2002 Little Notes
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Contents © 2002
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LITTLE NOTES
December 2002

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State superintendent of public instruction Delaine Eastin's position, expressed in the memos, is that private home schooling by those not credentialed or not affiliated with a public school is illegal, even though California does not require private school teachers to have a credential. Until now, parents were able to file private school affidavits through their local county education offices. Many homeschooling families filed the affidavit to create a private school and thereby satisfy the compulsory education requirement. Under the new policy, those who want to register as a private school must contact the state department of education directly.

California's crackdown on home schooling spawned an outcry from home schooling families and other pro-family groups. Eastin's response to the backlash was to send a letter dated August 27 to the California legislature asking them to regulate private home schooling

At its September 25 meeting, the San Diego County board of education passed a resolution supporting homeschooling. "Among those angry about the state's position is county board of education trustee Jim Kelly, whose son was home-schooled," the September 26 Union-Tribune reported. "He was joined by hundreds of home-schoolers last night as he asked the county board to tell state lawmakers and education officials they support home-schooling and believe the department's opinion is wrong...." The board approved a supportive resolution, but three trustees [Nick Aguilar, Ernest Dronenburg, and John Witt] changed a part of Kelly's wording that they thought encouraged parents to defy the law." Board member Susen Fay supported Kelly's original wording of the resolution. (Kelly won a seat on the Grossmont school board November 5.)

Assemblyman Tim Leslie (R-Lake Tahoe) advises that home schoolers should not panic "just yet. Superintendent Eastin has been a captive of the teachers' union [during] her entire political career. This is a crass payback for their support. Until we have a Ninth Circuit [court] decision or a United State Supreme Court decision, we should continue to home school."


WHO IS BISHOP BROM listening to? In a story entitled "Scandal is Pushing Lay Catholics to Push for More Power," the Sunday November 10 New York Times reported: "In San Diego, Bishop Robert H.Brom invited to his office leaders of a local chapter of Call to Action, a liberal group seeking changes in the church which is unwelcome in many dioceses. San Diego pastors had shunned the group. 'For anyone interested in lay organizing,' said Janet Mansfield, the group's San Diego coordinator, "now is a good time, because there's a vulnerability there on the part of the bishops, and they're a little more open.'"


MEXICALI CHRISTMAS. The Lay Brothers of Mother Teresa ask for your help bringing gifts to Mexico: "We will meet at 8:00 a.m. At "Imperial-Do-It-Center parking lot (next to Wal-Mart) in Calexico, on Saturday, December 21st. We will convoy by police escort from the New Port of Entry to our destination in Mexicali. Sign Up Sheet: 1. Turkeys -- Should be delivered uncooked to Bonanza Packing, 2121 So. Dogwood Rd., El Centro, phone 353-5910. Deliveries may be made from Dec. 16th until the evening of Dec. 19th. 2. Canned Goods, Rice, Potatoes, Beans, Stuffing, Bread, and Fruit -- Deliver to St. Anthony's Church, Monday thru Friday 9a.m. to 7p.m., in the chapel. Sundays, only before 8:30a.m, 10:30am and Noon Masses, in the Church. Deliver to OLGA in El Centro, Dec. 9th through Dec. 19th, 9a.m. to 4p.m. at the office. Deliver to St. Mary's, Dec. 9th through Dec. 19th, 9a.m. to 4p.m. at the church office; attn. Claudia. 3. New Toys (Unwrapped) -- Same as #2. 4. Blankets -- Any size for adults. 5. Preparation -- Come to Marcos Lopez's home, in Imperial to help pack boxes and stuff turkeys Dec. 19th. We will begin work at 7a.m.

"Explanation: 1. Turkeys will be cooked the day prior to delivery. 2. Authorization: We have authorization from the bishop of Mexicali, the priests of the Imperial Valley Deanery and the Mexicali Catholic Food Bank. 3. A cooked turkey dinner, a box of groceries, one blanket, and toys will be delivered to each home and given to that family, in the name of Jesus. 4. Who will be participating: Men, women and families from many of the Catholic parishes in the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys will be involved in this outreach, in conjunction with the Lay Brothers of Mother Teresa. 5. This undertaking is in its 7th year. Last year 325 turkey dinners were delivered to poor families of rural Mexicali. 6. Prior to the delivery of food and toys, a Mass will be celebrated at a location, to be announced, by Bishop Jose Isidro Guerrera of Mexicali. 7. Checks should be made payable to: "Lay Brothers of Mother Teresa", memo line: Mexicali Christmas. They are tax deductible. 8. Who are the Lay Brothers of Mother Teresa? They are a group of Catholic Men in Imperial County, who have established a non-profit organization, with the intention of serving the poorest of the poor in the Imperial and Mexicali Valley's, by providing food, clothing and other basic necessities of life. 9. Mexicali church where deliveries will be made: Santa Isabel Church, located in Colonia Santa Isabel. 10. Lay Brothers Mission Statement: As Catholic lay people, experiencing God's love for us, and our love for Jesus, and prompted by the Holy Spirit, we are moved to extend our love to our neighbor. 11. For further information: contact Marcos Lopez, St. Anthony's 760-355-2386, Guy Yturralde, OLGA E.C., 760-353-3900 or Mike Sullivan, St. Mary's, 760-353-0932.


FRUSTRATED with what he described as "stonewalling" by California attorney general Bill Lockyer, attorney Rich Ackerman of the United States Justice Foundation considered suing to get a copy of a pending legal opinion by the California state attorney general. The opinion, requested by the Medical Board of California, addresses whether or not physicians, including those employed by Planned Parenthood, must abide by child sexual abuse reporting laws. In a November 1 letter, Ackerman reminded the attorney general, "Your office has a clear duty under the California Constitution to enforce the existing laws that require the reporting of sexual abuse of minors."

The attorney general's opinion was requested by Dave Thorton of the California medical board, after he received a request by Los Angeles County supervisor Michael Antonovich.

Carlos Ramirez, senior assistant attorney general, told a News Notes reporter that the attorney general's office did not provide an opinion but merely advised the medical board on this question. "It's not an AG opinion per se," he said in a November 4 telephone interview. "It was a request for advice and we have given them the advice last week." When asked in what form the advice was given, Ramirez said that the attorney general's office has sent the medical board a letter.

Ron Joseph, the executive director of the California Medical Board, also said that his agency has "sought guidance from the AG's office." Joseph noted that his agency did not specifically mention Planned Parenthood in their request. "We have not asked if Planned Parenthood is a mandated reporter," he said. "What we asked is what is in the law regarding the responsibility of physicians in reporting this," he said in a November 1 telephone interview.

California state senator Dick Ackerman (no relation to attorney Rich Ackerman), whom Bill Lockyer defeated in the November 5 election for attorney general, weighed in on the discussion. In a November 4 interview, Ackerman denounced Lockyer's issuance of a letter rather than an opinion. "He obviously has not answered the question," Ackerman said. "He should issue an opinion and his opinion should be that Planned Parenthood not get any special treatment."

On November 4, Thorton admitted that the medical board had received the letter from the attorney general's office. When asked for a copy of the letter, Thorton said that the medical board would be meeting the following day in order to decide the manner in which the letter would be released. The letter, dated November 1, was released on November 5. The eight-page letter states that the reporting requirement exists if the girl is under the age of 16. According to Lockyer's letter, when a girl who is under the age of 16 has been impregnated by her adult boyfriend, three different reporting requirements exist. The first instance is if the girl is 15 years of age or younger and the man who impregnated her is 21 years of age or older. The second instance is when the girl is under the age of 14. In that instance, this is a reportable offense regardless of the age of the father. The third instance is if the girl is 14 or 15 years of age and the father is at least 10 years older than the girl.

With regards to the question as to whether or not minor girls have a right to privacy when seeking an abortion, Lockyer's letter pointed out a 1988 California appellate court case, People vs. Stockton Pregnancy Control Medical Clinic, Inc., which says that the privacy right that minors may have with regards to securing an abortion does not override the reporting requirements a physician has. As for girls who are 16 and 17 years old, Lockyer states that "it appears" that physicians do not have a duty to report them to Child Welfare authorities.

When told about the contents of the Lockyer letter, Dick Ackerman expressed relief. "They [the Medical Board] need to start prosecuting these cases. Every case that Life Dynamics has provided them within the state should be prosecuted. It would be irresponsible on their part not to prosecute them."


RELIGION AND ETHICS REPORTER Sandi Dolbee reported in the November 13 Union-Tribune that a new website was being posted to coincide with the bishops meeting in Washington D.C. SurvivorsFirst.org lists a database of priests accused of sexual abuse crimes. While Dolbee mentions two San Diego priests listed on the database for paying settlements, Fathers John Keith and Rudolph Galindo, she omitted mentioning Bishop Brom, also on the list. The list is divided into six sections: Criminal Convictions, Civil Settlement or Judgment, Pending Criminal Action, Pending Civil Litigation, Public Allegations (which includes Removed from active ministry, On leave, Resigned, Suicide or Allegations in newspaper), and Private Allegations. Galindo's settlement was listed as $75K and Keith's as $95 K, including a specification that his was for the alleged abuse of a 12 year-old boy. Brom's settlement was listed as $100K when he was the bishop of Duluth, Minnesota. SurvivorsFirst founder Paul Baier said that they only posted names that could be publicly verified.


FROM L.A. CORRESPONDENT IN OCTOBER: "'Bush is for abortion!' a group of about 200 Latino Catholic school parents shouted unanimously when I asked them if President George W. Bush was pro-life or pro-abortion. Being a board member of Hispanics for Life, I was invited to speak last Saturday at St. Joachim Parish in Costa Mesa to a Spanish-speaking audience about voting pro-life. I was shocked to find that this group of mostly Mexican immigrants believed that Democrats were pro-life and that Republicans were pro-abortion.

"When I asked how they had reached this conclusion, one parent argued that Bush supports stem cell research. I clarified President Bush's stand while still baffled by the comment. This response meant that they were well aware of the issues; it was the candidates and their platforms that they were confused about. When I informed them that Loretta Sanchez was pro-abortion, it was as if I had drenched them with buckets of cold water. Some had doubts, and in order to convince them that their beloved Democratic politician was pro-abortion, I was forced to give them specific examples about her pro-abortion voting record.

"Where did this group get their information? Spanish-language media. Most of the parents present had seen the television advertisement, now running regularly on Spanish-language television, where Loretta Sanchez voices her support for Gray Davis. 'Gray Davis is for abortion?' one parent asked me.

After my yes to this question, there was only silence from a group that had been actively participating at the beginning of my presentation."


PRO-LIFERS USED TO BEING RUN OFF church property for distributing voter guides found a welcome ally at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church (City Heights) the Sunday before the November 5 election. Pastor Richard Perozich distributed his own pro-life voter guide at all Masses with the parish bulletin, his own effort to simplify and customize for his parish the complicated voter guides published by the Christian Coalition. "All we care about are the family issues: The sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of life, homosexual adoption -- about four issues. I researched the other voter guides. The other guides, in order to get approved by the courts, had to include a lot of peripheral issues like gun control. I don't want 'Yes, you're going to approve my roads and have gun control, but you're going to abort babies,' so I listed the major issues first. I searched voter guides and voting records and found people in agreement. I asked people not to vote Democrat or Republican, but to vote Catholic. There's too much junk on the other voter guides. It's hard to read and too complicated. Who cares about what's happening in Escondido? Our parishioners don't live in Escondido. We put down the things people needed to vote on and just made it a little bit easier."


JUAN VARGAS, pro-abortion, pro-gay rights assemblyman from 79th Assembly District, was given a hero's welcome on the KUSI-TV news show as he entered Golden Hall on election night November 5. The usual softball questions from KUSI reporters included one on abortion, the gist of which was, as a Catholic, how did you handle your support of abortion? Vargas finessed the issue, saying that he was a Democrat and that the Democratic Party was very progressive and that the issue "did not gain any traction" in his district. One reason the issue didn't gain traction is that Vargas refused to debate his pro-life opponent, Mark Fast. Fast, outspent heavily by Vargas, got 30 percent of the vote to Vargas' 66 percent, a record for any GOP opponent in that district in recent years.


ABORTIONIST SPEAKS. Local abortionist David Priver weighed in on the letters page of the Union-Tribune October 26. Priver took the side of pro-abortion Democrat, Susan Davis: "...That you would endorse VanDeWeghe, a candidate with absolutely no legislative experience, over Davis, who truly has shown herself to be a balanced, thoughtful and bipartisan representative of a grateful district, speaks volumes about the pathological brand of conservatism you espouse. David Priver, San Diego."

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