The last issue of the Wall Street Journal has a story about Scientology's front group, Second Chance, which has successfully insinuated itself into the gravy train line for public funding. Second Chance is another cookie-cutter front group that "isn't associated with Scientology," except that it uses the same courses, the same Purification Rundown, and the administrators all "happen" to be Scientologists.
Currently, inmates are being sent to the Second Chance facility by ignorant judges who know nothing of the health hazards and potential for lawsuits from inmates whose livers have been destroyed by overdoses of vitamins. Way To Go, New Mexico. P.T. Barnum was right. There really is a sucker born every minute, and some of them are legislators and judges.
New Mexico Judges and Second Chance
The latest Wall Street Journal published a stunning article about a Second Chance program which opened in Albuquerque last November. Second Chance, if you haven't read my other diaries, is a Scientology front group that employs the Purification Rundown, a dangerous, ineffective treatment program devised by dead science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
I say 'stunning,' because I am absolutely gobsmacked that, with all the data available on the Purif, lawmakers went ahead and allowed themselves to be hoodwinked into setting up a tax-funded program to treat New Mexico prison inmates.
If you've read my other diaries on this issue, you'll know that this program involves dangerously long sauna sessions coupled with ingesting toxic doses of niacin and cooking oil.
This article underscores exactly what I've been saying, that lawmakers do not research programs like Second Chance, preferring to rely on the word of the friendly promoters of the program.
The WSJ article states, "Facing few options for successful long-term ways to treat criminal defendants with serious drug problems, 24 of New Mexico's 84 district judges have sentenced more than 50 prisoners to terms at Second Chance."
By allowing this program to operate, aren't New Mexico lawmakers opening themselves up to lawsuits later on, when livers fail and hearts begin to stutter? This is particularly bad, because inmates have little choice in the matter.
Do these 24 judges have any clue that Second Chance is merely another tool used by the "church" of Scientology to recruit vulnerable people and rake in tax dollars, while offering nothing in return of any real worth?
How did Second Chance get this deal? Second Chance hired former judge W. John Brennan, who resigned his position after being arrested for DUI and cocaine possession.
His replacement, William Lang, is skeptical of the Second Chance program and its claims of a 75-80% success rate, as well he should be. At least someone is paying attention!
Last year, $100,000 was earmarked for Second Chance, disguised as funding for a "six- to nine-month long term substance abuse and alcohol treatment rehab program at the westside facility" Nowhere was Second Chance listed in the bill. Legislative staff members claimed the request came from the Governor. Governor Richardson's office denies it, so the $100,000 is parked in the Corrections Dept., languishing rather than being used to help inmates with valid rehab programs. However, that public money will not be going to Second Chance.
Another $60,000 was found in an appropriation request for Highlands University. This deal was brokered by former Highlands University President Manny Aragon.
The interim president, Manual Pacheco, says the money will be returned.
If Second Chance is so damned wonderful, why all this covert shuffling and burying appropriation requests within other funding requests?
The Second Chance people were able to scam a $350,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Doesn't anybody look at what they're supporting?
The $350,000 windfall for Second Chance is almost used up. Last month, Brennan appeared with a legislator before New Mexico's Legislative Finance Committee and asked for another $3.6 million for the Second Chance program. $3.6 million dollars in public money that could be spent better elsewhere.
Apparently, the person with juice behind this push is
one Anna Crook, a Republican state legislator from New Mexico. The aptly named Ms. Crook attended a presentation given at the 2002 National Foundation of Women Legislators convention in San Diego, California.
This paragraph in the WSJ article underscores my argument about attitudes towards this program:
"Last summer, Judge Lang cautioned many of New Mexico's district judges and Kari Brandenburg, district attorney for the Second Judicial District, about the program, he says. Ms. Brandenburg argues any kind of treatment -- however unusual -- is better than no treatment at all."
I reiterate what I've said before, if it poisons and endangers its clients, it is certainly not better than "no treatment at all." Period. Obviously these people have remained egregiously ignorant about Second Chance, despite all the well-documented information available online. Documented. That means, you can research it yourself.
Also according to the Journal: "Bill Miller, an addiction expert and a retired professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, reviewed Second Chance at the request of the city of Albuquerque."
Does it work? "Basically we just don't know," he says.
Yes, Bill, we do know. And you would too, if you got off your fat ass and LOOKED IT UP!
It probably appears that I am belaboring the point in these diaries, and you would be correct. I thought that the diary I wrote on the Purif would be the end of it, but I was wrong. No sooner had I hit the 'publish' button than this story crops up, reaffirming everything I've been saying about Scientology and its snake-oil Purif.
Oh, and one more thing. Even though it's known that Second Chance utilizes the very same courses purchased by practicing Scientologists, proponents are still denying there's any relationship with Scientology. That is a blatant lie, just like so many put forth by representatives of Scientology's numerous front groups.
Second Chance has already chewed through $350,000 of New Mexico taxpayer funding. Now they want $3.6 million to keep going? How long is this going to be allowed to continue?