BishopAccountability.org
	Today's Outrage: Sins of the Father Examiner November 3, 2008 http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/opinion/Sins_of_the_Father.html WHO: Fernando Cristancho WHAT: Cristancho, a former Roman Catholic priest, lost custody of his 6-year-old triplets, two boys and a girl, this week after he was found unfit to be a parent because he sexually abused two of the children. WHY IT'S A BAD IDEA: Where do we start? Cristancho should never have had children in the first place. He fathered the children through in vitro fertilization while he was still a priest -- a move that got him fired from his post at a Forest Hill church. He previously was fired from a church in Virginia stemming from accusations related to sexual misconduct with a young woman. Where was the church throughout this mess? Knowing his background, why did they not try to intervene on behalf of his children? The Archdiocese of Baltimore knew of allegations of misconduct since 2006. WHERE TO LOOK TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE: familywatchdog.us Message available limited time only Baltimore County activists are complaining that county is beginning to look like Las Vegas. The details: Bet you thought we were referring to slots, didn't you? Oh no. This is much worse than that — advertisements. Businesses are putting advertisements on their properties that blink and scroll to tout their wares. Come on, people. Baltimore County bears absolutely no resemblance to Vegas — get real. Business owners have every right to advertise and they should be allowed to do it with whatever kind of sign they want. Search and destroy The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority declared this week that its agents would randomly search riders' bags. The details: The 15-second random searches are ridiculous if they're implemented the way Metro says they're going to be, simple cursory glances at random stops. Anyone really trying to hide a bomb is not going to carry it sitting in plain view in their handbag. Go big or go home, guys. Convict cancellation This year, hundreds of ex-felons will be incapable of voting. The details: The Maryland General Assembly gave felons who completed their sentences the right to vote — and the Baltimore City Board of Elections essentially took that right away. They sent letters to felons asking them to confirm their status as voters — and then didn't provide a telephone number and didn't sign the letter. As a result, hundreds of voter registrations were canceled. Who's the criminal here? Egypt expenses Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon took a $17,000, taxpayer-funded trip to Egypt despite the fact that Baltimore is facing a $37 million deficit. The details: Residents are saving money by eating out less, putting vacations on hold and just buying less in general. Why can't Baltimore do the same thing? Unnecessary trips should be the first thing to go. Cooperation resuscitation A regional advisory committee just made the most shocking revelation of the year: Maryland and Virginia should cooperate to save the Bay. The details: We paid for this assessment? We should have started cooperating a long time ago to take care of a resource integral to the lives and livelihoods of residents in both states. DIM BULB Bombastic. Baltimore School for the Arts was forced to evacuate its students two times in as many days because of erroneous bomb threats believed to have been called in by students. Bomb threats disturb classes and make learning next to impossible — which is probably why they were called in. Next time, why don't you just try faking sick? "It's unknowable at this time. ... The only thing that would be definite is if Kendel Ehrlich said no ... and that has not happened." - Former one-term Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, a Republican, on whether he will run for the office again, and his wife's influence on his decision. Power to the people Activists wrongly entered into a terrorist database will now be able to view their files with a lawyer present before the files are destroyed. The details: For some reason, the Maryland State Police decided to compound the wrong of spying on activists by saying lawyers couldn't be present when the victims viewed their files. Let's not forget that police originally didn't even want to release the files – or that they illegally spied on activists. It took the threat of impending protest to get this far. Come on, police, cooperate a little. Testing, testing The state school board decided to uphold a new graduation requirement that says students no longer get high school degrees simply for showing up. The details: For years the state's schools bestowed degrees on students who could barely read – much less do algebra or know the basics of U.S. government. Now they must pass four tests to graduate. Nine thousand students may not graduate this year because they can't pass the tests. But the new requirement means that a diploma now means something and that we can focus on helping those 9,000 improve their knowledge instead of setting them up for low-wage jobs or life on the street upon graduation. Parking space The Baltimore City Council is considering a bill that would impose harsher penalties for people who make their own parking permits to park illegally. The details: Parking is already tight in popular areas of Baltimore City, making it difficult for people who live in those areas to find a place to put their cars. Combine that with the fact that people are fabricating parking permits and taking up spaces meant for tax-paying residents and it's almost impossible for them to park within a mile of their home. If this bill passes, violators will face steep fines, and maybe a few spaces will open up. Pesticide-free is the way to be Johns Hopkins is making an effort to eliminate the use of pesticides in the hospital. The details: Instead of using chemicals, Hopkins is insulating and cleaning. Some pesticides have been linked to serious health problems – definitely not something hospital patients are aiming for. If clean living can do it for them, we say why not. Community communication Edgewood Pastor Rudolph Johnson has seen his share of gang violence — and now he's doing something about it. The details: Johnson was himself a gang member until he had a revelation on the way to his best friend's funeral. Now he's working to help others change their lives and the lives of those around them. Police need community cooperation to keep our neighborhoods safe and Johnson is setting a great example.
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