Posting #235 – Congressional Bill HR5072- The FHA Reform Act of 2010 has Taken a Hateful Turn

Date:  06/15/2010

Virginia Supporters,

On June 10, 2010 HR5072 (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-5072)
was amended to include anyone who has been convicted of a sexual offense against a minor and then HR5072 was passed by the U.S. Congress. It now heads to the U.S. Senate.

Please send a letter or make a phone call to Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb asking them to oppose the amended version of HR5072.

Mark Warner (former Governor of Virginia)
459A Russell SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2023
http://warner.senate.gov/index.cfm

Jim Webb
144 Russell SOB
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4024
http://webb.senate.gov/contact/

This is the letter that we have sent to approximately 75 offices.

Dear Members of U.S. Congress and Senate,

Late this afternoon we learned that HR 5072- FHA Bill of 2010 was amended last Thursday and passed by the U.S. Congress with a vote of 420 to 4.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters D-CA FHA Bill of 2010 was amended by Congressman Chet Edwards' D-TX to prohibit individuals who have been convicted of a sex offense against a minor from applying for a mortgage from the Federal Housing Administration. The amended bill states that the proponents said, taxpayers should not be fiscally responsible to cover loans made to convicted child sex offenders and that the amendment would extend the same type of restrictions already in place for Section 8 housing, which bans sex offenders from obtaining housing or subsidies under the program.

As is becoming all too common, this recent amendment sounds good and tough on predators but it actually has dire and clearly unrecognized consequences.

Are you aware that this amendment will include ANYONE charged of "sexting"?

Are you aware that will include any 16 year old boyfriend or girlfriend who had consensual sex with a 15 year old boyfriend or girlfriend?
Or any 17 year old boyfriend or girlfriend who had consensual sex with a 16 year old boyfriend or girlfriend?
Or any 18 year old boyfriend or girlfriend who had consensual sex with a 17 year old boyfriend or girlfriend?
It all depends on that state's age of consent. It doesn't matter if today they are married and they have children together, you will now be refusing to allow them to have a home to raise their family in.

Do you know this is a punishment for the entire life of those directly affected and their current or future families? In some cases this will also hurt even the victim.

HR5072 is mean spirited and serves no positive public purpose.

To the contrary; if you do actually believe that all those who are listed on America's registries are truly a danger to society, this type of law only places our citizens at greater risk.

It is an undeniable fact that isolationism and the removal from stable housing and work only increases recidivism rates of any and all crimes.

We ask you, why when it comes to registered sex offenders is this indisputable fact ignored?

Is the desire to appear "Tough on Crime" really worth increasing the victimization of our women and children?

Are your personal votes worth increasing crime rates of this sort?

The hope of a normal and productive life is all that can stop these crimes and our Federal Government seemingly has decided that it will sacrifice and destroy hundreds of thousands of lives in order to give the appearance of right.

For our country's sake it is time to finally do the right thing, you cannot make one's mere existence illegal and when you drive any segment of our society to failure you have in fact failed as a leader and failed as a human. Enough is enough!!!

You need to think before you vote!!! Too much has already transpired that is destroying what this country was meant to be.

Only four U.S. Congress members saw what a despicable amendment this was and voted AGAINST HR5072.

Thank you so very much Congressmen Bob Filner D-CA, Ron Paul R-TX, Jerrold D-NY and Bobby Scott D-VA. You know this amendment is wrong and withholding the ability to own a home to raise your family, pay your taxes and to become a productive citizen is just plain evil.

Members of the U.S. Senate,
Please vote NO on HR5072 if the amendment to include registered sex offenders stays. This amendment has harmful ramifications and is the start of a slippery slope in which our government should not undertake.

Thank you.
Sincerely,

RSOL of Virginia

1st Response to Posting #235
From: Erin
Date:  06/14/2010
Dear Senator Webb,

Today I learned of a horrific Bill, HR 5072, that has been passed by the House and is on its way to the Senate.  Senator Webb, this Bill is discriminatory, destructive, and down right evil.  This Bill goes against the work you are doing regarding the National Criminal Justice Commission.

The spectrum of the sex offenders is much too broad to pass a law such as this.  This amendment will include non-violent offenses such as sexting or virtual internet behavior.  Depending on the state's age of consent, ANY teen boyfriend/girlfriend who had consensual sex between the ages of 15 and 18 would hugely suffer from this law.  If their offense is years past and they have married and now have a family, they will be denied the right to own a home which only offers them stability.  There is no way a law like this provides safety to the public. Why would we continue to pass laws that set these people up to fail?  There is nothing civil about this law.  It is strictly punitive, unconstitutional, senseless, as well as cruel and unusual punishment.

Please, Senator Webb, vote NO on HR5072.
 
Thank you for your service.
Respectfully,
Erin

2nd Response to Posting #235
From: James
Date:  06/14/2010
The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd, Fax 202.224.1083
The Honorable Richard C. Shelby, Fax 202.224.3416
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Fax 202.224.5137
534 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0001

Dear Senators Dodd and Shelby,

Please strike H.AMDT.691 from H.R.5072.

H.R.5072      Title: FHA Reform Act of 2010
6/10/2010 12:51pm:
H.AMDT.691 Amendment (A012) offered by Mr. Edwards (TX). (consideration: CR
H4357-4358, H4362; text: CR H4357)
Amendment to require individuals to certify that they have not been convicted of a sex
offense against a minor in order to get an FHA mortgage.

6/10/2010 2:04pm:
H.AMDT.691 On agreeing to the Edwards (TX) amendment (A012) Agreed to by recorded
vote: 420 - 4 (Roll no. 351).

sophobia /so<pho<bia / (so-fo´be-ah) irrational fear of convicted sex offenders. An anxiety disorder characterized by an overreaction to the slightest contact with sex offenders or an irrational fear of sex offenders residing, working or otherwise functioning as productive citizens of society.

Absent sophobia, what else could characterize Mr. Edwards’ amendment to discriminate against convicted sex offenders, and the overwhelming support his amendment received in the House of Representatives? There is absolutely no research indicating that the amendment will improve public safety or enhance the lives of any of our citizens. The amendment appears to be purely discriminatory, without reason, and without any basis in reality.

The amendment discriminates against many offenders who present no known risk to
children. “...sex offenders are more likely to be rearrested for nonsexual crimes than sex offenses (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003…)“.

A significant number of offenders have married or have been reunited with their victims;
and, in those cases, the amendment’s discriminatory approach is imposed on the victims as well as the offenders.

Efforts to rehabilitate offenders and to minimize the rate of reoffending are much more
successful when offenders are employed, have family and community connections, and have a stable residence. These goals are severely impaired by the FHA mortgage restriction, compromising the safety of children by obstructing the use of the best known corrections practices.

For society to protect itself, citizens and law enforcement do not need sex offender
mortgage loan restrictions. It needs meaningful sex offender registries that include only those citizens that evidence clearly demonstrates are a threat to society.

Eighty to ninety percent of sex crimes against children are committed by a relative or
acquaintance who has some prior relationship with the child and access to the child that is not impeded by mortgage loan or residency restrictions. Only parents and caretakers can effectively impede that kind of access, not FHA.

Much of the data quoted above was extracted from a 2006 Iowa County Attorneys
Association study, Statement On Sex Offender Residency Restrictions In Iowa. Should the Senate wish to review existing legislation that was also based on sophobia, I recommend your staff read Dr. Richard Wright's book, Sex Offender Laws: Failed Policies, New Directions.
There is no known, much less demonstrated, protective effect of this discriminatory
mortgage loan restriction.

Please remove the amendment from the legislation. Thank you.

Sincerely,
James