — and possibly are.  SO:  where, my local and state and federal Congressional (etc.) representatives, senators, [and administrators], where do YOU stand on that enterprise?”

My understanding, obviously, does not include being impressed by group names, or even books sold over the years (particularly books failing to identify the HMRF funding*** until well after I “outed” the situation in 2014, and earlier, on this blog and off it) but does include identifying which among them has been filing tax returns larger than a Form 990-N postcard over the years, and at least one which to my recall has NEVER shown up incorporated in California, although its title includes the word “Inc.” and I know that it is involved in training custody evaluators and mediators as approved by the California Judicial Council. It also claims on the website to be a nonprofit, but isn’t showing up (that I can identify) as itself in places where incorporated nonprofits ought to show up.  And hasn’t EVER (I’ve been aware of that group for nearly 8 years now).

(A review of the well-organized but obviously not quite current website under link the box (link) “Continuing Education Credits” shows the related entities actually approved providers including (next two images), depending on which profession is being trained — the IVAT at Alliant University and CAFI (Child Abuse Forensic Institute).  (website says Pacific Grove & Napa, CA) Again, quality of information and organization is one thing, but “who’s the real entity in this mix of providers?” is another.  IVAT as I’ve explained in other posts, is apparently a dba of Alliant University (now Alliant International University).

This website with a “NoCal” (Berkeley) address is utilizing for the legitimacy of credits at least in part another entity (using a dba or other fiscal agent) representing a San-Diego-based (primarily), i.e., “SoCal” University, with strong ties to a man from Texas, Robert Geffner, Ph.D. in its origins (“FVSAI”) and so forth.  In fact I just looked for “CAFI” as a charity — it’s current, barely, and exists (barely) — see the Charitable Details notice $1K startup in 2001, then NOTHNG for seven more years at which time (FY2008) it starts admitting to its existence somehow — with $0.00 revenues and about $2K assets (unchanging) for several years, and not ONE tax return (why should they — no revenues, right??) shows up.  After two delinquency notices in 2015, they finally clear it (apparently by sending in the annually-required RRFs), and continue, so far as we can tell, to “exist” so far as California is concerned.

1993 Initial 5 Directors of CAFI (from its Founding Dox) are all SF Bay Area (Scrn Shot 2017-03-24 at 5.41PM)

CAFI (on whom, apparently with IVAT) reliance for credits for training attorneys is cited (below images) I’ve seen the website before, realized it wasn’t exactly current, but this time looked a little harder, including locating an EIN#.  The IRS says it IS still active for donations, has never shown a status revoked, but somehow only Form 990-Ns (post-cards) show for years 2008, 2009 and 2012 on the IRS website, while NONE show over a 15-year period at California Charitable Trusts Registry (which, if postcards were being filed, is still legit), but they weren’t sending in the RRS declaring annual revenues and if any of this was from government agencies (and if so, which ones).

“Note: Not all From 990-N (e-Postcard) filers qualify for exemption from federal income tax. To confirm an organization’s tax-exempt status, call Customer Account Services at (877) 829-5500.”

EIN	Legal Name (Doing Business As)	City	State	ZIP/..Code	Country	Tax Year
68-0328915	CHILD ABUSE FORENSIC INSTITUTE	Pacific Grove	CA	93950	United States	2008
68-0328915	CHILD ABUSE FORENSIC INSTITUTE	Pacific Grove	CA	93950	United States	2009
68-0328915	CHILD ABUSE FORENSIC INSTITUTE	Pacific Grove	CA	93450	United States	2012

CAFI 1993-04 Founding Dox (1st directors all men from SFBayArea) from CalCharTr Registry and, EIN#680328915,  CAFI (ChildAbuseForensicInstitute) a CJC-approved CE provider? REALLY? See CharDetails viewed Mar2017) works alongside ChildAbuseSolutns Inc (BK)

CAFI’s undeveloped website “links” show ONLY two — one for attorneys (DVLeap) and another for psychologists (“the Leadership Council)” and another page shows connections to California NOW 2002 Family Court Report (Helen Grieco, Rachel Allen).  IF they read that, this entity knows about AFCC and the HHS fatherhood grants, as these came up in that report.

Seth L. Goldstein, Esq. (Law Offices of) are showing a historic interest in this area, and which boards or commissions (incl. advisory boards) he’s been on.  I see he was advisory board to the California Chapter of NACC (relevant in that groups work over the years alongside “AFCC”

This “look-it-up” perspective of course estranges me from the personally loyal, emotionally bonded, and who have for years been “telling their stories” in support of the various groups premises and demands.  So yes, I really am stressed out to have seen this develop over more than a decade in my “home turf” (N. California) as well as across the country, over time.  They are ambulance chasers and self-promoters, and again, feature telling stories, seeking media attention, and above all, coaching their followers what is and is not important to notice.   NOT analysis.  And I will get to them shortly — but right now am as I just said, too stressed to compile a post on it for publication today.

The above paragraph does not mean I do not believe the stories of abuse of children, or children going to the custody of abusive parents over time, or needless family-court-related “roadkill.”  But I am in complete earnest that the more fiascoes and disasters occur, the better it is for these professionals who seek to be on the training (T&TA) providers list, as are some of their colleagues whose policies, allegedly they protest and want overturned or I guess “trained” out of existence.

POST-PUBLICATION EXPANSION (SECTION) ON “HMRF” as “explained” through images from HHS.gov pages on the same:  (This background color marks the section)

***Image refers to funding under a specific “CFDA” 93086 started in 2005 only, however plenty existed before.  Unfortunately, Basic Search (TAGGS.HHS.Gov) database no longer goes back selectable before 2007, and Advanced Search by default eliminates the possibility of searching that CFDA# through checking it off where the available #s to select are indicated.  You might try USDASpending.gov (goes back to 2000 only, data officially cited as inaccurate, particularly when it comes to grants…)

EXAMPLES of how even HHS obscures research on the grants and grantees while promoting their activities (5 images (arranged 2, then quotes on grantee “ICF”, then remaining 3) and 4 corresponding links to view them full-size):

(1) ACF’HHS’gov[]ofa[]programs[]healthy-marriage HomePage Screen Shot 2017-03-24 at 11.22AM (2) HMRF Detail level one (from home page) shows it is 5-yr funding, titles the breakdown (artificial as its just one CFDA# here) but NO link to grants database or help researching (Screen S (3) HMRF Hunt ‘n Click Maze, Level3 fineprint bottom link leads to pdf list,SidebarInfo Far Out of Date (Screen Shot 2017-03-24 at 11.55AM) (4) (HHS “download” link to the grantees list is “end of the line” for information on that Hunt’n Click trail.  Going any further would be up to the reader — HHS is not about to help the readers, either see or evaluate these programs or grantees in any further detail.  Apparently this is on a “Need to Know — and Public Doesn’t Really Need to Know” basis.  But what they DO need more education in is healthy marriages, fatherhood.

Also note (from descriptions) that this grants stream is In discretionary, and may go to nonprofits or government units, universities, etc. Some grants obviously dwarf the others in size, so HHS “discretion” must include who are the best representatives.  Further lookups (I’ve done plenty over time) of a 2015 in Oklahoma City (Public Strategies, Inc.) is that it continues to be a PR firm; of “ICF Incorporated, LLC”  [Bloomberg.com on that company shows size of contracts — and HHS is using public funs to give it GRANTS?] [definitely a strange entity name — “Inc.” designates one kind of corporation and typically “LLCs” another, as to the IRS filing.  This one is an “…. Inc., LLC.”] (“National Resource Center”) is that it is a multi-million-dollar global for-profit business who’s built its assets primarily through government contracts, where the “ICF” originally stood for “Inner City Fund.”  The National Fatherhood Initiative (as a 501©3) has also used them or one of the offices (or related entities) as an independent contractor, meaning this entity got money both directly and indirectly for this cause from the public.

An old PRNewswire (see also history of this company) from 1998 when it was “ICF Kaiser” claims contracts dating back to 1982, and advertises a $10M one for the EPA shows what size entity is receiving HMRF GRANTS (gifts not contracts), diverted courtesy TANF Title IV-A (Temporary Aid for Needy Families) once “block grants to States” under this theory went into effect as a result of 1996 Welfare Reform:

ICF Incorporated Awarded $10M to Support EPA’s Office of Solid Waste

FAIRFAX, Va., Aug. 10 [1998] /PRNewswire/ — ICF Kaiser International, Inc. (NYSE: ICF) today announced that its Consulting Group subsidiary, ICF Incorporated, has been awarded a $10 million contract to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste. Under the four-year
contract, ICF Incorporated will provide a wide range of analytic and technical
support services for planning, implementing, and evaluating the RCRA hazardous
waste minimization and management program.

“ICF has held contracts with the Office of Solid Waste since 1982,” said James 0. Edwards, Chairman and CEO of ICF Kaiser. … “ICF has won several contracts in the environmental arena over the last 12 months totaling nearly $50 million,” said Edwards.

About the Company

Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, ICF Kaiser is one of the United States’ largest engineering, construction, program management, and consulting services companies. Its nearly 5,000 employees, located in 70 offices around the world, provide fully integrated capabilities to clients in four related market areas: environment, infrastructure, industry, and energy. ICF Kaiser reported gross revenue of more than $1.1 billion for the 12 months ended December 31, 1997. All references to ICF Kaiser indicate ICF Kaiser International, Inc. and any of its subsidiaries.

Company website viewed today: https://www.icf.com/who-we-are/about/our-history

…With a focus on solving energy challenges for United States federal agencies and for industry throughout the 1970s, ICF expanded into helping address the world’s environmental concerns in the 1980s and also began to build its engineering capabilities. In 1988, ICF acquired Kaiser Engineers, which had originated as the engineering unit of Henry J. Kaiser’s industrial empire and grew to rank among the largest engineering and construction companies in the world. The following year, the combined company went public and eventually traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange, operating as “ICF Kaiser,” with the consulting unit remaining largely intact.

In 1999, ICF Consulting ended its decade-long affiliation with Kaiser Engineers through a leveraged buyout, financed in part by the CM Equity Partners, LP, a New York City-based equity investment firm.

In 2006, ICF Consulting was renamed ICF International to reflect a growing geographic presence and increased scope of service offerings from advisory services to execution, implementation, and improvement. The firm also pursued an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and now is a publicly traded firm listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol ICFI. Today, the company is known simply as “ICF,” while still retaining its international presence.

(If you think that’s impressive (or wonder, as I do, why the US federal government should be GRANTING to it in addition to all the contracts, you should see its “ACQUISITIONS” page that public funds diverted from TANF, in part, have been (over the hears of HMRF funding involving this company or a subsidiary) in part facilitated.  See next images (from that page), below which you’ll see just how VERY little HHS revealed about the sole grantee ($1.5M in 2015) for the National Center for Healthy Marriage and Relationship EDUCATION (not to be confused with also a large grant to the Oklahoma City “Public Strategies, Inc.” for a similar, but not identical resource center on Healthy Marriage….

ICF’com ACQUISITIONS (~In 2002, 2005, 2007, ICF Acquired (n) Companies~) Screen Shot 2017-03-24 at 1.16PM (and) ICF’com ACQUISITNS (~In 2009 (2), 2011(2), 2012 (1), 2014(3), ICF Acquired x Companies~) Screen Shot 2017-03-24 at 1.15PM

HMRF GRANTEES (L3, annotated) HMRF Hunt ‘n Click Maze, Level3 fineprint bottom link leads to pdf list,SidebarInfo Far Out of Date (Screen Shot 2017-03-24 at 11.55AM)

Partial Image #1 of 2 from 2-page download of 2015 HMRF grantees from HHS (ACF|OFA) website (“end of the line Hunt ‘n Click” link to both pages)

Partial Image #2 of 2 from 2-page download of 2015 HMRF grantees from HHS (ACF|OFA) website (“end of the line Hunt ‘n Click” link to both pages) showing ICF Incorporated, LLC’s $1.5M grant and New Pathways” (alpha by state) with $2K to one in LA (Southern) and one in (SF Bay Area, Northern) CA [Rubicon programs]

 

END, Post-Publication Section on “HMRF” and grantee “ICF Inc.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the blog, I am continuing to clean-up and publish various draft posts containing hard work and documentation (production of annotated images).

An upcoming theme about “Telling Stories, Selling Hope” is imminent, but I think this “macro” level post makes the point again — those stories will grab anyone’s attention and psyche, but identifying the storytellers in this age is AS important as the material being carried on the airwaves. Putting out this post illustrates the principles as well as being its own story.

By “identifying the storytellers” I mean finding that category — or lack of category, which is significant — under which the publication, the blog-site’s window frame revealing the funders, or some way to identify those funders — is critical, because these funders ARE organized into their own coordinated power blocs, with specific agenda which you will NOT be finding revealed that often on the story-telling websites, including the websites narrating “Who We Are,” company history and so forth.  Sometimes, maybe — but not reliably. I concocted a personal one (it still basically works, although there could be more tags added) many years ago — starting with Public or Private?

From my FamilyCourtMatters.org DRAFT 2014 post, showing my previously-published chart prompting categories any ENTITY may fall under ~ Screen Shot 2017March15 at 5.40PM

Click here to read all that stuff (annotations and chart)! This actual post is still draft, but the chart showed up in prior posts, and this screenprint in a more recent one. It’s a matter of having some functional categories under which to mentally file groups A,B,C,D and to tell the difference between a project (program, initiative, etc.) of one or more ENTITIES and the ENTITIES themselves. Again, the concept is that public funding and private influence in the so-called public interest, should be traceable. Often, they aren’t — and that’s a primary point!

Moving on to the blog drafted last November:  Below here, I won’t add much, except to identify whether related posts are yet published or not, and I see one or two places another screenprint of the website might help.///LGH 3/23/2017.

This post with case-sensitive, WordPress-generated shortlink ending “-57T” was basically written last fall:

Indicators that Both Left and Right Want Their Public Distracted, Occupied, and Entertained (engaging the Emotional versus Logical Processes) with Good Guy/Bad Guy Storytelling with Big Letters, Bright Colors and Pretty Pictures. Otherwise the Public might Actually Acquire the Basic Fiscal Literacy which underlies Good Judgment, and, in general, through Independent Action, Actually Communicate with Each Other to Achieve Economic Independence without Enslaving Others?

It emerged from an intermediary post on A Closer look at The Trade of the Century the Soros/Open Society Foundations (approximate title, still in draft.)

[Exact title and link, and I expect to publish right after this one:]

This post, which asks basically, “How Soros-Savvy Are You?” (and provides some remedies, if the answer is — we’ve been told who to suspect, but have no other significant details…)

A Closer Look at “The Trade of the [previous] Century,” and some of the related Soros/Open Society Foundations, Their Ownership, Investments, and Activities (per Forms 990/990PF)

(short-link ends “-573”) started 11/28/2016. The post is about 11,400 words (including all words in the many tax return tables shown there, as well as captions of all images). It shed some significant light on events and organizations in Baltimore (including one associated with the National Fatherhood Leaders’ Group I posted on recently) and on some nonprofit affiliations of the new US Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. However I think it packs a different kind of punch overall, on what to pay better attention to when discussing politics and major public institutions that need to be “transformed..”

Which itself emerged from  4th Quarter 2016 Review of Who’s Pushing Things “First 5” (and K12) Public School “Transformation”   (Sticky Post added 11-20-2016) (wisas published 12/16/2016 as Pt 1 of 2 (pt. 2 was also published.  See my TOC page under “2017” — the last 3 of 2016, including these two and the “ConnectEd” one below, were included).

Which emerged from another one which for short I’ll call the “ConnectEd | WestEd | US Dept of Ed” post and actually was published 11/18/2016. Exact title here:

ConnectED + MPR Associates Inc. + Gary Hoachlander, WestEd, and the US Dept. of Ed, with help from James Irvine Foundation,.  (It is currently 16,000 words long, and a bit complex! Then again, so are the networks I am discussing and exposing…)   This post was started 10/22/2016

A post on this blog may take at least a week to write.  I do not specialize in just re-blogging, or compiling a pre-existing list of links that others have already reblogged.  When I look things up, and I stay in “teaching” mode with hope that other adults, whether young or old, will understand

This “Indicators” post here actually has more in common with the ConnectEd and 4th Quarter Review subject matter than the “A closer look at …. Soros Open Society Foundations,” one although the Open Society Foundations — and “The Trade of the Century” certainly did come up in connection with the same topics.

At first I just looked at “Open Society Institute” as a single nonprofit.  But that makes no sense when dealing with this phenomena.  There is an obvious difference between billions and millions of dollars held by a single 990PF-filer.  Let alone when there’s a US-based AND an international network of them.  Starting to review the Open Society Institute AND related foundation entities (starting with identifying them as corporate entities and where the assets were being held), the difference in size is immediate — and relevant.

In making the point that we ought to start with distinguishing “monster” size entities from the more colorful, quotable, and organized by political stance smaller nonprofits often funded by the larger ones, I showed one from each side of the fence (as does, in part, the 4th Quarter Review 2016 post) and saw again how the Rightist “Discover the Networks” was doing little more to encourage financial literacy on the left by pointing the public to the tools used to look, than the Left itself was to reveal their own financials on the various websites involved.

Both claim to be exposing the other’s agenda and networks.  My intention is to  drive a wedge down the middle and posted financials from both sides, and do more of it on this post, to support my claim that — in reality– BOTH are “in on it” and playing Good Cop/Bad Cop with the public, to our collective harm.  

I continue to believe that there are — or will be — some “ears to hear” this message although I am not personally conversant with enough to persuade me it will make a political difference.   For one, I see who has been watching this site over time.

Now that that I’ve shown the immediate context, let me get to what inspired this post, especially after a closer look at some of the smaller, reporting nonprofits both left and right, pointing fingers and setting up colorful websites and multiple related organizations to demonize the other side of the aisle, and recommend how to solve the absymal state of the nation’s public schools (allegedly) while withholding accurate reporting on who, collectively, are the self-appointed, mutually fingerpointing or backslapping (in public at least) problem-solvers, the problem to of course involve redesign (with more investments) by the private sector.

No wonder both the Political Left and the Political Right wish to privately control, steer, and direct the public schools and partner with governments and state (and private) universities to recommend more and more investment in the infrastructure, with universal preschool, and attempts to turn schools into health and community centers.

Perhaps over time, we will all be reduced  to the perceptive level of (the adult equivalent) of kindergartners, and not EVER even thinking about getting educated above our appointed station in life which — face it — for most people now is NOT to be challenging the existing elite (whether left, or right politically), or its thinking or operations.

Perhaps over time also, when we aspire to anything, it will be to Pick One from Column A (Republican) or One from Column B (Democrat), or if we wish to be thought somehow more free-thinking, go More Left or More Right.  I mean, for whom to walk, talk, and think like on every major issue (health care, schools, vouchers, charters, prisons …. domestic violence, divorce, custody, the role of religious-exempt institutions in immigration and in running local communities), that when a person is approached on any typical issue, the kneejerk response will be left, or right (to a lesser or greater degree) — and be unable to have a neutral, fact-based discussion with someone on the opposite side of the fence.

Keeping any population illiterate, and language-deprived, except to a caste-level, is a symptom that one is dealing with colonization.  What was illiterate in the 1800s and what is illiterate in the 21st century — including on what just happened in the 20th century — obviously is going to differ.

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