Category Archives: news

Auditor of State Dave Yost Takes on Food Stamp Fraud

Auditor of State Dave Yost this week identified substantial risks of fraud in Ohio’s food stamp program.

“This money is supposed to be going to feed hungry kids, and those kids need the govern- ment to try harder to get the job done,” Auditor Yost said Tuesday, speaking at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Columbus.

Responding to reports of misdirected food stamp aid, the Auditor of State’s office conducted a review of the program and, in a January 10 letter to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), issued recommendations for increased oversight.

Auditor Yost said one high-risk indicator of fraud is frequent reissuance of lost, stolen or damaged cards. In some cases, these missing cards have been sold to corrupt vendors for pennies on the dollar, with the vendors cashing in on the cards without ever moving goods off the shelf. Nearly 340,000 food stamp EBT cards were reissued in 2011, and 17,000 recipients during a five year period received 10 or more cards.

Auditor Yost recommended that ODJFS increase supervision of reissuance practices and work with the Ohio General Assembly and federal sponsors to increase penalties for merchants and other vendors who improperly benefit from cards intended for program beneficiaries.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as the food stamp program, served more than 1.7 million people in Ohio in 2011.

Homosexual Lobby Group Funded Mostly by Governments

By Austin Ruse

(WASHINGTON, DC – C-FAM) European human rights lawyer J.C. von Krempach has taken a close look at the funding stream of the International Gay and Lesbian Association – Europe (ILGA) and concluded that most of their money comes from governments. Writing in the foreign policy blog Turtle Bay and Beyond, von Krempach found a vast majority of ILGA’s funds come from just two governmental entities, the European Commission and the Dutch government.

ILGA is an advocacy group promoting homosexual rights. They were notoriously denied UN accreditation for years because of their connection to groups that promote pedophilia. The NGO Committee of the UN Economic and Social Council consistently rejected ILGA until the Economic and Social Council, led by European countries, overruled their decision.

Among the requirements for UN NGO accreditation is “the major portion of the organization’s funds should be derived from contributions from national affiliates, individual members, or other non-governmental components.”

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) accredited to the United Nations must show actual people or non-profits, such as foundations, fund them. The UN holds that if their money comes mostly from governments that would make them governmental entities.

The UN included “civil society” to represent people independent from governmental intrusion, not to be an arm of government or a deceptive front for political officials. “Civil society” is comprised of voluntary social relationships and civic organizations and institutions, distinct from the state and market.

Von Krempach discovered that in the year just ended, the European Commission, an intergovernmental entity, provided fully 68% of ILGA’s budget. The Dutch government provided an additional €50,000 bringing ILGA’s governmental funding up to 71%. The rest of ILGA’s funding comes from left-wing donors George Soros, Sigrid Rausing, and one anonymous donor.

Von Krempach also looked at the organization’s budget forecast for 2012 and found a total income of €1,950,000 of which €1 million come from the European Commission and €334,000 come from the Dutch government. Von Krempach writes, “This raises questions with regard to ILGA-Europe’s accreditation to the UN Economic and Social Council.”

Von Krempach also points out the anomaly of the European Commission being the largest sole funding source for a group set up to lobby the European Commission and the European Parliament. He says this is basically the European Institutions lobbying itself.

In light of this new information, it is expected the UN NGO Committee will take up ILGA’s accreditation once more. There is a great deal of bad blood at the UN on the question of the homosexual agenda. European nations are forcing extremist homosexual groups upon the UN NGO Committee. Other governments have taken up the cause of making homosexual activity a human right enforced by international law.

A document called the Yogyakarta Principles, written in part by UN bureaucrats, claims that “sexual orientation and gender identity” are already part of international law. A solid bloc of 80+ nations consistently stops this phantom re-interpretation of UN treaties from actually happening.

In recent weeks the US government announced that advancing the homosexual agenda would be one of its top foreign policy priorities, directing all US government entities that do business overseas to make this agenda a priority.

Austin Ruse is President of C-FAM whose article first appeared in the Friday Fax, an internet report published weekly by C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute), a New York and Washington DC-based research institute (http://www.c-fam.org/). This article appears with permission.

Unanimous U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Right of Churches to Keep Government Out of Hiring, Firing Decisions

(WASHINGTON, DC) In a unanimous ruling in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. E.E.O.C., the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that churches have a First Amendment right to keep the government out of its employment decisions. The case tested the limits of “ministerial exception,” a First Amendment doctrine that bars many employment-related lawsuits brought against religious organizations by employees performing religious functions. In deciding the case, the Court determined that the ministerial exception can be applied to a teacher at a religious elementary school who teaches the full secular curriculum, but also teaches daily religion classes, is a commissioned minister and regularly leads students in prayer and worship. Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute filed a “friend of the court” brief in the case on behalf of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, asking the Court to adopt a standard that defers to the church’s determination of whether and how an employee is important to the spiritual mission of the church.

The Supreme Court opinion and The Rutherford Institute’s amicus brief in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. E.E.O.C. are available at www.rutherford.org.

“This is an important victory for religious freedom. When a church is forced to make employment decisions based on a lawsuit rather than spiritual needs, the end result is that its core activities and spiritual message are inevitably altered in order to accommodate or protect against government pressures or expectations,” stated John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. “Churches must be free to decide for themselves, free from state interference, matters of church governance as well as those of faith and doctrine.”

The case of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. E.E.O.C. relates to an employment claim made by Cheryl Perich, who was hired as a “called” teacher for Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in 2000. As a “called” teacher, Perich had to be recommended for appointment by the church’s elders and board of directors. Perich taught math, language arts, social studies, science, gym, art and music. She also taught a religion class four days per week (two hours total), attended chapel with her class once a week and led chapel services twice a year. In June 2004, Perich fell ill, was placed on disability and eventually was diagnosed with narcolepsy. When the school began the process of cutting ties with Perich because she could not perform her duties, Perich brought a claim against the school under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The claim was dismissed under the “ministerial exception” doctrine, which precludes courts from becoming involved in claims that would decide the employment relationship of “ministerial” employees. However, the dismissal was overturned on appeal by the Sixth Circuit.

In filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys for The Rutherford Institute asked the Court to reject the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling that whether an employee is a “minister” for purposes of this exemption depends on whether “the employee’s primary duties consist of teaching, spreading the faith, church governance, supervision of a religious order, or supervision or participation in religious ritual and worship.”

Obama Formally Requests $1.2 Trillion Hike in Borrowing Limit

President Barack Obama asked Congress Thursday for another $1.2 trillion increase in the nation’s debt limit, a request that is largely a formality but carries election-year implications. It was the third and final such request the president was allowed under a deal the White House reached with lawmakers in August to prevent a government default.

Congress has 15 days to reject the president’s request. Read more

UN Agencies Sitting on Billions in Cash Reserves, Refuse Full Compliance with Auditors

By Wendy Wright

(NEW YORK C-FAM) A confidential audit of UNICEF and UNFPA found “gross” failures in transparency and surprisingly billions of dollars of unspent cash. Both agencies refused to disclose information on staff costs and travel. The auditor found that donors have “little knowledge regarding the ultimate destiny” of funds.

Fox News editor George Russell studied the yet-to-be-disclosed two-volume draft report written by the consulting firm IDC at the request of the government of Norway. UNFPA and UNICEF refused to answer Fox News’ questions, other than claiming the cash reserves were earmarked for future work on programs.

The audit of five UN agencies sought to discover “where does the money go.” The report found UNFPA and UNICEF had $3.2 billion in cash in 2009. UNICEF, which is free to spend money where it wants despite the project that earned it, gained $109 million in interest income in 2008. The United Nations Development Program had $5 billion in cash reserves, invested large amounts on bonds, and increased personnel costs 80% in the last decade. These together with the World Food Program (which alone was judged transparent and its performance “impressive”) had $12.2 billion in unspent cash. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees did not have a cash stockpile but refused to disclose spending, particularly on staff costs.

The report found UNFPA was unable, or unwilling, to account for $200 million a year funneled to governments and non-governmental groups. It refused to disclose details of wages, salaries, travel, consultant costs, and other items. The report declared, “UNFPA fails grossly” in its official commitment to transparency.

Details on UNICEF’s overhead were lacking, and scraps of information on expenditures make “it difficult to track use of funds from headquarters down to the ultimate beneficiaries on the ground.” It, too, could not account for expenditures within countries, which is the majority of its spending, earning a designation of “gross failure.”

Several UN agencies are increasingly focusing on giving policy advice and advocacy, and relying on others to deliver goods and services. They form vague strategic plans at headquarters that defy tracking outcomes or progress within countries. The UN refugee agency delegates most of its program activities to “implementing partners” that do the work on the ground.

The study warned that the hoard of money “implies that substantial donor funding is not being used for development purposes.” Donors may be reluctant to fund the UN until the “reserves are utilized.”

For years UN agencies have resisted divulging their finances. Government officials have suspected the lack of transparency hides lavish salaries and expensive travel. Diverting funds to non-governmental groups provides a coterie of accomplices who defend the UN agencies.

Shadowy accounting often signals systemic waste, fraud and abuse. In a moment of candor in 2007, a UNFPA executive boasted at a conference that, though the agency was barred from directly funding abortion, it disburses money to abortion providers.

An examination of UNFPA annual reports finds its budget ballooned from $249.9 million in 1999 to $870 million in 2010. Despite its vast resources and audit failure, in November it urged leaders to “galvanize greater political, financial support for family planning.”

Wendy Wright is Interim Director of C-FAM whose article first appeared in the Friday Fax, an internet report published weekly by C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute), a New York and Washington DC-based research institute (http://www.c-fam.org/). This article appears with permission.

Human Trafficking Awareness

Yesterday was Human Trafficking Awareness Day. This day was set by a resolution of Congress in hopes Americans would understand that the fight for freedom is not over. This fight is part of our national heritage and identity. It compelled our ancestors to colonize this continent.

Unless Americans remember the right of liberty is rooted in the nature of humanity’s equality and dignity, no legitimate reason exists for continued efforts to liberate enslaved people.

What is the nature of human equality and dignity? The Declaration of Independence defines as created by nature’s God. Because the human best reflects the nature of God, the dignity of every human being is of inestimable worth. Acts of injustice and cruelty reflect the worst of human thought and behavior.

It will take more than one day each year for Americans to reeducate themselves about God, equality, liberty, and law out of which American freedom originated.

At the beginning of this month, President Obama declared January as human trafficking prevention month. During his proclamation, Pres. Obama stated:

As a Nation, we have known moments of great darkness and greater light; and dim years of chattel slavery illuminated and brought to an end by President Lincoln’s actions and a painful Civil War. Yet even today, the darkness and inhumanity of enslavement exists. Millions of people worldwide are held in compelled service, as well as thousands within the United States. During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we acknowledge that forms of slavery still exist in the modern era, and we recommit ourselves to stopping the human traffickers who ply this horrific trade….

Fighting modern slavery and human trafficking is a shared responsibility. This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, we can and must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation.

Indeed, it is a crime against God and humanity.

There are a number of organizations and on-line educational sites. They include Polaris Project, A-21 Campaign, humantrafficking.org, Human Trafficking Blog to name a few.

To understand the problem truly, one must retrace the history of the struggle of liberty. A good place to start would be with the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, it tells of the ancient struggle for freedom and how it has been achieved. This is one of the key texts that informed the Protestant reformers, Puritans, English reformers, colonists, preachers, theologians, moral philosophers, lawyers and their laws of nature and of nations, and even our national founding. Human nature and human rights cannot be fully understood without understanding the sacred text about human bondage and freedom.

Muslim Persecution of Christians: December, 2011

by Raymond Ibrahim

The Nigerian church bombings, wherein the Islamic group Boko Haram killed over 40 people celebrating Christmas mass, is just the most obvious example of anti-Christian sentiment in December. Elsewhere around the Muslim world, Christmas time for Christians is a time of increased threats, harassment, and fear, which is not surprising, considering Muslim clerics maintain that “saying Merry Christmas is worse than fornication or killing someone.” A few examples:

Egypt: The Coptic Church is being threatened with a repeat of “Nag Hammadi,” the area where drive-by Muslims shot to death six Christians as they exited church after celebrating Christmas mass in 2010. Due to fears of a repeat, the diocese has “cancel[ed] all festivities for New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve.”

Indonesia: In a "brutal act" that has "strongly affected the Catholic community," days before Christmas, "vandals decapitated the statue of the Virgin Mary in a small grotto … a cross was stolen and the aspersorium was badly damaged.

Iran: There were reports of a sharp increase of activities against Christians prior to Christmas by the State Security centers of the Islamic Republic. Local churches were "ordered to cancel Christmas and New Year's celebrations as a show of their compliance and support" for "the two month-long mourning activities of the Shia' Moslems.

Malaysia: Parish priests and church youth leaders had to get "caroling" permits—requiring them to submit their full names and identity card numbers at police stations—simply to "visit their fellow church members and belt out 'Joy to the World,' [or] 'Silent Night, Holy Night.'

Pakistan: "Intelligence reports warned of threats of terrorist attacks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day," adding that most church security is "inadequate." Christians also lamented that "extreme power outages have become routine during Christmas and Easter seasons.

Meanwhile, if Christians under Islam are forced to live like dhimmis—non-Muslims under Muslim authority, treated as second-class citizens—in the West, voluntarily playing the dhimmi to appease Muslims during Christmas time is commonplace: the University of London held Christmas service featuring readings from the Quran (which condemns the incarnation, that is, Christmas); and “a posh Montreal suburb has decided to remove a nativity scene and menorah from town hall rather than acquiesce to demands from a Muslim group to erect Islamic religious symbols.”

Categorized by theme, the rest of December’s batch of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed according to theme and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily severity. Continue reading

The Next Era of the Postal Service

By Sherrod Brown

This holiday season, Ohioans received scores of gifts—from Great Lakes beer to Cincinnati chili—but many of the parcels probably weren’t dropped off by their local postal carrier.

The United States Postal Service (USPS)—the second-largest employer in the United States and one authorized by the U.S. Constitution—is governed by rules that limit its financial viability. To address a growing deficit, more than 120 post offices and 10 mail processing centers in Ohio have been slated for possible closure because of financial challenges.

These closures could prove costly for middle-class families in our state, resulting in job losses and deteriorated service. That is why I fought for a moratorium on all postal facility closures until May 2012. With this additional time, Congress can modernize the rules and usher in the next era of the USPS.

Private delivery companies perform an important service. But the Post Office should be able to compete for all the parcel business, too. That’s why I’m fighting to pass the Postal Service Protection Act, legislation that would help bring the USPS back to fiscal solvency.

First, it would deal with the USPS’s fiscal challenges. This bill would address a broken pension system which currently costs the USPS more than $5 billion every year. Right now, the Postal Service must pre-fund 75 years of future retiree health care benefits in just 10 years. With this legislation, we can address immediate fiscal problems facing the USPS by overhauling the USPS retiree benefit requirements.

Second, it would allow the Post Office to innovate. By easing current financial constraints on the agency, the USPS would have additional avenues to earn income—like shipping beer or issuing a state fishing license—that can put the Postal Service back on the road to fiscal health.

The legislation would also protect a six-day delivery—preserving Saturday delivery and maintaining current standards for first-class mail delivery. This is vitally important for seniors and patients who depend on timely delivery of life-saving prescription medications.

With any postal reform legislation Congress considers, we must take into account what affect these decisions will have on America’s recovering economy. What would inaction mean for Ohio families?

Postal workers—many of them veterans, women, and rural residents—do more than deliver holiday cards and news from home. They also watch out for elderly neighbors, and help build a sense of community. Since 1775, the USPS has kept Americans connected with one another and the rest of the world.

Our state ranks eighth in the nation for the number of USPS employees—including letter carriers and sorters—who help Ohioans cash checks, obtain passports, and operate small businesses. We must help the USPS, a self-supporting government entity, adapt to the challenges of the 21st century.

A robust Post Office means that small businesses and non-profits have reliable and affordable means to conduct their business. It means that the shopping centers and small businesses in urban areas—which, in many cases, are anchored by the presence of a post office—can continue to thrive. It also ensures that seniors can receive their mail-order prescriptions and Social Security checks without delay.

The motto of the Post Office: “neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night” dates back to antiquity. The Greek letter carriers likely faced unleashed dogs—though not email. Yet I’m confident that we can and must overcome the challenges faced by the USPS. This is our promise to our neighborhood postal worker, our neighbors, and our communities.

Rutherford Institute Urges U.S. Supreme Court to Hold Corporations Accountable for Human Rights Abuses in Keeping with the Rule of Law

(WASHINGTON, DC) — The Rutherford Institute has filed an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that will determine whether U.S. courts are open to persons who are victims of human rights abuses by international corporations. The Institute’s brief in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. asks the Court to reverse a federal appeals court ruling that corporations are not subject to liability under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), a 200-year-old law that allows victims of violations of the law of nations to recover damages from the persons responsible for the violations.

In their brief, Institute attorneys argue that U.S. courts should do all they can to prevent and remedy human rights abuses and that it is contrary to established principles and the rule of law to allow corporations to escape responsibility for heinous crimes that violate established international standards simply because they are not “natural” persons. The Rutherford Institute’s brief in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. is available at www.rutherford.org.

“Permitting corporations to escape civil liability for crimes against humanity is a fundamental departure from the constitutional theory of the rule of law upon which the U.S. Constitution rests,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. “We have operated too long under a double standard that favors corporations, recognizing them as persons for the purposes of profit but failing to hold them equally accountable for their abuses. The Supreme Court needs to rectify this discrepancy and ensure that corporations are not given carte blanche to operate above the law.”

The case involves a lawsuit by residents of the Ogoni Region of Nigeria, where Royal Dutch Petroleum and its subsidiaries have been involved in oil exploration since 1958. The residents alleged that Royal Dutch, in cooperation with the Nigerian government, began a campaign of repression and terror after residents organized to protest and resist the exploration efforts because of its environmental effects upon the region. According to the complaint, the campaign involved the shooting and killing of Ogoni residents, attacking Ogoni villages, and beating, raping, torturing and arresting residents and destroying or looting of property by Nigerian military forces, allegedly with the aid and assistance of Royal Dutch and its affiliates.

Several Ogoni residents filed suit in a New York federal district court in 2002 under the Alien Tort Statute, which was enacted in 1789 by the First Congress and which provides federal courts with jurisdiction over “any civil action by an alien for tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.” Insisting that only natural persons are subject to federal court jurisdiction under the ATS, the corporate defendants filed a motion to dismiss the case, which the district court denied. On appeal, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling, holding that corporations and other “juridical” entities, while considered “persons” under the law of the United States, are not considered persons under the ATS. However, a federal appeals court ruling in another, unrelated, case held that corporations are subject to the ATS.

In light of the conflict between the circuits, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. In weighing in on the issue, attorneys for The Rutherford Institute are urging the Supreme Court to “affirm the foundational principle that corporations are not above the rule of law and are not available as a vehicle to circumvent domestic or international laws that punish participation in egregious human rights violations.”

Pricing Restructured for 2nd Annual “Bowling for Babies” Event to Benefit the Greene Community Health Foundation

(XENIA, OH)—The Greene Community Health Foundation is “glowing” with excitement over an upcoming event for families looking for a little fun this January. Bowling for Babies is set for Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at Beaver-Vu Bowl in Beavercreek. And this time, the bowling lanes will come alive with all new glow-in-the-dark effects, exciting lights and music, but now at a reduced cost!

“Staff took a look at the cost of running this fundraiser and decided, with it being held just after the holidays, to offer a better price to families and businesses that come and support the Foundation, while still being able to put a little bit of money back into the account,” said Laurie Fox, Development Coordinator for the Greene County Combined Health District. “This will give families a bit of a break and we’re even offering a special rate for groups,” she added. Families are invited to register up to 6 people of all ages, per team. If registering less than 6 bowlers, participants may be placed on a lane with other bowlers. Registration is now open and families are encouraged to take advantage of the Early Bird Rate of just $20.00 per person by January 6th, 2012. A youth rate was added at just $15.00 each for ages 12 and younger (no early bird rate for youth). After January 6th and through the day of the event, the cost is $25.00 each for ages 13 and older. If you aren’t a bowler, but would like to come and support the event and enjoy the prizes and food, it’s just $10.00 per person. The final deadline to register for this event is January 13, 2012.

Now in its second year, this event is a fundraiser for the various children’s clinics available to the public at the Greene County Combined Health District (GCCHD) located in Xenia. From immunizations against childhood diseases and dental cleanings and checkups to the Tots-N-Teens Well Child clinic and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinic, thousands of children and their families receive services through GCCHD, many of whom are under- or un-insured. This family-friendly fun event will feature 2 ½ hours of glow bowling, raffles, prizes, food and fun.

For more information on the special group rate or if you are interested in registering, please contact Laurie Fox at 937-374-5669, email her at lfox@gcchd.org or visit the website for a registration form at www.gcchd.org. Be sure to “like” the Greene Community Health Foundation on Facebook, too, where you can get updates about this event.