January  18, 2002

Texas Eagle Forum News & Notes

NEW JERSEY REQUIRES PARENT PERMISSION FOR NOSY SURVEYS OF STUDENTS
Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly, was quoted as calling it "a great victory for parents," when she learned that on January 9, outgoing New Jersey Governor DiFrancesco signed a bill requiring public schools to obtain written consent from parents before issuing surveys on personal matters to students. Mrs. Schlafly said, "Parents have been unhappy about these nosy questionnaires for many years, and there have been many attempts to stop them, most of them unsuccessful." New Jersey's legislature passed the law in response to an outcry from Ridgewood, NJ parents over a 1999 survey which "asked middle- and high-school students about such things as their sex partners, LSD use and shoplifting activities." Washington Times (12-14-02).

DON'T CRY FOR ENRON, AMERICA
The Washington Times (1-15-02) quotes America's Survival, Inc. president Cliff Kincaid as calling the disgraced, bankrupt Enron energy corporation of Houston "politically correct" and "a big backer" of the Kyoto global warming treaty. Despite its reputation as a generous donor to President George W. Bush, Enron had lobbied for the anti-American treaty in a meeting with President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Enron had also joined the International Climate Change Partnership and the Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership Council, a group of companies that endorsed the dangerous treaty. Kincaid further reports that Enron "invested in solar and wind power boondoggles, [and] was also involved in a United Nations conference to develop Communist China's coal resources." The fact that President Bush did not support the Kyoto Treaty despite Enron's wishes is one of many demonstrations that Enron was not buying influence with Bush. These facts, coupled with the publication of the names of numerous Democratic politicians who also received Enron largesse, plus the information that former Clinton administration Secretary Robert Rubin attempted unsuccessfully to obtain from Bush a federal bailout for Enron, which owes Rubin's Citibank $800 million, all work together to demolish partisan hopes that the Enron scandal will somehow muddy the Bush administration. The Enron- Kyoto connection was confirmed by Robert Novak (column, 1-17-02). Don't let anybody tell you Enron is "conservative" or an advocate of "free market" economics. Enron is a prime example of a corporation using government to maximize profits.

BUSH TO SEEK RESTORING WELFARE FOR IMMIGRANTS
Human Events (1-14-02) reports. "The Bush administration has decided to seek the restoration of food stamps for legal immigrants," The practice was abolished by the 1996 Welfare Reform Bill. Critics say the change will establish yet another reason for foreigners to come to the United States; estimates are that it would put 363,000 foreign nationals on the American dole. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) commented, "It's plain to see that the President has chosen to steal a page from the Democratic playbook. His attempt to expand our political base through surrendering to the Hispanic vote is usually the Democrats' job. Votes can't be bought with welfare. Enticing immigrants to the United States with federal benefits only discourages them to work or develop skills to sustain their own livelihood.."

REPUBLICANS HOLD LARGENT SEAT IN OKLAHOMA
In a special election January 8 to fill the congressional seat of retiring Oklahoma Republican Steve Largent, voters in the First District (Tulsa area) elected conservative Republican State Rep. John Sullivan, who had defeated the wife of Governor Frank Keating in a GOP primary. He will assume office in five weeks, when Largent steps down to run for governor.The election means the U.S. House remains at 222 Republicans, 211 Democrats, and 2 independents. Washington Times, 1-14-02

ERA INTRODUCED IN VIRGINIA
As happened in Missouri and Illinois last year, feminists introduced for ratification the defunct Equal Rights Amendment when the 2002 Virginia General Assembly convened Jan. 9 in Richmond. It was pre-filed by Del. Karen Darner (D, Arlington) and Sen. Leslie Byrne (D, Fairfax). Doing so seems senseless, since the Amendment was introduced in Virginia last year but failed to make it out of committee; and this year, after legislative elections in November, the Virginia House has an infusion of 16 new pro-life, pro-family delegates. Nevertheless, Virginia Eagles are taking no chances. Phyllis Schlafly's letter has been circulated, and friendly members have been alerted. The Amendment was to come before a Senate committee Jan. 15, but was too far down on the docket, and will be taken up Jan. 22. House Majority Whip Jeannemarie Devolites tells Eagle Forum that Republican House Speaker Vance Wilkins has ordered it killed in the House; and with a 64-34 majority, there should be no problem. Phyllis's letter explains why ERA is dead, and how any legislature that passes it now would become a laughing-stock.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
As quoted in a Cal Thomas column, Attorney General John Ashcroft said:
"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith
in which God sends His Son to die for you."

POLL CONFIRMED IVY LEAGUE LEFTWING BIAS
84% of Ivy League professors voted for Al Gore in 2000 and just 9% voted for George W. Bush, according to a new poll by the Luntz Research Companies. Other results: Only 3% of the professors described themselves as Republicans and they picked Bill Clinton for the best president of the past 40 years. 40% of the professors support slavery reparations for blacks and 74% strongly oppose a national missile defense system. David Horowitz commented: "This survey shows that the elite universities are subsidiaries of the Democratic Party and political left."

Have you heard Phyllis Schlafly's speech, "Is It Safe to Send Your Child to College?" It's available on cassette at $5 from Eagle Forum.

SCHOOL-TO-WORK DESIGNS THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE FUTURE
All 9th graders in Minneapolis schools have until Jan.15 to choose a career path that will determine much of their high school curriculum. Guidance counselors will follow up with students who miss the deadline.

NEW DRIVE TO SHOOT NEWBORNS WITH HEPATITIS B VACCINE
On Jan. 7, radio and TV news announced that the CDC and other busybody organizations are calling for all newborns to be vaccinated against hepatitis B before leaving the hospital. No law requires this. Parents, if you don't feel your new 24-hour-old baby should be injected with this drug, you had better have a family member stand guard to keep the hospital from doing this without your knowledge or consent.

TAXPAYERS PAY TO REMOVE TATTOOS
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) got Congress to appropriate $50,000 to fund a tattoo removal program in her district (ultra-rich Santa Barbara). Her press release explains: "People with visible, inappropriate tattoos often encounter negative attitudes, stereotyping and discrimination, resulting in unemployment. . . This program supports people who are trying to make a change in their lives."

EARLEY TO HEAD PRISON FELLOWSHIP
It was announced February 12 that last year's defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Attorney General of Virginia, Mark L. Earley, will succeed the retiring Charles W. Colson as president and chief executive officer of Prison Fellowship Ministries. The mission of that evangelical Christian organization is to counsel prisoners about life and job skills and to witness to them. It also ministers to prisoner's children and to inmates after their release. It was founded by Colson, a special counsel to President Richard Nixon, after he had serving a prison sentence for his role in Watergate and published his first book, "Born Again." Since Mark Earley served on the staff of the Navigators international evangelical ministry in the late 1970s, and served as a missionary to a campus ministry in the Philippines between college and law school, the position should be a good fit for his background and skills.

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