Berkeley can boot Scouts, court says

Sacramento Bee ^ | Nov. 26, 02 | Claire Cooper

[churchillbuff]

The city is allowed to rescind the free berth at the marina because of the group's ban on gays.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Sea Scouts are no longer entitled to a free berth at Berkeley's marina, an appeals court ruled Monday in a decision that lets the city enforce its policy of nondiscrimination toward homosexuals against an affiliate of the adamantly anti-gay Boy Scouts.

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

bump

[WilliamWallace1999]

Has anyone called Congresstrix Pelosi's office for a comment on this issue. Its time to start calling the hag on every issue that will illuminate her leftist agenda. She can't afford to support the Boy Scouts in the People's Republic of Californication, but she will not win the heart's and mind's of the midwest by attacking the BSA.

[ClearCase_guy]

I remember not too many years ago when there was an effort to bankrupt the KKK by taking them to court and making them pay huge damages. The goal was simply to destroy their organization through economic terrorism facilitated by the judicial system.

I wonder if that is what's going on here. The Boy Scouts seem to always win the cases, but the governments (paid for by our tax dollars!) keep relentlessly taking the scouts to court. It's got to be a financial drain -- and maybe that's the ultimate goal. Lord knows the government's pockets are deeper than the Scouts.

[Non-Sequitur]

I don't think that there is a problem with this as long as the city is treating all organizations with similar viewpoints the same. If the scouts are being singled out then that's wrong.

[pbear8]

Are they not being helped by the Pacific Legal Foundation?

We know one the the ships which was tossed out. The kids are better off near us rather than way too close to Berzerkley.

[Taiwan Bocks]

Sounds like the fagg@ts can do to the little boy scouts

just what they wanted to do in the first place.

[Stone Mountain]

Sounds like the fagg@ts can do to the little boy scouts just what they wanted to do in the first place.

What does this mean?

I don't get it -why the hostility? The BSA went out of their way to proclaim themselves a private group (which they were entirely within their rights to do so). Having done that, I don't see why they should expect the City of Berkeley to pay for their docking fees, any more than the city should pay docking fees for any other yacht club that docks in the Marina.

[MudPuppy]

I was a Sea Explorer back in the day....a great program for boys and girls 13-18 yrs old!
Many of our group went on to join the military.

I joined the Marine Corps out of High School and am now helping to run another excellent youth program -- the Young Marines (for boys and girls 8-18yrs old).

Hope the Sea Scouts can fight this or find a better place to be.

[Stone Mountain]

Too despicable to comment about.

Why is it that here in this Conservative forum, people are complaining about a private group not receiving government assistance?

[Taiwan Bocks]

I get it, 'docking fees!'

You're a riot!

[mhking]

Berkeley has a marina?!? What do they park there, whales?

[joltinjoe]

I used to work in Berkeley. There is a large contingent of anti-white, anti-American, anti-gay Black Muslims. It would be interesting to see if they are getting any preferential treatment.

[WilliamWallace1999]

"Why is it that here in this Conservative forum, people are complaining about a private group not receiving government assistance?"


You miss the point. If absolutely no other private group is getting any kind of assistance from Berkley, then this is completely kosher. OTOH, if the scouts were singled out from other "private" groups, then this is an outrage. If the Organization of Left-handed gay monkey humpers or any other "right-thinking" club gets any form of subsidy or assistance from tax dollars, then the scouts deserve the same.

[churchillbuff]

LOCAL NEWSLINES

Scouts Battle Berkeley Over Gay Policy
by Mark Worrall - 365Gay.com Newscenter
November 23, 2002


(Berkley) A branch of the Boy Scouts of America is in court trying to regain free city facilities in Berkeley California.

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The Berkeley Sea Scouts paid nothing to dock its boats at the Berkeley Marina for more than 50 years. But, in 1998, when it failed to disown the Boy Scouts’ anti-gay policies the city began charging the scouts for using the facility.

The Sea Scouts leaders sued the city in 1999, alleging a violation of the group’s free speech rights. But the Alameda County Superior Court rejected the claim in June 2001 and turned down a similar, amended complaint five months later.

Friday, the Sea Scouts took their fight to the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco.

Harold Johnson, a lawyer with the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation arguing on behalf of the Sea Scouts, said the group submitted a letter to the city in 1998 stating that it would abide by Berkeley’s non-discrimination policy.

But, Deputy City Attorney Laura McKinney called the argument “extremely disingenuous.” She said the Sea Scouts’ April 8, 1998 letter stated that the group would not discriminate on the basis of factors like race and gender, but excluded sexual orientation – a category included in the Berkeley anti-discrimination ordinance.

The letter also stated that the Sea Scouts never inquire about members’ sexual orientation.

But McKinney said a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is in violation of the city ordinance.

[Stone Mountain]

You miss the point. If absolutely no other private group is getting any kind of assistance from Berkley, then this is completely kosher.

What other private groups are getting free dock fees? None that I've heard of. Have you heard differently?

[laker_dad]

There was another tie: an informal deal, "rocks for docks," in which the Scouts allowed Berkeley to take rocks from one of their camps to create fill at the marina in exchange for the free berths.

If I owned a construction company I would donate the heavy equipment needed for the Scouts to take BACK their rocks!!!

[meandog]

I don't get it -why the hostility? The BSA went out of their way to proclaim themselves a private group (which they were entirely within their rights to do so). Having done that, I don't see why they should expect the City of Berkeley to pay for their docking fees, any more than the city should pay docking fees for any other yacht club that docks in the Marina.

Good point!...and, being a private enterprize, the Sea Scouts are perfectly in their rights now to expect payment when they assist AIDS-riddled old hippies across the Berkeley streets.

[laker_dad]

Of course, then the Scouts would be in trouble with the DNR.