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 Click to read the full letter. [Click to enlarge] |
In a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, McCaskill, D-Mo., asked that Sebelius ensure a detailed review of the application, which McCaskill wrote should lead to rejection of the proposal.
The New Life Evangelistic Center, a ministry founded by the Rev. Larry Rice, has asked that it be given the building to use as a transitional program for homeless families and veterans, an emergency shelter for transient homeless and to operate a free store for the needy. Rice has said the shelter he envisions would serve 125 people annually in transitional housing, or about 40 to 50 at any one time.
The 47,000 square-foot courthouse, at 339 Broadway, was declared surplus and offered as a potential site for homeless services in February. Most agencies have moved to the new Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Federal Courthouse or other locations. Rice's application put a roadblock in front of an attempt by Cape Girardeau County to obtain the building as a replacement for the Common Pleas Courthouse.
In her letter, McCaskill said the building is too large for the problem in Cape Girardeau, that local agencies are working well together to serve the homeless population that is present in the city and united local opposition should be part of the department's consideration.
"I believe this facility is inappropriate for the proposed use by the NLEC, particularly in light of its size and location," McCaskill wrote. "Most importantly, I believe that the application of the NLEC to obtain this building does not meet legal requirements for a transfer of the property for the proposed use."
In the New Life application, Rice's ministry said Missouri Housing Development Commission surveys showed 48 unsheltered homeless people living in the county in 2008 and suggested that, under broader definitions of homeless, there may be as many as 2,200 homeless people in Cape Girardeau. That shows a need, Rice said last week, and he's trying to use an available building to provide for those needs.
"All I am trying to do is get people to follow the law when it comes to federal property," Rice said.
Sebelius's department has responsibility for reviewing the application. Rice submitted the New Life application on May 4 and the department has 25 days to make a decision. In response to submitted questions, a department spokesman, Michael Robinson, said that short time limits the department's evaluation to information in the application.
"The regulations do not provide for solicitation of the public's views of applications," Robinson wrote.
Asked whether the department attempts to verify information contained in the application, Robinson wrote: "HHS makes every effort to ensure that its determinations are objective, accurate, and well researched."
McCaskill's letter adds weight to the Congressional opposition to Rice's plan that has been developing as local leaders appeal for help to stop the application. U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., has urged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to reject the application and sponsored a new provision of federal law that took effect in March requiring a detailed review of agencies like New Life that apply for federal surplus property. U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, also has said she is opposed to the creation of a shelter at the courthouse.
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339 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
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It's nice to see our elected officials listening to the citizens of Cape Girardeau!
Wow! I am actually in agreement with McC--I'm waiting for a pig to fly by or hel1 to freeze over, since I thought that would never happen. (Actully in all fairness, I agree with her "no ear mark" stance, too.)
I think this shelter is needed more than people know and if Ms. McCaskill would work diligently to make appropriate housing for homeless in the area I may believe that she is more aware of the problem. However in my experience the people of Cape Girardeau want to ignore the problem and hope that it just goes away while the faith foundations and social workers of the area deal with the problem as best as they can but are not able to serve the community as fully as they should.
I think this shelter is needed more than people know and if Ms. McCaskill would work diligently to make appropriate housing for homeless in the area I may believe that she is more aware of the problem. However in my experience the people of Cape Girardeau want to ignore the problem and hope that it just goes away while the faith foundations and social workers of the area deal with the problem as best as they can but are not able to serve the community as fully as they should.
Interesting link:
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-08-0...
Interesting link:
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-08-0...
Here's the interview with Rice on KMOX...
http://martello.org/blog/2008/08/kmox_ch...
"I think this shelter is needed more than people know"
-- Posted by seenstars on Mon, May 18, 2009, at 3:12 PM
seenstars,
Been asking this for weeks now. Where? Where are they?? How many of them are they? Really I "Need to know!"
aandzdad and stlresident. Thanks for that info. I'm passing it along.
Read the truth about Larry Rice @ http://larryricetruth.com/
Just Me- I couldn't have said that better- totally agree
larryricetruth- wow what an eye opener!
larryricetruth,
Thanks for that info. Maybe we're going about this all wrong. Maybe we should be portraying Rice as an Evil Corporation?
seenstars:
The people in Cape Girardeau are not heartless nor do they just roll over for anyone to tickle their belly with nicety words. I guess you have not been reading the articles that show there are ministries to meet the needs that are here in Cape. These articles are well written and informative. Perhaps after reading them you can take some of the sharpness off your accusations and admit that perhaps you jumped the gun defending someone whose heart may have started in the right place but seems to has lost the way.
http://www.semissourian.com/story/154002...
http://www.semissourian.com/story/153862...
http://www.semissourian.com/story/153960...
Why is the property being offered for free? How about an auction to determine the new owner of the old Federal Courthouse. Money Talks.
According to Rice there are an estimated 2200 homeless in Cape County, but the Missouri Housing Development Commission's survey shows 48 homeless! What happened to the other 2152? I have lived in Cape Girardeau County for 44 years, and I have not seen that many homeless so where are they hiding? It is not possible to have that many homeless in Cape County. I think that Rice is trying to make a quick buck by using the homeless as an excuse.
bigdogg,
So what you're saying is that regardless of whether or not we have a significant number of homeless people in the area we should open one of the biggest shelters in the state?!?!? If you don't see them it is my guess that their needs are being met by someone (churches, Salvation Army, MERS, Social Services, House of Liberty, Women's Shelter, etc.). Get a clue before you spout off about everybody being against the homeless.
How about you box up your waterbong collection in your VW bus, throw a mattress in the back and let 2-3 of the HUGE homeless population sleep there. Leave the bag of Cheetos and box of Ho-Ho's so they have something to eat.
I know how the following provide for homeless needs (Salvation Army, churches, Social Services,etc.), but how does MERS provide for homeless? They are all about keeping their funding for overpaid personnel by producing numbers that are often inflated. I was told they had lost part of funding from WIB because of incompetent management.
"i think they need the building for the homeless, whether you have seen them or not or counted them or not, it does not matter."
-- Posted by bigdogg on Tue, May 19, 2009, at 9:21 AM
bigdogg,
In the name of sasquatch, the martians, the lochness monster, and the yeti, I believe I shall seek to acquire the federal building to house these poor, unappreciated, and exploited creatures. My sources tell me there could be up to 5,739 displaced creatures in Cape Girardeau County alone. Surely these fine creations of the human figmentation deserve proper housing and protection more than the homeless.
Smartblonde,
MERS/WIB/Funding/Incompetent Management.
That ain't the half of it sister!
Mega,
You sound in the know also. It is a crying shame that so many are being hoodwinked about MERS (I understand it is a for profit organization) run by St Louis individuals who supposedly care about people, BUTUUUUUUUUUUUU -those in the know say it ain't so. The woman running the show in Cape, has someone else do all her dirty work and tattling, back stabbing, etc. She doesn't like many people and has made that clear to her underlings -that they are to do the tattling and bring all the snooping to her and she does the firing-taking someone else's word for things going on. She says she doesn't tolerate gossip in the workplace, but she has one of the biggest gossips working for her there is in the area. Her next in command laughs at how she has pulled the wool over her boss's eyes on many things. I always say what goes around come around.
smartblonde,
my wife is a former employee of MERS, sticten with MS. She was mustered out after her "medical expenses" became to overwhelming. In the end, she was in the hospital for 3 weeks, came back to work 2 days later, and was informed she had Two weeks to catch up her duties "Or Else." They sat her down and told her this on her first day back to work.
LOL...we are VERY familiar with who the lady is, and the backstabber. LOL!
Smartblonde,
You sound like you're in the know yourself. lol
"Join the Instead of War Coalition and other peace activists on Thursday, September 20th on a bike ride for peace through the streets of St. Louis. Meet up outside of Senator Claire McCaskill's office at 5850 Delmar, to depart at 5pm. Bring banners, chants, and energy as we unite to end the war in Iraq and call for the return of the troops. We'll ride to the Ethical Society of St. Louis (9001 Clayton Rd) where Rev. Larry Rice and Veterans will be speaking at 6:30 pm about single-payer health care and the war's cost to our health.
"Pedal for Peace" is part of the Days of Decision Watch, a five-day, twenty-four hour presence outside of Senator McCaskill's office, calling for the defunding of the war and the subsequent funding of our communities."
Seems to me that Rice and McCaskill have a fairly friendly relationship.
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/200...
Mega,
Actually I do know several former employees and they all have the same story to tell. One employee was actually hit on the shoulder by a person who has gone on to work for another service agency (big one in area) and the higher ups really didn't want to do anything about it. The former employee was very timid and didn't want to make a big deal out of it, she just quit and went on to a better job. Hitting a co-worker is wrong. The individual who did the hitting, denied it was done as anything more than a tap, but the witnesses said it was a direct hit (he was trying to make a point and he hit her on the shoulder). Work place or home, no one should be able to hit you and get by with it. He did the same thing to another employee (she had top numbers) and when she said she would be taking it to a higher level-he told the corrupt manager several lies and the employee was forced to quit because management believed the person (who has a history of lies). Management didn't want to acknowledge the situation and several employees left. The owners in St Louis should sit in for several weeks and see what is really going on behind the smoke and mirrors. Sorry about you wife's situation, I can only imagine what they did to her to make her life miserable.
bigdogg, for your information I have been homeless! More than once. I pulled myself back up on my own two feet without any help from anyone except God. I still do not think that there are 2200 homeless in Cape Girardeau County. And I do not want the homeless from the rest of the state moving to Cape either.