By Bill Cavala
California Progress Report [San Diego CA]
April 10, 2007
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/04/in_san_diego_ev.html
150 individuals are suing the Catholic Church in San Diego County alleging sexual abuse by its ordained priests.
The Church's response was to declare bankruptcy—arguing, in effect, that it didn't have the money to recompense victims even if held responsible by the courts.
Plaintiff attorney's questioned this action arguing the Church did indeed have the resources needed to pay off.
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Church attorneys, a crafty group, wrote to each parish in the diocese to instruct the priest to move the Church's money to a new account. Such a move was not "hiding funds", it was approved by the bankruptcy judge. Or so said the Church's lawyers.
When the Judge found out about this effort, she hit the roof.
Tomorrow the Church's lawyers have to go to her court and face the Judge's accusation that they were involved in a conspiracy to hide assets and misrepresent facts to the Court. They could be jailed for contempt.
That the Church could condone such action on the part of their attorneys speaks worlds about their commitment to ethics.
This is the same Diocese, we should remember, that cut Senator Lucy Killea from communion because of her "pro choice" stance as a public official.
With such a moral example as this, is it any wonder the government and politics of San Diego is a poster boy for corruption?
Choosing to pay the Republican National Committee hundreds of millions of tax dollars for the privilege of hosting the National Convention, San Diego City officials diverted money needed to keep the pension system afloat. As fund investments went south, a huge debt threatening the City with bankruptcy looms. The problem was exacerbated when City politicians increased pension benefits in return for political support from beneficiaries.
Bill Cavala was Deputy Director of the Assembly Speaker's Office of Member Services where he worked for over 30 years.
He attended undergraduate and graduate school in the 1960's and received a doctorate in political science at UC Berkeley. He taught political science at UC Berkeley during the 1970's while he worked part-time for the State Assembly.
Cavala left teaching at UC Berkeley and went to work for Assembly Speaker Willie Brown in 1981 until his tenure as Speaker ended in 1995, and he has worked for his five successors as Speaker up to and including Speaker Fabian Nunez.
Mr. Cavala manages election campaigns for Democratic candidates.
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