Maryland's budget: How much is CASA getting?
We get a lot of questions in the comment section when discussing budget matters about how much Casa of Maryland is getting from the state. (The organization's mission is to help immigrants regardless of their legal status. Many people see this as helping people break the nation's immigration laws, though, certainly, others see it differently.) Anyway, it will take quite some time to figure out how much of the new, fiscal 2010 budget proposal would go to that organization. But thanks to a handy new tool from the state, we can figure out exactly how much it got in the 2008 budget.
Created as a result of a "Google government" bill passed last year, the tool allows you to check how much state money is going to any vendor in the state, and from what agency. It's modeled after a federal website (which actually provides a good bit more information than its state counterpart, and was created through legislation co-sponsored by then-Sen. Barack Obama, along with Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma). In any case, if you want to search for Casa, go to the website, click on "vendor receiving a payment" and type in Casa of Maryland. (Note there are other organizations called CASA Inc., CASA of Caroline and CASA of Baltimore, which, so far as I can tell, are versions of Court Appointed Special Advocates and have nothing to do with the immigration group.)
So, all told, Casa of Maryland got $70,850 from the Department of Housing and Community Development. (By comparison, The Sun got $873,527.63 from 46 different agencies.)
Comments
CASA shouldn't get one nickel of state money.
Posted by: Battleshipbill | January 21, 2009 4:56 PM
By comparison, Gov. Ehrlich, gave CASA $575,000 in state funds during his tenure in four separate actions, including a Board of Public Works item submitted by his own administration that he approved, providing a $100,000 state grant to CASA for the same Montgomery County facility picketed by Brad Botwin of Help Save Maryland, who was a guest on his radio show last Saturday.
Board of Public Works 2004 $100,000 18-CGL BPW Montgomery Various Grant -CASA of Maryland Employment and Training Center Loan of 2001. Renovation and Expansion of Training Center.State Share: $100,000. action: Approved discussion: No http://www.bpw.state.md.us/static_files/meetings/archives/2004/10-20-04.pdf
DHCD Neighborhood Works Grant 2005-2006 $78,000
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnotes/bil_0003/sb0773B.pdf
State Capital Grants 2005 and 2006 $400,000
http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/fnotes/bil_0005/sb0235B.pdf
On pg. 3 see that CASA received a $300,000 state capital grant in 2006 and $100,000 in 2005. Gov. Ehrlich signed the capital budget bills both years. Neither he nor anyone from his administration objected to either of these grants.
Only toward the end of the 2006 campaign season, as anti-illegal immigrant activists became more vocal, did Gov. Ehrlich begin to pander against CASA. His anti-CASA rhetoric has increased since his defeat, coinciding with growth of marginal but loud and passionate anti-illegal immigrant activism.
Anti-illegal immigrant activists compromise their credibility by neglecting to confront Gov. Ehrlich for providing $575,000 in state funds to CASA over his gubernatorial tenure. – Steve Lebowitz
Posted by: justdafacts | January 21, 2009 5:21 PM
ok, I'll bite why is the Sun recieving nearly 1 million dollars in funds?
At least we now understand the coverage and the editorial spin provided by the Sun.
(really don't expect thsi to be posted)
Posted by: waiting for the Sun 2 set | January 21, 2009 6:29 PM
I don't know for sure, but I assume it comes mostly from advertising (both legal advertising and public service announcements) and at least in small part from subscriptions.
Posted by: Andy Green | January 21, 2009 6:31 PM
Spreading the disinformation wherever you can, eh Steve?
Ehrlich did not give CASA any money. Funding attachments were slipped in by the legislature on the larger budget. Ehrlich would have had to veto the entire budget.
Posted by: chasseur | January 22, 2009 8:15 AM
Perhaps you can do a little digging and provide the information. How much was given, for what services and when was the money recieved?
Posted by: waiting for the Sun 2 set | January 22, 2009 8:38 AM
lo siento pero justdafacts is wrong. "ehrlich" didn't push that money through. the democrat controlled maryland general assembly did by attaching it to bills ehrlich either vetoed and had overturned or had to pass due to the content of the rest of the bill. justdafact is obfuscating the truth.
Posted by: paul kroupa | January 22, 2009 1:35 PM
chasseur - Gov. Ehrlich was 1 of 3 members of the Board of Public Works in October 2004 when his own Department of General Services submitted to the Board of Public Works a $100,000 grant to CASA. He could have voted against it, and/or he could have laid it aside for discussion and given a statement objecting to it. Instead he voted to approve it without discussion.
Similarly, he could have prevented his own Department of Housing and Community Development from issuing a $78,000 grant to CASA in 2005. He was the governor. The secretary and at-wills of that department worked for him. If he objected to providing state funds for CASA, he could have stopped this grant.
The capital budget process involves negotiations between the governor and the legislature. If Gov. Ehrlich objected to CASA funding in the 2005 and 2006 capital budgets, at minimum he could have submitted letters to that effect. Our state constitution grants the governor extraordinary powers not common to other states. Gov. Ehrlich never exercised any of those powers to block CASA funding, nor did he ever express opposition to CASA funding while in office. Instead, Gov. Ehrlich gave $575,000 in state funds to CASA during his single term.
Next time anti-illegal immigrant activist Brad Botwin appears on the Ehrlichs’ radio show, he ought to ask Gov. Ehrlich which best explains his funding of CASA while in office versus his anti-CASA rhetoric today—incompetence or hypocrisy. – Steve Lebowitz
Posted by: justdafacts | January 22, 2009 2:04 PM