By Bill Cavala
California Progess Report [San Diego]
April 22, 2007
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/04/bishops_memory.html
Over a hundred alleged victim's of priestly sexual abuse filed suit against the Diocese of San Diego asking $200 million in damages. The Church countered with an offer of about $95 million which was rejected. Then, hours before the trial was to begin, the Diocese declared bankruptcy.
The value of the Church's assets would play a large part in any distribution to the victims/creditors.
The Church claimed that its assets were valued at $96 million.
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But in the Bankruptcy hearing Friday, the Bishop who heads the Diocese admitted he didn't know the value of his assets.
The figures submitted by the Church for 34 properties were supposed to be based on their "market value" – what they would sell for. Only two met this test. The remainder were either submitted as "appraised value" (taxable value) or "purchase price" (on property purchased in the 1940's).
In one instance Church cemetery property was valued at $11.3 million when the cemetery's manager valued it at $40 million two years ago in a civil case. In another, property for Marian High School, which is soon closing, was valued at $2.8million. Shea Homes had offered $31.5 million for the property last year.
The bishop insisted that he would tell the value if he knew it and did not like the insinuation that he was not being truthful.
"I don't know who knows what the net worth of the diocese is, but I don't know",
Bishop Brom said under questioning.
Time for the Confessional?
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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