|
Ex-state senator hired by Boy Scouts to lobby against Child Victims Act shows Albany swamp needs draining
By Nikki Dubose
When you're a crook, there are no limits to the depths you will go to cover up your filth. Just ask most of the New York politicians, including former Senator Craig Johnson, who is a key ally and fundraising partner for the Independent Democratic Conference, led by Senator Jeff Klein. Conveniently, Johnson is also a paid lobbyist, representing the Boy Scouts and opposing the Child Victims Act, the bill I have been advocating for since the start of the New York legislative session. The Child Victims Act seeks to eliminate the statute of limitations for children who have been sexually abused and provides a one year look back window in civil court for adult survivors. Just as with the tremendous lobbying efforts of the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts appears to be covering up some major pedophile actions. Why else would they be opposing a bill to protect children from sexual abuse? The opposition have been relying on excuses to delay the passing of the bill for ages now. First, there is the "one year look back" defense. But let me just throw that one out of the window. Senate Bill 813, the Justice for Victims Act, passed in California last year, but adults still have to go through a due process; there have been no flooded jails or courts filled with frivolous lawsuits. Then there was the "lack of public support," made by Governor Cuomo's spokesperson, Richard Azzopardi in a previous NY Daily News article. What a sham. Everyone from Reddit to the Women's March NYC, to an outpouring of survivors, advocates, and organizations have been sending in letters, tweeting and calling the Governor and legislators, demanding that the bill be brought to the floor for a vote. We have the public's support. What we lack is the moral backbone and decency in New York politics to protect children from sexual predators. Gary Greenberg, founder of Fighting for Children PAC, and I have tried repeatedly to get a meeting with Senator Klein and Senator Alcantara. After a few weeks, the Director of Legislation for the IDC emailed me to set one up. "Dana Carotenuto -- Chief of Staff to the IDC asked me to reach out to you to get the best contact number for her to give you a call on. Thank you." I promptly responded, but never received a call from Ms. Carotenuto. Seeing as how Johnson works with Klein, I can understand why she never returned my call. Nobody cares about children, it's all a façade, which is why this bill has been circulating in the legislature for eleven years. Which is also why Governor Cuomo promised in the January 12 edition of the Daily News to fight for the rights of sexually abused children and then failed to submit his program bill. It seems that most everyone in the legislature is an enabler (paid, of course), to predators. Same thing goes for Senator Alcantara, also a member of the IDC. According to Greenberg, he donated $7,700 to Alcantara to help her secure a seat in the New York Senate. Greenberg says that before her September primary last year, Alcantara reportedly promised to support the Child Victims Act. And although she signed on as a co-sponsor for the bill (S809) in January, she has yet to lend her verbal support, and has since broken her friendship with Greenberg, even unfriending on social media.There's another swamp to drain - besides Washington - and that's New York. Governor Cuomo will never become president if he continues on this path. Unless, of course, we want another devious leader in DC. But I doubt that. With all of Cuomo's failed promises, who would ever want a nation led by yet another man who protects predators? Not me.
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.