Monterey Bay Forum

If parental rights of parents who abuse their children were terminated earlier, fewer children would be harmed. Three Strikes of abuse and parental rights should be terminated. Immediately. The child should then put up for permanent adoption. Give children a break to have a break from an unhealthy, abusive past. Currently the law allows parents who repeatedly abuse to still keep their parental rights.

What Three Strikes? Strike #1: Use of dangerous to drugs dangerous to fetus. All children born addicted are a strike against the mother and probably the father as well. I see heaps of cases where mothers have had several children all of them born addicted to heroin, cocaine, meth or a combination of drugs.

Strike #2: Neglect and physical and/or emotional abuse. Let CPA decide what constitutes abuse and neglect. Being spaced out on drugs and ignoring the child day after day is neglect. Hitting children that leaves marks is abuse. Not feeding or diapering children so they have horrible rashes is abuse.

Here is a real case why parental rights should be terminated early: The child, Erica, (not real name) was taken care of by her grandmother for the first few years. Left on a rug, fed but not much interaction with the elderly woman. Mother, who had been in prison re-appears and takes the child from age 4 to age 8. The mother’s boyfriend on one occasion chokes the child in public fast food restaurants. Both use and abuse various illegal and legal drugs. Child is taken away from them by CPS.

Erica, now age 8, was placed in foster care. A licensed psychologist assessed her and recommended that she be adopted by a two parent family with extended family and good structure. Take her to a church or place of worship. Enroll her in group sports.

That never happened. Erica is now age 18. She has been in a number of foster placements for over ten years. She takes medications for psychotic symptoms, ADHD and depression. She fixates on returning to live with her mother. Her mother has been in prison most of the last 10 years and is currently in prison

What skills does Erica have? She almost passed the Exit exam for CA in Reading. Her score was just a couple points too low to pass. Her life skills are quite Deficient.

Erica will have to cared for by taxpayers probably for the rest of her life. Her life would have had promise had she been adopted many years ago.

Maybe Three Strikes is too generous Abused in the womb and born addicted to drugs has such serious concequences. Had Erica been given a fresh start while very young she probably would be a productive young citizen capable of providing for herself and contributing to society.

Who is respeonsible for the harm to Erica? Her biological parents and relatives for sure. Also the social service system that moved her from one placement to another. And the legal system that bends over backwared to put children back with their bad parents. The law must be changed in California.

Your comments? written by Cameron Jackson cameronjacks@gmail.com

Web Ring exists for all sorts of topics. For autistic spectrum disorders (autism, pervasive developmental disorder, NOS, etc) there are several interesting rings: Autism Family Circle, Special Needs Support Groups and Asperger’s Web Ring.

Anyone who knows of a particularly good site – please post what it is and why you like it.

I am in process of joining the Asperger’s Web Ring which has 91 sites. What that means is you can quickly move from one sit to another and see what you think of all of them.

For more info go Web Ring

First Signs launches a National Campaign to Inform Physicians and Parents about Autism and Developmental Disorders.

“First Signs, a national awareness initiative, was recently launched recently in the state of New Jersey to inform the state’s physicians and parents about the early warning signs of autism and developmental disorders. The New Jersey pilot, which was launched in collaboration with UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Center for Outreach Services to the Autism Community (COSAC), was the first statewide campaign of its kind in the country by the Massachusetts-based First Signs, Inc, launched in collaboration with UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Center for Outreach Services to the Autism Community (COSAC).

“Since First Signs announced its program launch on April 27, 2001 in Washington D.C. before the Congressional Caucus on Autism, the non-profit organization has been receiving hundreds of requests from pediatricians, parents, and other clinicians throughout the country for information about early identification and treatment. The organization hopes to create a national model for disseminating key information about early warning signs, the need for routine developmental screening, of children from birth to age three, and the options available to parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

In the December 2001 issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the editorial “Child Development in Pediatrics: Beyond Rhetoric”, by Barry Zuckerman, M.D., Marilyn Augustyn, M.D., and Steven Parker M.D., First Signs is described as a parent-run organization calling for “regular systemic screening by pediatricians with validated instruments, emphasizing the social and emotional aspects of development, to identify autism spectrum disorders.” First Signs is noted as an example of how parents are listening closely to the recent national emphasis on the importance of early childhood development. “Because parent groups have a long and special tradition of improving care for children, it is likely that they, rather than professional organizations, will be more effective in changing practice.”

“First Signs grew out of the personal experience of founder and president, Nancy Wiseman, whose daughter was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 1998. Based on her daughter’s steady improvements through early identification and treatment, Wiseman, a marketing communications professional and parent, knew that she had an important message to share with both physicians and parents—that the earliest possible diagnosis and intervention are the keys to success for all children at risk of developmental disorders.

“The high and growing incidence of autism and related disabilities demands greater awareness and improved early identification,” says Wiseman. “We don’t know how to prevent autism or how to cure it, but one thing we do know is that early and intensive treatment and intervention can profoundly change the quality of life for children at risk and their families. The key is early detection.”

To that end, the First Signs mission is to ensure the best developmental outcome for every child. By educating both parents and physicians, First Signs hopes to promote ongoing discussions regarding the most important and often overlooked aspects of development: social/emotional, communication, and behavior.

Through an integrated mix of print and broadcast press, direct mail, public service announcements, speaking engagements, and at their Web site, the First Signs campaign is focused on a primary target audience of physicians, parents, and family service organizations. The program has three primary components: a screening kit designed for physicians and family practitioners, an informational mailing sent to parents of children under three years of age in participating states, and a comprehensive Web site that provides evidence-based information for parents and professionals.

In August 2001, physicians in participating states received a mailing offering letter from UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and COSAC with an offer to receive the a free First Signs Screening Kit and to earn CME credit by viewing and completing materials on an enclosed educational video. The screening kit includes an educational video (hosted by Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes”), a developmental milestones wall chart, validated screening tools for both developmental and autism screening, recommended screening guidelines for physicians, and an Early Intervention referral guide. The 20-minute educational video, entitled “On the Spectrum: Children and Autism,” outlines the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders, provides guidelines for conducting developmental screening, and describes how to relay developmental concerns to parents. The video is hosted by Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes” and features actor Anthony Edwards of “ER” and football legend Doug Flutie. “On the Spectrum” draws upon clinical expertise, with interviews of some of the top experts in the field.

One of the initiative’s major goals is to encourage more pediatricians to refer young children to early intervention programs. In keeping with the recent AAP Policy Statement on the Pediatrician’s Role in the Diagnosis and Management of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, First Signs recommends that a physician or nurse practitioner perform a routine developmental screening at every well visit for any type of atypical development. The First Signs Screening Guidelines leads physicians through the referral process for those children in need.

Parents of children under age three will receive an informational mailing three weeks after the physician mailing goes out to create awareness around the hallmark milestones during each stage of development. A checklist of developmental milestones is included in this mailing, which helps to serve as discussion points between parents and physicians at the next well visit. To minimize language and cultural barriers in parent populations, First Signs will test informational mailings to Head Start programs and day care centers in selected areas to see if family service workers can influence parents to have their children screened.

The First Signs Web site provides physicians and parents with essential developmental information, an explanation of the screening process, a systematic guide that walks them through each stage of the process, listings of available local and national resources, and links to research, books, articles, and programs nationwide. Physicians and parents can become better informed about the different educational, biomedical, and alternative treatments for autism spectrum disorders.

First Signs has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatricians/New Jersey Chapter, Medical Society of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Pediatric Society. First Signs is funded by a number of foundations and government agencies, including Cure Autism Now, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, the Mellanby Autism Foundation, the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Autism at UMDNJ, and Parents of Autistic Children (POAC) of Ocean County.

Originally published in Developmental and Behavioral News, published by the AAP, Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

References
Zuckerman, B., Augustyn, M., Parker S., (2001). Child development in pediatrics: Beyond rhetoric. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 155, 1294-1295. [50]

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Related Links
First Signs
Group that advocates early detection of autism, with information about screening tools and treatment information.
http://www.firstsigns.org accessed 12/5/2008
Autism Society of America Home Page
Parent information on Autism and support and advocacy information. A good source of credible information about diagnosis and management autism.

for more info to to: More info

On April 2, our neighbors gave the go ahead for a refinance. Twenty-six days later they got the paperwork and signed immediately. Their interest rate was locked in at the rate as of April 2 – which was 4.25% for a 30 year fixed. Interest rates started to climb. As of June 11, 2009 a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is 5.79% up from 5.0% two weeks ago.

More than 9 weeks have passed. The re-finance has been extended. Everything is fine they say. Then why so slow?

Rising interest rates threaten to dim prospects for a housing recovery and choke off a refinance wave that was a major plank of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus efforts.

Besides locking a lower rate, our neighbors hope to pass along some money to younger relatives. So that family members could buy homes for the first time. Those dreams may sputter. Higher interest rates mean less affordable mortgages for everyone.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel Opinion page, June 10, 2009:

David Sweet has constructed an alternate history for us. Evil Jarvis and Gann “rammed through” Prop. 13. Rammed through with more than two-thirds of the vote? Prop. 13 resulted, per him, in a lasting decline in revenues. In the past 10 years, the budget increased $70 billion — a 93 percent increase. This is a decline?

Are you 93 percent better off now than 10 years ago? Alas, the Sweet progeny are paying more than Mr. Sweet in property taxes. So lower theirs, don’t raise mine. And while the incarnation of those good representatives Sweet seeks are still shrouded in mist, perhaps we can just limit the wastrels we have to one term so they have to go back to spending their own money. The beginning of the answer to the budget question is to answer the question, “Why does Tiger Woods live in Florida?”

James Jackson

The costs of housing

I’m looking for facts about the state mandate for housing in Santa Cruz County. Perhaps the Sentinel or its readers can help. What happens if Santa Cruz County cannot or does not comply with the state mandate? Has a cost-benefit analysis been done about losing state funds versus the endless upward spiral of costs to crowd in more people? Increasing population takes water, roads, schools, police, fire, garbage disposal, public services, loss of quality of life. What are the realities of this dilemma?

Grace Gerbrandt, Santa Cruz

I recently saw a post on Twitter about a family raising $13, 000 to buy a particular kind of therapy dog. They believe that a therapy dog, trained by a particular organization, will enhance the life of their child who has autism.

Yes, dogs provide wonderful therapy for people includng children who have an autistic spectrum disorder. But $13 K is a steep price to pay.

Are there other ways to get a dog which can increase the social and communication skills of your child? Yes!

There are rescue organizations for many kinds of breeds. In the economic downturn, more pets are dropped off at the local pound. Most communities have good resources for training dogs.

One decent rescue dog or pound dog plus lots of appropriate training can probably produce a dog that meet your child’s needs.

One organization that does provide therapy dogs is: 4 Paws Dog

Selective Sacrifice
By: Vasko Kohlmayer
FrontPageMagazine.com

“Again and again President Obama has been asking all Americans to sacrifice during this season of economic hardship. But the president’s call apparently does not extend to federal employees. At a time when the private sector is being ravaged by layoffs, pay cuts, and benefits loss, the federal government has embarked on a hiring spree. Even as the country’s unemployment soars toward double digits, our government is handing out tens of thousands of jobs each month.

While the private sector shed 611,000 positions last month, the ranks of federal employees swelled by 66,000 new hires in April. The current federal civilian workforce currently stands at nearly 2 million (not counting the US Postal Service and military), which makes the federal government the largest employer in the United States. And given the president’s ambitious agenda, the government will inevitably continue its dramatic growth in the months and years ahead. Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit group whose goal is to expand the ranks of government employees, recently stated the obvious when he said, “There’s no doubt in my mind that if the Obama administration is going to get done what it set out to do, it’s going to need more federal workers to do it.” It is not clear at this point exactly how many, because the Obama administration has yet to release its precise plans. The Partnership for Public Service estimates that the number will be around 600,000 through the end of the president’s current term, but the tally will likely be higher, especially given the president’s preference for turning government contractors into permanent employees.

By any measure, the new army of hires will receive handsome compensation. The average salary of a federal worker in 2007 was $77,143. This was more than 60 percent higher than the average in the private sector, which stood at $48,035. When the benefits are added, the total compensation of an average federal worker comes to an eye-popping $116,450. This is more than twice the private sector average.

The fact that not even half of all federal employees have a college degree makes the figure even more startling. That a workforce with such an undistinguished education profile is compensated on average close to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars a year is truly remarkable. One can only think of only two other industries where people with relatively scant academic credentials average well over a hundred thousand – professional sports and entertainment.

The Wall Street Journal points out that the growing disparity in income between the federal and private sectors is a result of long-term trends. While in 1950 the average federal employee received $1.19 in compensation for every dollar the average employee earned in the private sector, the number expanded to $1.51 in 1990, and today it stands at $2. Notably, the differential grew at an increased rate during the Bush years. From 2000 to 2005, federal pay rose by 38 percent, nearly triple the 14 percent wage rise in the private sector. Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute calls this the Bush Bounce, noting that “the Bush administration has caved into federal union demands for expanded pay year after year.”

Unbelievably, the union bosses still regularly complain that government employees are underpaid. On the website of The American Association of Federal Employees, the 600,000 strong union which caters to the federal workforce we read:

“The morale of the greatest civil service in the world is at risk because of the paltry pay raise for federal employees proposed by the Administration.”

But as Chris Edwards points out, one of the most accurate measures of employee satisfaction is the rate at which workers voluntarily quit their jobs. That number is very low among federal bureaucrats, only one fourth of what it is in the private sector. This means that government employees are far more content in their jobs than their private sector counterparts.

This should not surprise given the working conditions they enjoy. It has been often observed and remarked that work in the federal bureaucracy is generally far less demanding and stressful than in the private sector. The not-too-taxing work regimen comes with the best set of benefits to be had in any industry.

At this time when many companies are either cutting or reducing health care benefits for their workers and their families, we learn from the government’s website that, “Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country.” Notice that these health programs continue not only throughout beneficiaries’ retirement but also after their death. In contrast, almost 40 percent of workers in the private sector lack adequate health care coverage.

Chris Edwards of Cato sums up the employment conditions of federal personnel in this way:

“Federal workers typically have generous holiday and vacation schedules, flexible work hours, training options, incentive awards, excessive disability benefits, flexible spending accounts, union protections, and a usually more relaxed pace of work than private work.”

Not surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal observed that, “High-paying federal jobs are so coveted that they are now like rent-controlled apartments in Manhattan: Once you’ve got one, you hold on to it for life.”

Federal employees enjoy unparalleled job security, since tough economic conditions do not adversely affect the size of the government’s workforce. Never has this been more evident than today when during the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression the government is hiring at an accelerated rate. And once in the job, it is almost impossible to earn a dismissal. According to statistics, only one in 5000 federal workers are dismissed for cause. There have been cases where wayward employees who were fired were later reinstated upon filling one kind lawsuit or another. The Wall Journal notes that a federal job “is the closest thing to a lifetime sinecure in America.”

It is a paradox that even as they are being battered by the unfolding economic crisis, private sector employees are forced to support a rapidly growing federal workforce. To make that paradox even more glaring, they are forced to do this at twice the rate of their own compensation. In light of the economic hardship that is ravaging the private sector, is this not high time for President Obama to finally ask the vast army of federal employees to tighten their belts also?

For more go to: Front Page Magazine

What CRIME did the enemy combatants commit for which they should have the legal protections of our Miranda rights — to remain silent, to have an attorney, to be tried in an American court of law?

Persons have to be accused of a CRIME to have the protection of the Miranda rights.

Put the shoe on the other foot: what CRIME did American boys in uniform commit when they shot at Afghanistan citizens?

Islamic countries are known for swift justice for criminals: cut off hands for those who steal, cut off heads for those who murder. Is Obama in effect CONDONING the use of fast violence by Islamic countries by viewing WAR as CRIMINAL ACTIVITY?

Shall we decide what “crime” was committed by going to a “higher court” like the U.N. which supposedly should decide who should have nuclear war technology?

War has different “rules” than crime. President Obama has blurred the two activities. Deliberately.

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