Family Forum / Parenting / Spanking / May 2007

CPS critic OK to speak for herself, not 'group'
AG says it's that or registering as a lobbyist
By Daniel Scarpinato
arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.31.2007

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/185480

PHOENIX — A vocal critic of Child Protective Services can continue
speaking out at the Capitol.
But following a Tucson lawmaker's complaint, Robin Scoins must stop
speaking as the representative of her own one-woman organization to
avoid registering as a lobbyist.
As long as Scoins refrains from speaking on behalf of the Arizona Family
Rights Advocacy Institute, she will not face fines or a misdemeanor
conviction for previously representing the group without being a
registered lobbyist, according to the Attorney General's Office.
In a letter last week, Barbara Bailey, assistant attorney general, told
Scoins, "We have closed our file on this matter."
Scoins, a 39-year-old single mother of four in Peoria, has been under
scrutiny since March, when Tucson Rep. Pete Hershberger reported to the
Secretary of State's Office that Scoins was claiming to be appearing on
behalf of an organization but wasn't a registered lobbyist.
Scoins runs the organization out of her low-income housing unit and
maintains a Web site. According to the site, AZFRAI advocates for
parents "at risk of losing or have already lost custody of a child to
CPS … due to false allegations." Scoins also solicits donations.
Eventually the issue made it to the Attorney General's Office, which
concurred with Hershberger, chairman of the House Human Services Committee.
Scoins was told that she and her family-rights organization — which
consists only of herself — needed to register with the state if she was
to continue "lobbying" on CPS-related issues during Hershberger's
committee hearings. Scoins was also facing potential fines and a
misdemeanor conviction for lobbying without having registered.
Scoins, who disagrees her efforts constitute lobbying, decided rather
than register, she would drop the use of her organization when speaking,
a move that apparently appeased the state.
"I think it was kind of pointless to start this whole thing," Scoins
said Wednesday. "I was afraid if people were having to register (as
lobbyists) they weren't going to speak out. They already feel they can't
speak out as it is."
Scoins and Hershberger are not always in disagreement on bills. But
Hershberger tried to carve of moderate position on CPS during a time
when the organization is facing criticisms for its handling of cases in
Tucson and its level of openness and accountability.
The House Government Committee is leading its own closed-door
investigation into CPS, specifically looking into two cases in Tucson in
which children died despite CPS involvement.
Hershberger says he finds the attorney general's decision "appropriate."
"She's always had access," he said. "She can still make comments or she
can testify. She's done that. The problem comes in when she represents
someone or claims to represent someone and then doesn't register."

CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.

BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...