Posted on 05/21/2008 10:33:34 AM PDT by Wolfie
State may try to seize sect's assets
AUSTIN — With the price care for the more than 400 children seized last month from the polygamist ranch in West Texas expected to reach into the tens of million of dollars, a legislative panel on Tuesday suggested that the state explore the possibility of garnishing the religious organization's assets to recoup the costs.
"That compound didn't grow out of fairy dust," state Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, said after a Senate Finance Committee hearing where he urged state health officials to determine whether members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), or even the sect as a whole, be held responsible for the cost of care. "Why should we be footing the bill when they've got assets?"
The remarks came after the panel heard testimony that providing foster care, Medicaid coverage and casework for the children from the YFZ (Yearning For Zion) Ranch will likely cost taxpayers more than $1.7 million a month for as long as they are in state custody. The figure does not include the $5.3 million for the first six weeks of the operation or the cost of providing the required legal representation for each child, which is likely to total at least $2.2 million.
The committee, which plays a lead role in drafting and overseeing the state's budget, is exploring ways to cover the near-term costs even though no money was appropriated last year for such an event. Legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Perry's office are expecting that an emergency appropriation will be necessary when lawmakers return to Austin in January, to ensure that the state's bill for the operation are paid.
"We basically need to pay what it's going to cost to do the job right, and we need to know, to the best of your ability, what that cost is so we can factor that in when we're making decisions about other worthwhile costs and needs in this state," said Sen. Steve Ogden, the Bryan Republican who chairs the finance panel.
Law enforcement officers and officials from Child Protective Services rounded up the children from the ranch in Eldorado after an anonymous caller claimed to be a pregnant, abused 16-year-old forced into a marriage with a 50-year-old. Officials now believe that the call may have been a hoax.
But CPS workers have said that the children were in imminent danger of abuse, and court hearings began Monday in San Angelo in which many parents are seeking to regain custody of the children.
Deuell said efforts should be made to determine whether any of the children in foster care are covered by the parents' private insurance. If so, he said, the state would not have to enroll them in the taxpayer-supported Medicaid program.
Albert Hawkins, the state's executive commissioner for health and human services, said it was unclear whether members of the sect have private insurance. He also said that officials have found no evidence that anyone from the sect is receiving any sort of public assistance.
But even if the adults do have private insurance, the children would still likely require Medicaid coverage, Hawkins said, because DNA testing to determine parentage is expected to take up to two months to complete.
Rod Parker, a spokesman for the FLDS, said any effort to seize assets belonging to the sect or to individual members would be an overreach on the part of the state.
"I think my response is to ask the state on what legal grounds it believes it would be entitled to take FLDS assets," Parker said in an e-mail to the Star-Telegram. "This is a country of laws; they cannot simply go after assets without legal basis."
And not a single charge has been filed against anyone.
Don’t worry. It’s coming.....
When a parent loses custody in my state they do not become felons, BTW...
Many an asset has gone over to the Gov’t without a charge being filed. That’s the beauty of asset seizure here in the Land of the Free.
Private property should not be permitted to be taken until a jury returns a guilty verdict. Period.
Perhaps so. I would certainly hope so after all this.
I do think it is quite premature to discuss taking the farm.
I wonder what the taxpayers are paying for when they’re spending $52,000 a year per child, when many times they’ve got six or more with the same family or home?
Though legal defense is a bargain at only an ‘anticipated’ $5,500 per child, or is that per month too? Not bad when most of the legal care these children are going to receive will come from a Xerox machine.
A brick of ammo wouldn’t cost anywhere near that much and would be more honest than this circus.
The state is admitting 10 of them are really adults. Including one who is actually 27 years old with an Arizona DL she provided from day one. The state is losing the battle so they sieze the assets to win the war... Check Mate.
Remember the guy that stood in front of the tank in Tienanmen Square? After they executed him they sent the widow a bill for the cost of the bullet.
The Texas State Government seems to be the functional equivalent of the Communist Chinese government. The only real difference that I can see is that the Chinese man had charges against him.
“Albert Hawkins, the state’s executive commissioner for health and human services, said it was unclear whether members of the sect have private insurance. He also said that officials have found no evidence that anyone from the sect is receiving any sort of public assistance. “
That certainly disputes the claims of the anti-FLDS activists here that all of the women and children were on welfare.
Speaking of the anti's, Greybeard, where are they? Where are the charges that members of your Cabal claimed would be appearing as soon as the hearings started.
Obviously it’s because they are not the Cult of Death. Obviously because they are classified as a “Christian” sect.
This is getting smelly. I really thought/hoped to begin with that Texas authorities had done their homework and knew what they were doing when they raided the place and took all the children. I do have to admit that the fact that they took ALL the children caused a tingling of the hairs on the back of my neck- but I had a wait and see attitude.
With the last few articles that have been posted it is looking more and more like the authorities seized the children to use for leverage to get some sort of evidence of wrongdoing. Amazing.
So child abuse isn't a felony in your State?
Hardly.
Surely you have not lived long in the world, to make such a claim.
First you steal the children, then you can sieze their property to pay you for you siezing the children. SWEET! </sarc
Another lie exposed. Remember in the beginning they were all welfare queens and had a diabolical plan for ripping off the government.
“With the last few articles that have been posted it is looking more and more like the authorities seized the children to use for leverage to get some sort of evidence of wrongdoing. Amazing.”
That is typical of CPS. That is how they work. If they ever come knocking, DO NOT LET THEM IN!!!!
Their legal standard is very low. Criminals get a higher legal standard in court before they are convicted than parents do. And historically, the standard that CPS uses is comparable to the what was used in the Inquisition. Scary stuff.
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