Posted on 04/30/2008 6:11:31 AM PDT by MizSterious
Lawmaker: Investigate FLDS-linked contract |
The transaction was made with New Era Manufacturing, then based in Hildale |
By Thomas Burr The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake Tribune |
Article Last Updated: |
WASHINGTON - A Texas congresswoman wants the House Armed Services Committee to look into a federal contract awarded to a company linked to the polygamous sect raided earlier this month and under fire for alleged child abuse. Rep. Kay Granger, a Republican from Fort Worth, wrote to committee chairman Ike Skelton and ranking GOP member Duncan Hunter asking for a hearing to look at the vetting process for Department of Defense contracts after news surfaced that one worth $1.2 million was awarded to New Era Manufacturing, a company formerly based in Hildale, Utah. Granger says that according to news reports, the company is affiliated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the "same church sect" raided by Texas authorities after allegations of physical abuse. "As a Member of Congress, I am concerned that federal tax dollars may have been misused to fund this sect's illegal activities," Granger wrote in a letter earlier this month. New Era Manufacturing was formerly called Western Precision, which moved from Utah to Nevada, and which the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported employed FLDS followers at little or no pay. The company supplies wheel and brake components for military aircraft. "While religious affiliation should certainly not be a determining factor, [the Department of Defense] has a responsibility to closely scrutinize any company under consideration before contracts are awarded," Granger said. "I am concerned that such scrutiny did not occur in this case, and that funds from this company may have been used to support the FLDS church's activities." The committee has not yet responded to Granger's request. |
Excellent!!!
She wants us to be useful idiots. Sorry, we not brainwashed morons who will fall for any sob story that's handed to us just so you can use us and laugh about it behind our backs. If they hate us so much, they're on their own. Tough beans for them.
Well said pandy.
Read up on the huge number of child graves at the Utah-Arizona FLDS community.
Well it just got me a bit angry...I told you I was in a mood lol. Hmmm I wonder when I am well if I will still be so moody? How dare she ask us to make a public outcry for the vile FLDS cult? What nerve! Time for my nap. Ping me to the good stuff please.
MORE FLDS RELATED HEADLINES FOR 4/30/08...
(take note to the 3rd one down - “Several of these fractures have been found in very young children,”)
Canadians want action on polygamists
April 30, 2008
A clear majority of British Columbians want the provincial government to launch legal action against the leaders of the polygamous commune of Bountiful, according to a new nationwide poll released to the Vancouver Sun.
Seventy-two per cent of B.C. residents told Angus Reid Strategies they would support the laying of criminal charges. Nationally, 62 per cent of Canadians agreed, ranging from highs of 69 per cent in Atlantic Canada and 68 per cent in Alberta to a low of 51 per cent in Quebec.
~Snip~
http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/religiousFreedom/stories/2008/080430.html
Most Canadians want polygamists prosecuted
Majority of B.C. residents support legal action in Bountiful
Chantal Eustace , Vancouver Sun
Nearly three-quarters of British Columbians support prosecuting Bountiful residents who break the law by practising polygamy, a new poll indicates.
The national poll by Angus Reid Strategies, to be released this afternoon, found 72 per cent of B.C. residents sampled said they would support B.C. Attorney-General Wally Oppal taking legal action against polygamists.
Across Canada, this sentiment was echoed by 62 per cent of respondents. By region, 68 per cent in Alberta favoured prosecution along with 56 per cent on the Prairies, 64 per cent in Ontario, 51 per cent in Quebec and 69 per cent in Atlantic Canada
~SNIP~
Child welfare official testifies about YFZ Ranch kids at Texas Senate hearing
10:54 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
rtgarrett@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN Dozens of youngsters swept by the state from a polygamist sect suffered broken or fractured bones in the past, some when children were “very young,” Texas’ top protective services official said today.
Carey Cockerell, head of the Department of Family and Protective Services, the parent agency of Child Protective Services, told a Senate panel that medical exams of the 463 youngsters removed from the sect discovered that 41 had previous bone breaks or fractures.
“Several of these fractures have been found in very young children,” Mr. Cockerell testified before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. He did not specify their ages.
~SNIP~
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/043008kvuecpspoly-cb.b51640de.html
Children’s welfare takes precedence over polygamists’ beliefs
Much has been made about the raid on a polygamist compound in West Texas and the subsequent removal of 463 children from it until some kind of determination can be made about their welfare and safety.
~SNIP~
http://www.baxterbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080430/OPINION01/804300306/1014/OPINION
Contractors’ links to FLDS worry some
Lawmakers demand hearing on whether sect got tax money
Apr. 30, 2008 12:00 AM
Washington Post
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/30/20080430ContractorsSect0430.html
more coming
MORE FLDS HEADLINES/ARTICLES FOR 4/30/08 - Part 2
4/30/2008 8:43:00 AM
A community of pimps
By JACK LeMOULT
Guest Columnist
The newspapers recently reported on a woman who, with the help of her boyfriend, used her 17-year-old daughter as a prostitute in order to get money for drugs. Such abhorrent behavior deserves the maximum penalty our system of justice is capable of imposing. So we should ask, what is the big difference between the actions of that mother and the actions of the male and female members of the Fundamentalist Church of the Latter Day Saints who groom their 13 and 14-year-old daughters for marriage to 45 and 55-year-old-men?
~SNIP~
Polygamist sect denies child abuse
Associated Press - April 30, 2008 1:33 PM ET
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A spokesman for a Texas polygamist sect denies that some of the more than 400 children taken from the church compound were physically abused there.
Rod Parker says that suggestion from state officials is a “deliberate effort to mislead the public.” A state official says investigators have found a history of physical injuries, including broken bones, in the children.
~SNIP~
http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=8249992&nav=HMO6HMaW
Reid, Shurtleff agree to work together on polygamy probe
By Ben Winslow
Deseret News
Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:49 a.m. MDT
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is ready to bury the hatchet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The Nevada senator called Shurtleff this morning, expressing his desire to work with Utah and Arizona authorities on investigations involving the Fundamentalist LDS Church.
“He said, ‘I’m ready to kiss and make up,’” Shurtleff told the Deseret News today.
Shurtleff said Reid pledged to help get the U.S. Justice Department involved to arrange a meeting among Arizona, Utah and Nevada authorities, as well as federal authorities.
“I’ll forgive him really quickly if we can get the feds involved,” Shurtleff said. “I said, ‘Thank you, let’s hope this is the first step to cooperation.’”
~SNIP~
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695275143,00.html
Reid apologizes to Shurtleff over polygamy comments
April 30th, 2008 @ 10:57am
(Photo courtesy AP)
Adam Thomas reporting
It all started on The Doug Wright Show on KSL Newsradio Friday. Today, it looks to have been resolved on the Doug Wright Show.
On Friday, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid told Doug that Utah wasn’t doing enough to fight polygamy and the related abuses. He even went further to praise Texas and point to the raid there as an example for Utah investigators to follow.
~SNIP~
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3197393
State’s top child welfare official: FLDS children have broken bones
By Angela Curtis
For the Deseret News
Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 12:19 p.m. MDT
AUSTIN The state’s top child welfare official said today that investigators found “historic, physical injuries and fractures,” among the children taken from the Fundamentalist LDS Church’s ranch.
The information came Wednesday during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
“Some of the fractures have been found in very young children,” said commissioner Carey Cockerell of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
He said 41 children had broken bones or previous fractures. He did not elaborate on what investigators believe may have caused the injuries if they are the result of accidents or intentional trauma but added that investigators are continuing their probe.
~SNIP~
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695275171,00.html
FLDS have extensive families. And it isn’t uncommon for any of those FLDS business owners to use their family members as unpaid employees. Oh, wait, they do pay them. But, the women can only shop at designated FLDS stores, buying designated products. They are even strict about the types of toothpaste that can be bought and the amount that can be used each day.
The rest of their income goes back to the family. These women have no personal spending money. Did you ever guess that one of the reasons why they dress as they do is because they have no access to money? They cannot go to the store and buy a spring jacket, unless it is approved by the husband of the house.
In the rest of America this would be frowned upon, right?
yes, that was for Miz...sorry
The subject was suspected sexual abuse of the FLDS boys. I didn’t see any article that stated actual abuse of a boy has been found.
You’re on a roll! Thanks for the links.
this new article I believe covers more...
All the children have not even been x-rayed yet or all the x-rays have not been checked yet.
Also they are getting suspected statements about sexual abuse from some of the boys.
Sect’s boys may have been abused too, agency says
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/30/polygamist.abuse/
(CNN) — At least 41 children taken from a polygamist sect’s Texas ranch may have had past broken bones, officials say, and investigators are looking into the possible sexual abuse of some of the sect’s young boys.
“The investigation is still in its early phases, but we have gathered additional information that is cause for concern,” the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said in a statement on its Web site.
The statement said the department is looking into the possibility that some of the young boys taken from the Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado, Texas, had been sexually abused based on interviews with the children and journal entries found at the ranch.
The department did not provide additional information.
The statement did not provide details about the 41 children investigators believe may have had broken bones, saying it does “not have X-rays or complete medical information on many children so it is too early to draw any conclusions
~SNIP~
“They cannot go to the store and buy a spring jacket, unless it is approved by the husband of the house.
In the rest of America this would be frowned upon, right?”
In the rest of America, it’s the reverse. Well, in many households it is. I can’t go buy anything unless my wife approves it. It’s not so much the fact that she holds the checkbook as it is that I have no taste and would buy something that looks bad/is out of style/doesn’t fit.
How strange.
My husband values my independence. He has never held onto the purse strings and his only concern would be that I was warm enough in the springtime mornings. If a jacket was necessary so I could stay warm and dry, he would think it strange that I ask.
In the society I mentioned above, these women have no access to personal funds. That is odd.
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/About/News/2008/2008-04-30_Eldorado_Senate.asp
DFPS Provides Senate Committee With Eldorado Update
The Department of Family and Protective Services provided the Senate Health and Human Services Committee with an update Wednesday, April 30, 2008 on the children removed from an Eldorado ranch. The update included information about some of the key challenges for investigators, the findings to date, and the care of the children.
Challenge in determining family relationships
One of the many challenges that makes these cases unique is that we dont have any degree of certainty about the identities of the parents of children in our care.
* The women who left the ranch with the children have given multiple names and ages for themselves and the children. In addition, information provided by the women about which children were theirs and other family relationships changed frequently.
* The stories about family relationships continued to change as we loaded buses to move children around the state. We placed the children according to the latest information the women had provided about sibling groups and mother-child relationships. As the buses were loaded, there were instances where women came forward with different information. In one case, a minor who previously had said she didnt have children begged not to be separated from her baby. We were able to place the girl with her child.
* Cultural issues have made it difficult for children to provide information about their biological parents. The women share parenting duties. They care for, console, discipline and breast feed each others children. When we ask a child who his mother is, he will tell us several names because the children think of all the women in a house as their mothers and all the children are considered their siblings
* Based on interviews with the children, we have reason to believe that some of the children in our care do not have parents at the Eldorado ranch.
* Court-ordered DNA tests will be used to determine the family relationships.
Challenge in getting information
These children have been taught to fear those outside their community, and that complicates the investigation and interview process.
* In both San Angelo shelters, we tried to use bracelets to identify children, but the women and children removed the bracelets or rubbed the wording off them.
* Women initially refused to let the children undergo basic health screenings, and many teen girls declined to take pregnancy tests.
* When children tried to talk, women and older children often told them not to speak or coached them on what to say.
Cause for concern
The very first interviews with underage girls at the ranch revealed a pattern of underage girls being spiritually united with adult men and having children with the men. Investigators also observed a pattern of deception in those first interviews. Women and children frequently said they could not answer questions about the ages of girls or family relationships. Children were moved from location to location in an apparent attempt to prevent investigators from talking to them. Investigators observed numerous girls who had small children, and girls told us that marriages could occur at any age. When an investigator asked one girl how old she was, she looked at her husband. Youre 18, he said. She then answered that she was 18. Other school-aged children and teens would provide only first names and said they didnt know their birthdates or had been told by their parents not to answer questions.
The investigation is still in its early phases, but we have gathered additional information that is cause for concern:
* There are 27 girls who have indicated that they are 14 to 17 years old. There are an additional 26 girls who have provided conflicting information about their ages, at some points indicating they are minors and at other times saying they are adults. Of these 53 girls, more than 30 have children, are pregnant, or both. Six of these girls have two children, and two have three children.
* Medical exams and reports by the children indicate that at least 41 children have had broken bones in the past. We do not have X-rays or complete medical information on many children so it is too early to draw any conclusions based on this information, but it is cause for concern and something well continue to examine.
* Based on interviews with the children and journal entries found at the ranch, we are continuing to look into the possible sexual abuse of some young boys.
Care of the children
DFPS has moved all of the children into licensed residential foster care.
Minor mothers and their children are being kept together, and other girls are staying in groups with their sisters. We have provided caregivers with information about the lifestyles of the children, including their dietary needs and the clothing they wear.
Adult women have been allowed to stay with children who are 12 months old or younger. We found placements for 17 mothers and their infant children. All other adult women who left the ranch with the children were given the option of returning to the ranch or going to a womens shelter.
Boys ages 8 and older are being kept together. Two boys have turned 18 while in the states custody and have chosen to remain in the states care.
Lessee, 60% of the girls 14-17 were/are pregnant and some here said this is not evidence
There are irregularities in the male child population, suddenly dropping off in comparison to the female population for ages 14-17, again the nay sayers say nothing illegal going on
41 kids (about 10%) have been identified as having suspicious broken bones, some multiple times - still they say the authorities shouldn't have gone in.
Now an undisclosed number of the boys have evidence of sexual abuse. Anyone picking up a pattern here?
"looking into possible sexual abuse of boys"
Don't count chickens before they hatch. There's no evidence yet, just the possibility. I wouldn't put it past the FLDS, from what we've found out about them so far, but there's nothing yet confirming that this has, indeed, ocurred.
Yes. The pattern I’m picking up is that rape, abuse, beatings, and possibly even murder should be overlooked rather than have the authorities actually move in to do something. Warrants are not good enough. They have to have...I wonder what? A personal invitation from Warren Jeffs or one of his flunkies—to enter the ranch.
I just watched the documentary (recorded last night) that WE network produced. I have just watched an hour of pure evil, and I tell you, it shakes me to the core that (a) people like that are allowed to commit these acts in this country and (b) people on this website support them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.