Activists Getting Taxpayers’ Money

Unbelievable. How else do you describe a situation where thousands of taxpayer dollars are being given to a blatantly political group of activists?

The group is El Concilio del Condado de Ventura. It gets plenty of press--usually when it’s verbally attacking the INS, Congressman Gallegly, or others involved in fighting illegal immigration. And it gets plenty of money--taxpayer money.

Currently, El Concilio is receiving more than $38,000 in county and federal funds specifically for the purpose of encouraging noncitizen welfare recipients and mental patients to obtain citizenship. And they are being paid another $32,000 to “administer” a $324,000 federal grant. Ostensibly, this grant is distributed to local agencies and organizations for the purpose of “strengthening and supporting families.” (Apparently, our county supervisors are under the impression that government--rather than God--strengthens families).

Amazingly, county Supervisor Judy Mikels cites these expenditures as an example of “the county’s effort to become a leader in the national welfare reform movement.”

But what Mikels calls “reform” is actually bureaucratic buck-passing. The county figures that if it can turn noncitizen welfare recipients into citizens, the welfare burden then goes back to the federal level. It’s the exact opposite of welfare reform. And taxpayers still have to foot the bill (unless you believe that federal money is a gift from the tooth fairy).

All of this raises a number of questions:

Why is an unelected, private activist group being paid $32,000 to “assist” the county in distributing a $324,000 federal grant to local agencies? And what gives them the authority to decide how taxpayers’ money is spent?

How is it that a group that espouses political views and routinely criticizes elected officials can receive government funds for any reason?

Of all the public funds that pass through the hands of El Concilio, exactly how much has ended up in the form of paychecks to El Concilio staff?

Voters of Ventura County deserve some honest answers.

RON GOLDEN, Moorpark