Emily "The Misguidance Girl" Roberts is in need of a fact-check

Her website claims "You've got questions, she's got answers." Personally, I think her answers should begin with the same three words-- "I don't know."

Emily Roberts is an alleged psychotherapist who refers to herself as "The Guidance Girl," but after dealing with this brain-dead bimbo on HLN's "Dr Drew on Call" show back on Dec. 11th, I find the Guidance Girl to be in need of some guidance.

The topic was on the Registered Citizen who won the lottery in FloriDUH. Once Fallen was asked to be in the segment as well. At the end of my segment, Emily Roberts stated that not only should registrants suffer, but we also have a 75% recidivism rate.

You can read the entire segment if you want by clicking the link (I made some good quotes), but I am focusing on Roberts's words here:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1412/11/ddhln.01.html

PINSKY: Al right, Derek, thank you. I want to hear from Emily. I have not yet heard from her. I know you are dying to say something there. Go ahead. 

ROBERTS: Well, they should have to suffer. I mean they have ruined someone is life forever. This child will forever harmed. This child will never be the same again. And, the other children, because it is pretty likely that he offended and hurt other children, as well beside these two children, because around 75 percent of people who offend do it again. So, we do not know. He could have done it again. 

PINSKY: All right, we got to go. Next up, a stranger gets involved in the life of a pregnant woman and her male companion and social media is having a field day with this one. I will explain it. We are back after this. 

Michelle Duggar uses Predator Panic as a weapon against a gay rights bathroom issue in Arkansas

This story puts the "loo" in loony.

Put an ultra-conservative Christian family on TV whose only claim to fame is having more kids than the cast of Glee, you can be assured that eventually, they will do something stupid, maybe even Shiitake-worthy. I've never watched their Duggar show. All I know is with 20 kids to deal with, you'd think she'd be too busy to worry about stuff like which bathroom transgendered persons prefer when relieving themselves, but then you'd be wrong.

But it's better to be pissed off than pissed on, especially when the shit hits the fan (you have to love a little toilet humor).

But remember, to be considered Shiitake-worthy, it has to be sex offender-related. Well, in her push to overturn a law allowing transgendered persons to decide with lavatory they should use, she invokes Predator Panic and the old standby "innocence of a child" crap. No matter what gender you are, THAT is Shiitake-Worthy!

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2014/08/18/michelle-duggar-and-the-family-council-try-to-torpedo-fayetteville-non-discrimination-ordinance-with-lies

Michelle Duggar and the Family Council try to torpedo Fayetteville non-discrimination ordinance with lies
Posted By Lindsey Millar on Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 5:54 PM

On Aug. 19, the Fayetteville City Council will consider an ordinance to prohibit discrimination in public services, housing and employment that adds sexual orientation and family status to the familiar list of categories generally protected by federal law. 

It's expected to pass, which is probably why the Arkansas Family Council has ramped up its opposition campaign. After pushing a list of nonsense consequences should the measure pass, the Family Council has now enlisted the help of reality star Michelle Duggar to spread lies about it. Her voice can be heard on a robocall that started making the rounds on Monday in Fayetteville. 

Here's an excerpt (hear the whole thing below) of Duggar's message:

"I don’t believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls. I doubt that Fayetteville parents would stand for a law that would endanger their daughters or allow them to be traumatized by a man joining them in their private space. We should never place the preference of an adult over the safety and innocence of a child. Parents, who do you want undressing next to your daughter at the public swimming pool’s private changing area?" 

Maybe Duggar, mother of 19, got some coaching from her eldest son, who works for the legislative arm of an anti-gay hate group. Mama Duggar, by the way, lives in Tontitown, not Fayetteville. 

The Fayetteville city attorney's office has already swatted such claims. But what's fear-mongering to bigots?

The claim that this ordinance would provide predators with access to women's restrooms in order to assault or leer at girls or women is nothing more than fear-mongering. This ordinance does allow transgender people to use the bathroom in which they feel most comfortable and physically safe. Transgender people — who are far more likely to be the victims of harassment and violence if forced to use a bathroom that is inconsistent with their gender identity or expression — deserve to have the ability to use the bathroom in peace and safety. Using the bathroom is a basic human function and denying that to a person is inhumane. This ordinance has nothing to do with the concerns and examples Ms. Nichols provided — the acts perpetrated by the criminals in those stories will continue to be criminal acts.

This is why California's new "Affirmative Defense" law should never have passed

If you are going to co-sponsor a law, you should have at least some idea how the law works. Apparently, California Assemblyperson Bonnie Lowenthal didn't get that memo.

Lowenthal co-authored the much-maligned "Affirmative Consent" law, otherwise known as "Yes Means Yes." When asked how one who is innocent would prove affirmative consent, Lowenthal's response was, "Your guess is as good as mine." So, Lowenthal says lets just pass a law and see how this plays out.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/government-and-politics/20140608/students-question-affirmative-consent-bill-designed-to-combat-sexual-assaults

Students question ‘affirmative consent’ bill designed to combat sexual assaults
By Josh Dulaney, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune
POSTED: 06/08/14, 5:40 PM PDT | UPDATED: ON 06/08/2014 0 COMMENTS

LONG BEACH >> A bill on its way to the state Assembly mandates that California’s public universities adopt a policy requiring college students to obtain ongoing consent throughout a sexual encounter.

Senate Bill 967, introduced by state Sens. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, and Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, requires Cal State University, the University of California and community college districts to adopt campus anti-sexual violence policies that include an affirmative consent standard.

The bill, which was co-authored by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, passed the state Senate 27-9 on May 29 and was moved to the Assembly.

“I strongly believe that we need to change the way we look at sexual assault and how we talk about it,” said Lowenthal, who chairs the state Legislative Women’s Caucus, with Jackson as vice chair. “In the past, there’s been legislation requiring campuses to disclose crimes on campus and establish victims’ rights, but all across the state, whether it’s private colleges or public universities, campuses have been failing to prevent assaults and protect victims, so I believe our students deserve better.”

SB 967 requires campuses to adopt the affirmative consent standard when determining whether consent was given.

The bill defines affirmative consent as “an affirmative, unambiguous and conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity.” It adds that consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual encounter and can be revoked at any time, and the existence of a dating relationship between the people involved, or their past sexual relations with one another, can’t be assumed to be an indicator of consent.

A pair of friends at Cal State Long Beach said the bill seemed well-intentioned, but questioned how practical it is when it comes to ensuring consent throughout sex with their partners.

“I feel like their hearts are in the right place, but the implementation is a little too excessive,” said Henry Mu, a 24-year-old biology major. “Are there guidelines? Are we supposed to check every five minutes?”

The remark drew laughter from his friend and fellow 49er, Sue Tang.

“If you were to do that, it would definitely kill the vibe,” said Tang, 27.

Lowenthal said affirmative consent means an individual “must say ‘yes,’” and “if an individual says nothing, that doesn’t imply consent.”

The UC system in February, when SB 967 was introduced, adopted a similar policy, also defining consent as “an affirmative, unambiguous and conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity.”

At the 23-campus CSU system, “the concept of affirmative consent suggested by the bill is in line with our own system-wide policy, and the CSU has taken a position of support on SB 967,” said CSU Spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp in an email.

1 IN 5 WOMEN AFFECTED

SB 967 MOVED TO THE ASSEMBLY A MONTH AFTER A REPORT RELEASED BY THE WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE TO PROTECT STUDENTS FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT CITED AN OFTEN-REPEATED STATISTIC THAT ONE IN FIVE WOMEN AT COLLEGE HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Shortly after the report, the federal Department of Education released a list of 55 colleges and universities that were under investigation for allegedly mishandling sexual assault complaints. The list included Occidental College, UC Berkeley and the University of Southern California.

Before the floor vote on SB 967, de Leon urges lawmakers to address the “profound problem” by approving the bill and promoting preventative programming that empowers survivors. De Leon said the “vast majority” of campuses have no consistent program to deal with young women who are traumatized by sexual assault and need services, adding that in some cases, the alleged perpetrator is allowed in the same classes as their victim.

“Twenty percent of young women on a college campus, whether it’s a UC, a Cal State or private independent college, will be sexually assaulted in some form, way or shape,” de Leon said. “We need to have a cultural shift across institutions of higher education to take these crimes very seriously.”

Supporters of the bill, which include the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the UC Student Association, say SB 967 is needed because sexual assault on campuses is a gray area that needs to be better defined.

“The general discussion around this is that consent needs to be something that is not in question,” said Kareem Aref, president of the UC Student Association and a student at UC Riverside. “If there’s a point where it’s in question, then you’re doing something wrong. If a woman or a man is not consenting, or if it’s blurry, that they’re not consenting, something’s wrong. It needs to be very clear.”

STATISTIC CHALLENGED

Critics of SB 967 say the “one-in-five” women statistic is dubious, and is used by legislators and universities to create a climate of fear on campus that ignores the rights of the accused.

Samantha Harris, director of policy research at the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said the statistic comes from a 2007 federally funded Campus Sexual Assault Study using broad definitions of sexual violence to inflate the prevalence of the problem.

“Depending on their answers, they were classified as victims, regardless of whether they had identified themselves as victims,” Harris said. “If somebody replied as having sex when drunk then they would be classified as a victim. Sexual assault on campus is a serious issue, but you have to get those numbers right.”

Harris said for too long there has been a lack of due process for the accused in college judicial systems, which, under Title IX, are required to investigate student claims of sexual assault or risk being accused of creating a hostile learning environment under federal civil rights laws.

Other critics of SB 967 say the proposed law is too vague and doesn’t represent consensual sexual interaction in the real world.

“To me, this bill turns most people into sexual assaulters,” said Hans Bader, senior attorney for the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Bader, who wrote against the bill at www.legalinsurrection.com, said many campuses already broadly define sexual activity, and consent is often a nonverbal cue, with either partner being able to stop the activity at any time. He wondered if romantic partners would need to ask each other’s permission for a kiss or hug.

Bader also said he was concerned about false accusations.

“If someone can be nasty enough to rape, can someone be nasty enough to lie and say (the victim) verbally consented?” Bader said. “Are they going to pass a law saying don’t lie?”

When asked how an innocent person is to prove he or she indeed received consent, Lowenthal said, “Your guess is as good as mine. I think it’s a legal issue. Like any legal issue, that goes to court.”

Chicgo PD Detective John J. Escalante claims Apple phones will be "pedophile phones" after Apple blocks LE from hacking newer phones

I'm not a big fan of Apple and their overpriced products. I do use Google products, like this blog. However, my phone is a Nokia running Windows, and yes, I like my Windows phone and I don't want an Apple or Google phone. However, there is something Apple and Google are doing that I hope Microsoft (and other companies, for that matter) will do-- cop-blocking encryption for their phone-related products. I don't have anything to hide, but I don't need the NSA collecting my pictures of crap I'm selling on eBay and CL (which is pretty much all I have on my phone). 

At first glance, it seems this is unrelated to sex offenders, until you see the punchline by FBI Director James Comey. What is it with the FBI, anyways? First Louis Freeh, now this schmuck. For longtime followers of this blog, we know anyone who uses sex offenders as a tool to pimp an idea or a product is Shiitake-worthy. But it is "Detective" John J. Escalante of the Chicago PD that steals the show with the dumbest quote of the article. This guy is as good a detective as Inspector Gadget. Wowsers!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/2014/09/25/68c4e08e-4344-11e4-9a15-137aa0153527_story.html

FBI Director James B. Comey sharply criticized Apple and Google on Thursday for developing forms of smartphone encryption so secure that law enforcement officials cannot easily gain access to information stored on the devices — even when they have valid search warrants.

His comments were the most forceful yet from a top government official but echo a chorus of denunciation from law enforcement officials nationwide. Police have said that the ability to search photos, messages and Web histories on smartphones is essential to solving a range of serious crimes, including murder, child pornography and attempted terrorist attacks.

“There will come a day when it will matter a great deal to the lives of people . . . that we will be able to gain access” to such devices, Comey told reporters in a briefing. “I want to have that conversation [with companies responsible] before that day comes.”

Comey added that FBI officials already have made initial contact with the two companies, which announced their new smartphone encryption initiatives last week. He said he could not understand why companies would “market something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law.”

Comey’s remarks followed news last week that Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 8, is so thoroughly encrypted that the company is unable to unlock iPhones or iPads for police. Google, meanwhile, is moving to an automatic form of encryption for its newest version of Android operating system that the company also will not be able to unlock, though it will take longer for that new feature to reach most consumers.

Both companies declined to comment on Comey’s remarks. Apple has said that its new encryption is not intended to specifically hinder law enforcement but to improve device security against any potential intruder....

Not all of the high-tech tools favored by police are in peril. They can still seek records of calls or texts from cellular carriers, eavesdrop on conversations and, based on the cell towers used, determine the general locations of suspects. Police can seek data backed up on remote cloud services, which increasingly keep copies of the data collected by smartphones. And the most sophisticated law enforcement agencies can deliver malicious software to phones capable of making them spy on users.

Yet the devices themselves are gradually moving beyond the reach of police in a range of circumstances, prompting ire from investigators. Frustration is running particularly high at Apple, which made the first announcement about new encryption and is moving much more swiftly than Google to get it into the hands of consumers.

John J. Escalante

“Apple will become the phone of choice for the pedophile,” said John J. Escalante, chief of detectives for Chicago’s police department. “The average pedophile at this point is probably thinking, I’ve got to get an Apple phone.”

The rising use of encryption is already taking a toll on the ability of law enforcement officials to collect evidence from smartphones. Apple in particular has been introducing tough new security measures for more than two years that have made it difficult for police armed with cracking software to break in. The new encryption is significantly tougher, experts say.

“There are some things you can do. There are some things the NSA can do. For the average mortal, I’d say they’re probably out of luck,” said Jonathan Zdziarski, a forensics researcher based in New Hampshire.

Los Angeles police Detective Brian Collins, who does forensics analysis for anti-gang and narcotics investigations, says he works on about 30 smartphones a month. And while he still can successfully crack into most of them, the percentage has been gradually shrinking — a trend he fears will only accelerate.

PA Sen. Pat Toomey sounds official Predator Panic button in time for school

I'm not surprised to see a fluff bill in the national legislature. I'm not personally concerned with stopping a background check bill where most schools run background checks anyways. Nor am I even concerned that Sen. Toomey uses some dubious stats in his speech, failing to mention the fact that his examples are of people who would have passed background checks in the first place. Nor am I surprised that the case that inspired the bill would NOT have been saved by the acts in the bill (Edgar Friedrichs Jr had no record because he was never charged with past wrongdoing). But when you make a statement that "predators are getting their prey" because a national background check bill has not passed, THAT, my friend, is Shiitake-Worthy.

http://www.trentonian.com/general-news/20140909/lawmakers-urge-senate-to-act-on-sex-predator-bill

Lawmakers urge Senate to act on sex predator bill

POSTED: 09/09/14, 6:15 PM EDT | 0 COMMENTS

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of lawmakers led by Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania on Tuesday called on the Senate to pass a bill to keep sexual predators out of schools, saying added security checks on teachers, coaches and bus drivers are needed to protect students from potential harm.

Toomey, a Republican, is co-sponsoring a bill with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., that would require states that receive federal education funds to conduct periodic background checks. It also seeks to bar schools from hiring employees or contractors convicted of certain offenses, such as any violent or sexual crime against a child or drug and assault-related crimes committed within five years.

The House unanimously passed similar legislation last year. But the Senate bill remains unmoved in committee.

“Our children are back to school now. Predators are getting their prey now,” Toomey said. “The Senate needs to act now.” 

He was joined by U.S. Reps. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, who led efforts to pass the bill in the House, as well as an array of law enforcement and child advocacy groups.

Toomey cited statistics that since Jan. 1, more than 325 teachers and school employees have been arrested across the U.S. for sexual misconduct with children.

The legislation was prompted by the case of 12-year-old Jeremy Bell, who was raped and murdered in West Virginia in 1997. Edgar Friedrichs Jr. is now serving a life sentence in connection with the boy’s death. Toomey said Friedrichs had been dismissed by a school in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on suspicion of sexual misconduct. That school then helped Friedrichs land a new teaching job in West Virginia.

The measure has drawn some concern from educators, who say it may violate their privacy. Some Republicans have also expressed concern that the bill amounts to a federal mandate and that states should take the lead on education issues.

Oregon's Not-So-Finest Victim Industry Propagandists: Danielle Tudor of Portland and Steve Doell of Lake Oswego

If you really take the time to study victim industry mouthpieces, then you'll see that they are actually quite disturbing. They remind me of the movie Groundhog Day, the Bill Murray comedy about living the same day over and over again. In Danielle Tudor's case, that same day has been revisited for 30 years. At what point is society allowed to say that it is time for someone to move on with their lives and be something besides a victim? We do it for anyone who suffered any other kind of tragedy. Her statement in the Oregonian, which is a response to the story I recently posted about the schmucks who drove a registrant out of town after he worked as a taxi driver. This statement does succinctly summarize the victim industry mentality that keeps these victim groups from promoting healing and forgiveness:

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/08/sex_offenders_in_oregon_pacifi.html

Danielle Tudor, who was 17 when serial rapist Richard Troy Gillmore sexually assaulted her on Nov. 11, 1979, in her Southeast Portland home, now travels and shares her experiences with victims' advocates across the country. She said the public deserves to know about Shutt's past... "By the mere horrific acts he committed, the safety of others must always come first – no matter how long he has been offender-free,'' she said. "It's part of the price he will pay for the rest of his life – just as his victims have to live with the darkness he brought into their lives forever. Maybe it seems cruel or unfair to others, but they would think differently had they or someone they loved been a victim.''

It is bad enough that Shiitake Award nominee Maxine Bernstein promotes this woman like she's the Second Coming, she is also a member of a victim industrial corporation, Crime Victims United. Speaking of CVU, another mouthpiece of the organization, Steve Doell, also has a statement in the same Oregonian article:

Steve Doell, who leads Crime Victims United of Oregon, called Shutt's decision to drive a taxi "completely inappropriate.'' "This is a guy who's grabbed a woman off the street, kidnapped her and forcibly raped her,'' Doell said. "To put someone completely unknowing in his cab would be irresponsible. What if, all of a sudden, he gets the impulse or urge to drive off somewhere into the hinterlands? We put warning signs on cigarette packs. We put labels on poisons sold in stores. We put signs on fences to warn people about guards,'' Doell said. "That's why we register these people.''

In Steve Doell's case, there are a couple of instances in his own past that raises red flags. It seems Doell had a couple of restraining orders placed against him for domestic violence, has a reputation for being angry and confrontational, and even scared people while lobbying for victim measures:

http://www.blueoregon.com/2008/10/steve-doell-is/

These two restraining orders, based on allegations of physical abuse, were ordered by a judge before his daughter's death.

Of course, it's also true that his behavior hasn't improved since then, either. His "anger control problem" carries over into the world of politics. From WW, in 1999:

[Measure 11 opponent Arwen] Bird says matters took an ugly turn around 3:45 pm, when, during a commercial break [on the Lars Larson Show], Doell waved his stage prop, a picture of his murdered daughter, Lisa, in front of her. "You can't even look at it, can you?" Doell said.
Bird says Doell leaned across the studio console and yelled at her with such rage that "I feared for my physical safety." After that incident, she refused to debate Doell without others from her group present.

Doell denies threatening Bird, but he concedes he was furious.

This is just one incident that got news coverage. I've heard second-hand reports of other incidents. Steve Doell is not a nice man.

Reasonable people can disagree about matters of policy. But anybody who cares about the rights of crime victims should be appalled that this man is considered their leading spokesman in this state.

Steve Doell is simply not a credible advocate for crime victims. No way.

Perhaps Maxi-pad Bernstein should look for better interviewees. The victim mentality allows such bad behavior to go unchecked.

FloriDUH professional victim Lauren Book supports the Scarlet Letter

I am getting sick of Ron and Lauren Book. It is becoming more and more obvious that they are abusing the law in their quest for revenge.

Frederich Nietzsche warned us, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Lauren Book has decided to become a monster, destroying thousands of lives in her misguided crusade. Lauren Book is becoming definitive proof for the need for the removal of victim rights groups in politics and lawmaking. She is a monster and needs to be civilly committed. Maybe we should put a scarlet letter on her driver's license as well.

[Staff Report. "Florida Lawmakers Pass Bills to Create “Sexual Predator” Designation on Driver’s Licenses." The Bradenton Times. 6 May 2014. <http://www.thebradentontimes.com/news/2014/05/06/state_government/florida_lawmakers_pass_bills_to_create_sexual_predator_designation_on_driver_s_licenses#.VCzTDsRDuUY>]

http://www.thebradentontimes.com/news/2014/05/06/state_government/florida_lawmakers_pass_bills_to_create_sexual_predator_designation_on_driver_s_licenses/#.U3QPxsRDuUZ

“This designation is a tool that we as community members – from law enforcement officers to TSA agents to teachers, daycare workers, doctors, nurses and everyone in between – can use to further protect the children and families of Florida,” says Book. “I believe a statutory reference is too benign. This is a scarlet letter that clearly states ‘WARNING! Keep this individual away from children!’ They are a clear and imminent danger, and parents and families have a right to know.”

More FloriDUH legislative quotes from Don Gaetz, His son Matt, and Eleanor Sobel

It is no surprise that the sex offender bills in FloriDUH are on the fast track to passing the next wave of sex offender legislation. It is almost like watching a caricature of the legislative process. It seems as if the legislators heard about the Shiitake Awards and decided they want to try to see who can make the dumbest quote of 2014. 

Today, three more Floridiots step up to the plate. Oh, and it should be no surprise that this is coming from the useful idiots at the Sun-SLANTinel: 

“These are real monsters and we’re going to put the monsters away for a long, long time. I don’t want to read about anymore of these kids dying because of sexual predators attacking and maiming and killing these kids in the most dreadful way." -- Eleanor Sobel. It seems Sobel has a shady past of her own, but that seems par for FloriDUH politics. 

“To me, if you have a plague, and that’s what sexually violent predators are, they are a human plague, if you have a plague, you want to know where it is and contain it." -- Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. I am not surprised that Don "The Dope Boy" Gaetz wants to do what he can to detract from his own scandals, such as his marijuana running scandal and being investigated by the US Dept. of Justice over possible medicaid fraud. And I'm not even mentioning I can see where his son gets his stupidity. 

"There is a lot of questions in my mind whether there is value to treatment, but I know there is value to incarceration because when people are incarcerated they're not reoffending. And for the worst of the worst, I think we should lock them up and throw away the key." -- State Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach. You would think after Matt Gaetz's arrest for DUI, he would understand how fucked up the system can be. But no, his daddy helped get him off. I think he needs to go back. There is no cure for stupidity, but he can be contained. 

Flogging the Barney Bishop: What passes for "Smart Justice" in the FloriDUH legislature

This is Barney Bishop III of the ironically named "Florida Smart Justice Alliance." Just remember, there is logic, and then there is FloriDUH logic. Barney Bishop, in a testimony to the Florida House Judiciary Committee on March 3, offered this gem of a comment regarding the proposed 50 year minimum sentence law in committee:

"We think that very long sentences are warranted; in fact, we'd like longer sentences. And I would just say in closing that with respect to smart justice that maybe what we ought to really be doing is thinking about giving the victims’ families an opportunity to have visitation with the perpetrators and a pair of scissors. That's our idea of smart justice, Mr. Chairman, not anything short of that."

I can't believe someone made an even dumber comment than Ron Book. Well, this warrants a change to his organization's mission statement.

There, I fixed it. 

Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison compares sex offenders to "serial killers"

Georgia state rep. Sam Moore deserves a medal. Sheriff Roger Garrison deserves a Shiitake. Sheriff Garrison thinks sex offenders (or "sexual predators" as he puts it) feels sex offenders are on the same level as serial killers. Funny, I think uneducated backwater sheriffs are on the same level of KKK members. Yes I went there but I needed a way to incorporate the sheriff's KKK costume mishap somehow.

http://cherokeetribune.com/view/full_story/24620149/article-Bill-would-allow-sex-offenders-at-schools

Bill would allow sex offenders at schools
by Joshua Sharpe February 21, 2014 

CANTON — Brand new state Rep. Sam Moore (R-Macedonia) is pushing a sweeping law that would allow registered sex offenders to go anywhere they want — even to schools.

Moore, in his first week in office, has turned in a bill that would overturn the crime of loitering and make it so registered sex offenders who aren’t otherwise barred from going to schools or places children gather could go to those places freely.

“I am OK with that,” Moore said Thursday, adding that he meant only those who were off parole and not barred from those places. “The reason I’m OK with that is the assumption is they have done their time. If they’re still a danger to society, they should not be free. … Am I saying it’s not creepy? It’s definitely creepy.”

Moore is the sole signer on House Bill 1033, which also prohibits law enforcement officers from forcing residents to identify themselves under any circumstances. Moore said that is a practice that violates Fifth Amendment rights to silence and was the original intent of the bill. 

According to Moore, loitering is the only law on the books that requires people to give their name, and sex offender provisions hinge on loitering.

Cherokee Sheriff Roger Garrison called the bill “simply insane.”

“In my 34 years of law enforcement I have never heard of such an insane law having been introduced,” Garrison said Friday. “Sexual predators are one of this country’s most violent (type of) offenders. If there’s any equal it would be an out-and-out serial killer.”

The sheriff said the thought of allowing sexual predators to “once again lurk around our parks, around our schools, around our swimming pools” is horrifying.

Cherokee Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo also expressed concerns about the legislation. 

“The School District is strongly opposed to any legislation that would allow predators the opportunity to endanger our students, which it appears this bill would do,” he said in an email Thursday.

But Moore said he isn’t hoping to put anyone in any danger and only wants to protect the Fifth Amendment.

If officers have any other grounds besides loitering to arrest a person, Moore said he has no problem with that and he has no problem with officers questioning people who are suspicious — he just doesn’t think people should be made to talk.

The sheriff said loitering laws can be valuable for law enforcement. 

“It’s insane,” he said. “If you can’t check them, how are you going to know who they are? They could be wanted for murder down the street.”

Garrison gave the example of a woman who was murdered in a few years ago, after her killer had killed others before her. The man was found by police loitering near Lake Allatoona.

“We could not have checked him, because he was loitering,” he said. “He turned out to be serial killer. All the while he had killed people … (This) would have taken away our ability to stop asking who he was.”

Garrison also found fault with Moore’s argument that sex offenders off parole should be able to go anywhere, because a large majority of them aren’t on parole.

Former Cherokee GOP Chair Bob Rugg is another who is outraged over Moore’s proposal.

“I can’t imagine a bill like this even coming out of committee,” Rugg said Friday. “It just doesn’t make any sense to me to eliminate that shield of protection (for children). From the way I read his own comments about it, he (thinks he’s) protecting the Fifth Amendment right to silence. That’s silly.”

State Rep. Scot Turner (R-Holly Springs) read the bill Thursday and said he had no comment. State Rep. Mandi Ballinger, a longtime victim advocate, said she had no comment Thursday, other than that she looked forward to committee discussions.

Moore said he understands the bill will be controversial, but he argued that not all sex offenders are criminals in the classic sense.

“One issue is it’s extremely easy to get on the sex offender list,” he said. “To be a registered sex offender, all you have to do is go pee on a tree.”

Also to be a sex offender, Moore agreed that someone could be a child rapist, but he said “If those people are a danger then they should be locked up.”

Moore also repeatedly stressed the purpose of the bill was only to protect the Fifth Amendment in Georgia, not to give sex offenders a pass.

“My intent wasn’t to help out sex offenders and I didn’t back down because of the political ramifications,” he said. “If that means I don’t get re-elected that’s what it means.”

Moore is up for re-election in the May primary.

In the end, Garrison strongly and repeatedly said Moore’s arguments defending the bill don’t matter.

“At the end of the day, it’s all irrelevant, because the speaker of the House has a little corner for people like Mr. Moore: It’s called the ineffective corner. It’s just an embarrassment he happens to be from Cherokee County,” Garrison said.

WI Gov. Scott Walker helps to get man fired with assistance from FloriDUH pol Matt Gaetz

 There is a meme known as Godwin's Law which states that an argument is officially over when someone invokes a Nazi reference. Maybe I should invent my own meme, Logue's Law. It goes something like this-- if you are a politician and you use sex offender issues as a platform for publicity, that politician must be trying to distract from some kind of political scandal. This tactic has been around a long time. Mark Foley, Elliot Spitzer, Rod Blagojavich and Anthony Weiner all tried this tactic. Add embattled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to this list.

You see, Scott Walker has been in the news for a series of scandals, including racist emails and a campaign finance probe is just the tip of the iceberg. What better way to distract voters than with sex offender topics? Enter Daniel Montaldi, the scapegoat for last year's Cherish Perrywinkle fallout. Montaldi was head of FloriDUH's civil commitment program, until the Sun-Slantinel's Shiitake-worthy article accused Montaldi of being too "sympathetic" to registered persons and **gasp** stating sex offenders have low recidivism rates. So he was sacrificed as a scapegoat.

So Montaldi moved on to find a job in Wisconsin. But then a Floridiot legislator commented on the hire, and Gov. Walker added his two cents in. I sincerely hope Montaldi sues both of these individuals for this unnecessary interference in a hire of an individual who happens to believe in rehabilitation and low recidivism.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-looking-to-fire-new-sex-offender-administrator-b99209079z1-246164901.html

Madison — Gov. Scott Walker's administration Wednesday dropped a controversial new hire charged with evaluating sex offenders for release back into Wisconsin communities, a move that came only hours after Walker said he opposed the psychologist.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported on the hire of Daniel Montaldi as "evaluation director" at the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center, a state facility for sex predators. Montaldi, who was to evaluate sex offenders and recommend to court officials which ones should be released, resigned from his post running Florida's sex predator program six months ago because he was seen as being too sympathetic to offenders.

"The Department of Health Services has rescinded the verbal offer of employment made to Daniel Montaldi for the Psychologist Supervisor-Chapter 980 (Evaluation Unit Director) position at Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center," agency spokeswoman Stephanie Smiley said late Wednesday.

Smiley said Montaldi hasn't received any salary or payment from the state.

"The department will continue to protect the public by operating the program with existing resources as it has during this vacancy. Next steps for recruitment of this position have yet to be determined," she said.

Only hours before on Wednesday morning, Walker told reporters he wasn't happy about the hire of Montaldi and said it would be tricky firing him since he wasn't a political appointee under his direct control.

"I wasn't pleased with it. It's a civil service hire so ... the last two days we've been looking at what legal means we have to try to seek an alternative there," Walker said. "My hope is we'll have an answer by the end of today to do that."

Walker made that statement just as Wisconsin lawmakers began to look critically at the Montaldi hire.

Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc), chairman of the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice, said late Tuesday that he hadn't researched Montaldi and didn't know him or his record beyond news accounts.

But "what I have read about him would give me extreme pause about whether he's the right person to ensure serious sex offenders are kept off the streets and away from our children," Kleefisch said.

Florida state Rep. Matt Gaetz said this week that he admired Walker but didn't think much of the Montaldi hire.

"This is a guy who has a catch-and-release approach to violent sexual predators," said Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican and chairman of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee. "Mr. Montaldi is a bad egg. We're just glad he's out of Florida."

Smiley said earlier this week that the governor and his staff weren't involved in the selection of Montaldi and that he was chosen as part of a civil service hiring process.

Montaldi came under fire from Gaetz and other Florida lawmakers last year when the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel wrote a three-part series examining problems in the state's sex predator program.

The newspaper found the number of potential predators identified by the state dropped by more than 50% under Montaldi's leadership. The paper also publicized an essay that Montaldi wrote in which he said he believes sex offenders as a group are "statistically unlikely to reoffend."

Wisconsin officials at first defended their decision to hire him, referring to the problems in Florida as "an aberration that resulted from factors beyond his control." Initially, Walker's office referred questions about Montaldi to the state Department of Health Services.

Montaldi has not returned calls to his Florida phone number and didn't immediately return a phone call Wednesday.

On Monday, Gaetz — whose father is president of the Florida Senate — said Montaldi resigned shortly after his chief of staff was informed that Montaldi was being called before the Criminal Justice Subcommittee to answer for recent failures in the state's violent sex offender program.

Montaldi does have an impressive résumé, Gaetz said. But Montaldi's track record should be apparent to anyone interested in hiring him, the Florida lawmaker said.

A year's worth of Shiitake-worthy quotes in one super fudge-packed article

Where to begin? Digesting this will give you mental constipation for a month. There are so many stupid quotes here, it is hard to pick the worst.

http://highlandstoday.com/hi/local-news/senator-sheriff-seek-greater-control-of-sex-offenders-20140123/

Senator, sheriff seek greater control of sex offenders
Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today 
Published: January 23, 2014   |   Updated: January 23, 2014 at 07:42 AM

SEBRING - The number of sex offenders in Highlands County is growing: 130 in 2010, compared with 139 in 2013.

Even worse, predators - who have committed sexually violent offenses - have nearly doubled, from 14 three years ago to 23 in October 2013, according to Sheriff Susan Benton.

That's one reason why Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, has sponsored SB 522.

"The current Sexually Violent Predator Program was found to have weaknesses that allowed some sexually violent predators to avoid evaluation and civil commitment," Grimsley said. "These weaknesses were raised in the Sun Sentinel series."

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported on Aug. 20, 2013 that nearly 600 sexually violent predators had been released, only to be convicted of more than 460 new child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.

In an unusually bipartisan and bicameral effort last week, five bills moved through two House and two Senate panels, including the Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs, of which Grimsley is a member. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee completed the effort by approving the proposals, which will be taken up by the full Legislature in the spring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you're witnessing the beginning of landmark legislation," said Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota.

Lawmakers focused on the June murder of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in Jacksonville. Donald Smith, 57, was accused of abducting, raping and strangling her just three weeks after being released from jail on another sex offense. This time, prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

"In the Perrywinkle case, let's be clear: the system failed," lobbyist Ron Book told the House panel.

After release from prison, the state already can civilly commit a sexual offender for treatment if he or she is likely to commit another offense. However, the five bills will plug holes in that civil process. First, said Grimsley, her SB 522 "expands the criteria for civil commitment consideration to include offenders who are serving a sentence in county jail and who have a history of committing a sexually violent offense.

"Second, in certain circumstances, the bill will allow placement of persons who have been inadvertently released from custody without evaluation into civil detention for evaluation," Grimsley said.

"Third, the multidisciplinary teams within the Department of Children and Families will be expanded to include assistant state attorneys, law enforcement officers, and victim advocates," Grimsley said. One must be a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist. The team weighs not just sexual offenses, but attempts, solicitations and conspiracies.

"This is intended to help the evaluation teams make better decisions as to whether the person is a sexually violent predator who is likely to commit new sexual crimes unless kept in secure confinement," Grimsley said. Finally, the bill requires that the local sheriff will be notified upon release of a predator back into the community.

"We are very involved with the monitoring of these offenders," Benton said. Deputy Cara Mosely tracks every offender, and the sheriff's office publishes an annual report of sexual offenders in the community and inserts a copy into newspapers.

"We also have Offender Watch, which is accessible from our website, where citizens can see everything and also sign up for email notices of any movement of offenders around whatever address they enter," Benton said. "It could be their home, their child's school or day care."

"If we've learned anything from the evidence, it's that many individuals who specifically go out and target the most vulnerable among us are simply wired differently," said Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Shalimar. "And I would like to see them behind bars for 50 years - minimally."

"If there is an opportunity to give them the death penalty, I would be all for it," said Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this story

gpinnell@highlandstoday.com

863-386-5828