In case it's been forgottten, early this year Ron Johnson testified on behalf of the Green Bay Diocese Finance Council opposing the Child Victims Act at a Wisconsin Senate hearing because he worried about the bill's financial impact on the employers of child predators.
Jud Lounsbury has the video and an opinion:
Unbelievably, during his testimony, Johnson asks a jaw-droppingly stupid question:
I think its a valid question to ask if the employer of the perpetrator should also be severely damaged, possibly destroyed, in a legitimate desire for justice?
Well... actually that's not a valid question! It's an incredibly stupid question! If the Green Bay Diocese knew that a pedophile priest was in their organization and instead of calling the police, reassigned him to another parrish, of course they should be sued!
Unfortunately, this isn't hypothetical wondering for the Green Bay Diocese. Their entire leadership has a long, troubling record of reassigning instead of arresting pedophile priests.
It's shameful that Ron Johnson would serve under such an unhonorable group and absolutely disgusting that he would go to the Wisconsin State Senate to defend them and do their bidding.
Watch for yourself:
(BTW, love the beard, Ron. You shouldn't have shaved it for the campaign.)
- Barry Orton
Ron Johnson’s believes that every organization that extends a helping hand in the guidance of youth will suffer because of policing of their staff.
I have found that the incidence of abuse is non-existent in all organizations I have associated with. Where abuse is discovered, it seems that there is an institutional acceptance of that abuse and that is what the proposal is targeting.
If that organization is put out of business that’s fine with me. If that organization knows of abuse and attempts to secrete it from view, it should be disbanded.
Posted by: antpoppa | September 28, 2010 at 08:22 AM
Dailykos offers some comment here:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/28/906014/-WI-Sen:-Ron-Johnson-vs.-Victims-of-child-abuse
Posted by: Brian (neaguy) | September 28, 2010 at 07:46 PM
The real story- RoJo thinks the interests of groups with money and power are more important than the needs of individuals. And that's been a common theme throughout his campaign ("creative destruction", anyone?). Absolutely disgusting.
Posted by: Jake formerly of the LP | September 30, 2010 at 08:20 PM
Not very honest of him to id himself as a business man from Oshkosh, rather than as a member of the Diocese Finance Board - I doubt he would have been there had he not been serving in that capacity.
Posted by: Deb | October 23, 2010 at 12:49 AM