| |
Recent Updates:
County Agrees to Bar Public Funding of Religious Activities and Religious Discrimination in All Future Contracts
PA ACLU, April 3, 2007 - Officials in Bradford County, Pa., have agreed to bar any public funding of religious activities as part of a settlement of a lawsuit challenging a faith-based inmate rehabilitation program.
In 2005, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the national law firm of Arnold & Porter LLP brought a legal action on behalf of five Bradford County taxpayers against Bradford County and other governmental agencies for funding The Firm Foundation, a religiously based rehabilitation program at the Bradford County jail.
The Moeller v. Bradford County lawsuit charged that federal, state, and Bradford County violated the Constitution by using tax payers' money to fund The Firm Foundation because its program proselytized to inmates, pressured them to take part in prayer, and hired only Christians as employees. The situation in Bradford County was brought to public attention by the Bradford County Alliance for Democracy, a local citizens' group.
In a settlement agreement filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania today, Bradford County agreed that all of its future contracts will bar an array of unconstitutional activities involving government support of religion.
"This settlement will ensure that all Bradford County residents can take advantage of government programs that are supposed to be for their benefit without being subjected to unwelcome religious proselytizing," said Mary Catherine Roper, an attorney with the ACLU of Pennsylvania. "And Bradford County taxpayers will get what they are supposed to be paying for - government service programs - instead of seeing their taxpayer dollars used to convert a captive audience."
Under terms of the agreement, Bradford County will:
- Forbid county contractors from pressuring or coercing program participants to attend or participate in religious activities;
- Bar publicly funded programs from discriminating based on religion in providing services;
- Prohibit the use of any public funds for the support of any religious activities, including religious instruction, worship and proselytization;
- Prohibit the use of public money to purchase religious materials or for the construction or maintenance of religious buildings; and
- Regularly monitor compliance with these rules by all religiously affiliated contractors.
The settlement does not conclude the lawsuit entirely. The case is still pending against the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and The Firm Foundation.
The lawsuit has been litigated by attorneys Dan Kuhn and Bruce Kelly of Arnold & Porter LLP, Americans United attorneys Ayesha N. Khan, Richard B. Katskee and Alex J. Luchenitser, and Pennsylvania ACLU attorneys Witold J. Walczak, Paula Knudsen and Mary Catherine Roper.
More information about the case, including a copy of the complaint and the settlement, can be found here.
Local Government Agrees To Bar Public Funding Of Religious Activities And Religious Discrimination In All Future Contracts
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, April 3, 2007 - Officials in Bradford County, Pa., have agreed to bar any public funding of religious activities as part of a settlement of a lawsuit challenging a local "faith-based" inmate ministry.
In 2005, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, and the national law firm of Arnold & Porter LLP brought a legal action against Bradford County and other governmental agencies for funding The Firm Foundation, a religiously based rehabilitation program at the Bradford County jail.
The Moeller v. Bradford County lawsuit charged that the government's provision of federal, state, and local funds to The Firm Foundation was unconstitutional because the program proselytized inmates, pressured them to take part in prayer, and hired only Christians as employees.
In a settlement agreement filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania today, Bradford County agreed that all of its future contracts will bar an array of unconstitutional activities involving government support of religion.
Said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, "I am pleased with this result. Taxpayers should never be asked to subsidize religious activities or religious discrimination. This settlement ensures that public dollars will be spent to advance public purposes, not private religious goals."
Americans United Senior Litigation Counsel Alex J. Luchenitser added, "This is a victory for all Bradford County residents. It means public funds will be spent in accordance with the Constitution and common fairness. The county should be commended for doing the right thing to resolve this case."
Under terms of the agreement, Bradford County will:
- Prohibit the use of any public funds for the support of any religious activities, including religious instruction, worship and proselytization
- Bar the use of public money to purchase religious materials or the construction or maintenance of religious buildings
- Forbid county contractors from pressuring or coercing program beneficiaries to attend or participate in religious activities
- Prohibit publicly funded programs from discriminating based on religion in providing services
- Regularly monitor compliance with these rules by all religiously affiliated contractors.
The settlement does not conclude the lawsuit entirely. The case is still pending against the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and The Firm Foundation.
The lawsuit has been litigated by attorneys Dan Kuhn and Bruce Kelly of Arnold & Porter LLP, Americans United attorneys Ayesha N. Khan, Richard B. Katskee and Alex J. Luchenitser, and Pennsylvania ACLU attorneys Witold J. Walczak and Mary Catherine Roper.
The situation in Bradford County was brought to public attention by the Bradford County Alliance for Democracy, a local citizens' group.
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
GAO: Faith-based Initiative Lacks Safeguards
Against Religious Discrimination
and Shows Lack of Accountability
Washington DC, July 18, 2006 - A new Government Accountability Office report released
today by U.S. Representatives Pete Stark (D-CA) and George Miller (D-CA)
finds that the Bush Administration offers inadequate safeguards against
discrimination in federally funded social services programs carried out by
faith-based organizations.(read full article here)
Analysis Finds E-Voting Machines Vulnerable
Andrea Stone, USA Today, Monday 26 June 2006 -- Most of the electronic voting machines widely adopted since the disputed 2000 presidential election "pose a real danger to the integrity of national, state and local elections," a report out Tuesday concludes.
There are more than 120 security threats to the three most commonly purchased electronic voting systems, the study by the Brennan Center for Justice says. For what it calls the most comprehensive review of its kind, the New York City-based non-partisan think tank convened a task force of election officials, computer scientists and security experts to study e-voting vulnerabilities.
The study, which took more than a year to complete, examined optical scanners and touch-screen machines with and without paper trails. Together, the three systems account for 80% of the voting machines that will be used in this November's election. (read full article here.)
PRIDE - not Prejudice
On Saturday, June 10, 2006, please join us at the BRADFORD COUNTY LIBRARY on Rt 6
at 7:30p.m. for 'The Power of Harmony', FREE and open to the public.
Using the personal experiences of a gay men's chorus, this documentary takes an intimate look at controversial issues of the day -- coming out and gay marriage, religious views on homosexuality, and gay adoption -- while capturing the heart and soul of the struggle to find self-acceptance.
More than 140 members of this choir have been lost to AIDS in its 25
year history, but it moves forward.
This is an extraordinary story of gay men, mostly Baptist, who have joined together, to create great art in the most unlikely of places: George W. Bush's home state.
Related links to explore:
History of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
http://www.nwhp.org/events/gay-lesbian-pride/history-of-pride-month.html
June is International Gay Pride - Not Prejudice Month
http://www.interpride.org/
Gay Pride - Not Prejudice in Bradford County
Verifiable Voting: "Is using secret, unexamined and untested software to tally votes in an election an improvement in election administration?"Read More
A Preliminary Evaluation of
New Beginnings:
A Proposed Faith-based, Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center
Prepared by Clark Moeller
for the Bradford County Alliance for Democracy (BCAD),
April 6, 2006 --
Synopsis: William Henry McBratney is the sponsor and leader of this proposal. In specific, we evaluate his (1) claims about the effectiveness of faith-based drug treatment programs such as New Beginnings, (2) the constitutionality of programs such as New Beginnings as described by Mr. McBratney, and (3) Mr. McBratney's credentials for running any such program. (4) And lastly, we make a recommendation concerning Mr. McBratney's New Beginnings proposal.
Read More
The Consequences of Abstinence-Only Sex Education
Clark Moeller, November 1, 2005 --
The overwhelming evidence from the research on abstinence-only sex education
is that it is a failure. It is doing more harm than good. Students should be taught
medically-accurate comprehensive sex education which includes recommendations that students abstain from sexual activity.
Read More
Eyes Wide Open
Barbara Coyle, June 2005 -- If I were to ask you when birth control became legal in this country would you know?
Would you care if it became impossible for a women in this country to get a prescription for birth controlled filled?
Forty years ago this month, the US Supreme Court in Griswold vs. Connecticut ruled that laws prohibiting married people from using contraception or professionals counseling others about it violate the constitutional right to privacy. That's right only 40 years ago. Read More
Battling Bias
Rob Boston, April 2005 -- A job recently became available for someone willing and able to teach construction skills to inmates at the Bradford County Correctional Facility in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Applicants had to be general contractors familiar with the ins and outs of the building trade, such as estimating jobs and procuring supplies; they also had to be capable of supervising a crew of up to 10 men.
There was one more requirement: Anyone interested in the job had to be a Christian willing to share his or her faith if the opportunity to save a soul arose. Leading workers in prayer would also be an important part of the job.
How did a religious requirement like that get affixed to a job funded with taxpayer dollars?
Blame it on President George W. Bush.
Since Bush unveiled his “faith-based” initiative shortly after taking office in 2001, federal agencies, as well as state and local governments, have been prodded to dole out tax funds to religious organizations. A variety of social-service programs, including programs aimed at substance abusers, young people, elderly Americans and prison inmates and others in need of government aid have been especially targeted.
In Bradford County, a rural enclave with a population of about 62,000, the new faith-based approach translated into a contract diverting a combination of local, state and federal funds to an evangelical Christian group called The Firm Foundation to run vocational programs at the local jail. No other programs are offered. If you’re an inmate and want to learn a marketable skill to turn your life around after release, Firm Foundation is the only game in town. Click here for full story, which will open in a separate browser window.
Firm Foundation Sued in Federal Court
February 17, 2005 - A complaint was filed in federal court today on behalf of several Bradford County citizens, including a former prisoner of the Bradford County jail. The complaint charges that the Bradford County Commissioners and Firm Foundation of Bradford County, which supposedly operates a vocational training program for Bradford County prison inmates, have been violating the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
A BCAD report, Performance of Firm Foundation of Bradford County, published and distributed in July 2004, detailed the First Amendment violations committed by Firm Foundation as well as the fiscal mismanagement of Firm Foundation and the lack of required fiduciary oversight by the County Commissioners and PCCD.
Follow this link to view the report, the complaint, and updates. Performance of Firm Foundation of Bradford County
Pennsylvania Jail Requires Religion With Rehabilitation
ACLU PA, February 17, 2005 -- The only vocational training program available at a Pennsylvania county jail forces prisoners to participate in religious discussions, religious lectures and prayer, the American Civil Liberties Union charged today in a complaint filed in federal court. Read More
Letter from Auditor Firm: Unable to Issue a Report
January 20, 2005 - Nancy Shrader provided a copy of the letter from Larson, Kellet & Associates, the firm contracted to audit Firm Foundation. In it, they state, "certain records and supporting data were not available. Therefore, we were not able to satisfy ourselve about certain amounts in the financial statmeent. Click here to see a scanned copy of the letter. (Image will open in a separate browser window)
Satan's Critique of Church-State Separation
Clark Moeller, January 28, 2005 - This is a talk presented in dramatic form by Clark Moeller that explores the deleterious effects of the Bush Administration’s faith-based funding on religious institutions and church-state separation. The presentation is followed by discussion. During 2004, this presentation has been given to church and secular groups in PA, NY, MD, and UT. click here for Satan's Critique
Funding Released Before Audit Results and Without Invoicing
BCAD, November 19, 2004 - The following memo was read to the County Commissioners at their meeting on November 18, 2004. In response to the questions asked by BCAD in the memo, we learned that there are still NO documents available for public review, and the promised response from Richard Friend has NOT been recieved. Nevertheless, the County Commissioners again have released additional funding to Firm Foundation without the invoicing required by the contract signed on March 31, 2003.
Read More
Performance of The Firm Foundation of Bradford County
Conducted by Laura H. Blain & Clark Moeller, July 25, 2004 - A study of the performance of a faith-based organization and the quality of oversight provided by the responsible state and local agencies.
This report is the story of how taxpayer's monies are wasted and their constitutional protections of church-state separation are violated when government and public agencies do not carry out their fiduciary responsibility to protect the public interest.
This report can be viewed online, and is also available in pdf format if you prefer to download and print a copy. To view the report in a new browser window, click here: Performance of The Firm Foundation of Bradford County .
Click here for the report in pdf format. (Adobe Acrobat Reader necessary, free download available)
Church-State Separation: A Keystone to Peace, 3rd Edition
Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy, January 2004 - First released in January of 2003, this paper by Clark Moeller has been updated, republished, and is now availabe in pdf format.
This paper explores three questions. What benefits has church-state separation added to society? to democracy? and to institutional religions in the United States?
Click here to view
(opens in a separate window - Adobe Acrobat Reader necessary, free download available)
Progress at The Daily Review
Clark Moeller, November 19, 2002 - Dear Mr. Ed Lynett, As the principal author of the three volume critique of the editorial ethics at The Daily Review published by CPR@The Daily Review and the Bradford County Alliance for Democracy during 2000-2002, I have been following Mr. Ronald Hosie's performance as the new Editor with some interest.
Based on what he has done in the first five months or so, I believe The Daily Review now has a first class editor.
Read More
A Celebration of Education
Burlington Borough, PA, January 11, 2002 - Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy (PAD), Harrisburg, PA, has released A Celebration of Public Education, written by Jeffrey Gonzalez, a research engineer and materials scientist, who has used his professional expertise in statistics and drawing conclusions from data to examine attacks on public schools. Jeffrey is a member of Bradford County Alliance for Democracy (BCAD), an Advisor to PAD, and is involved as a parent and soccer coach with the Towanda schools, where his three children go to school. Jeffrey and his wife, Diane Gonzalez, live in Towanda Township.
"I urge you to read ... about Mr. Gonzalez's findings," writes John Tarka, Editor for PaFT Advocate, the newsletter for the Federation of Teachers. "Mr. Gonzalez provides solid proof in dispelling ... [many of the] negative myths about public education. ... His factual information will help you correct those who so casually criticize our schools and our students." (PaFT Advocate, Jan. 2002). Copies of the 24 page A Celebration of Public Education can be downloaded from BCAD's website at www.bcad.info/Celebration.html.
Read More
| |