The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Battle– and The Erosion of What It Means to be Pro-life

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

“I have no conviction, if that’s what you mean. I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy”– Captain Louis Renault, Casablanca, 1942

Opposition to the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab taxpayer scam, aka ”the Jackson Lab deal”, has been for many months a daily battle for many brave Collier County citizens.  Meanwhile, no public opposition has been heard from Ave Maria residents, nor from the faculty at Ave Maria University. 

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal proposes the use of millions of taxpayer dollars to bring the controversial non-profit, non-taxpaying genetics Jackson Lab to Ave Maria– without any meaningful foreseeable benefits to Collier County citizens.  A dark cloud of suspicion grows daily, making this deal look more and more as nothing but a taxpayer bail out of pizza tycoon Tom Monaghan and Barron Collier Companies’ Ave Maria real estate experiment– given the forceful pro-Jackson Lab agenda displayed by these large landowners, in Florida’s rural Eastern Collier County.  

The Jackson lab deal has all the makings of corporate welfare– no different than what we see coming out of Washington DC.   This is why so many Collier County citizens have worked tirelessly and spoken out fearlessly and publicly, to stop the Jackson Lab proposal.  These efforts have included a formal request for a voter’s referendum, so that citizens may decide whether any taxpayer money should be thrown at this risky genetics lab venture.  The Board of County Commissioners has refused a referendum; however, the results of polls, petitions and meetings have shown an overwhelming opposition to any taxpayer money going to this deal.

As stated earlier– the absence of public opposition to the Jackson Lab proposal, inside Ave Maria, has been astonishing– to put it mildly.

But now the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab scandal has reached a point of no return, as the battle has entered the courtrooms.  When all is said and done, the legal costs and losses that will be borne by Collier County taxpayers, private citizens and companies– will surely go into the millions.

But what is also astonishing is how the media covers the Jackson Lab scandal, while avoiding ground zero.  That is, the town of Ave Maria, its residents and property owners, who are the ones most immediately affected by this controversy. 

It is very important to remember the fact that it was Tom Monaghan, a Catholic, who made the land available for the Jackson Lab’s proposed location in Ave Maria, and that the Catholic president of Ave Maria University has embraced the Jackson Lab project. 

It is also important to emphasize the fact that the population of Ave Maria, which is overwhelmingly Catholic– as well as the Catholic faculty at the university, could have, en masse, publicly opposed Tom Monaghan and Barron Collier’s decision many months ago, to demand that the Jackson Lab be kept out of this town. 

The question is– why didn’t they?

After all, it was Monaghan himself who expected “Catholics– serious Catholics” to live in this town.  This absence of public indignation by Catholics is truly alarming, when considering that the Jackson Lab is involved in the world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research– which the Catholic Church has clearly declared to be a crime against innocent human life.  

Not even the public statement from the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida, could move the overwhelmingly Catholic population inside Ave Maria to publicly oppose the Jackson Lab project:

[Excerpt]:  Economic growth and development are not only components which impact the life of a community.  An organization which truly respects the rights of all human beings could and should “rule out” human embryonic stem cell research.  This is precisely because it involves the destruction of innocent human life and consequently, affects the community.  Without such an understanding, the plan of Jackson Laboratory, as it has been reported, presents difficulty for the Diocese of Venice in Florida.– His Excellency, Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida, July 24, 2010.

Instead, months and months have passed while the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab agenda advances.   Opponents of the Jackson Lab proposal work tirelessly, openly and publicly, some even tapping into their limited financial resources– to stop this genetics facility from reaching Ave Maria with the use of taxpayer dollars– while nothing but the sound of crickets is heard from Monaghan’s “City of God”. 

The courageous citizens who have voiced their opposition to the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal have done so from the very beginning– even when they were very much overwhelmed by the show of money and force that Barron Collier Companies has displayed– by mobilizing their employees, affiliates and associates– reminiscent of Chicago-style politics. 

An example of this was the July 27, 2010 Collier County Board of County Commissioners meeting– when the commissioners’ chamber was filled to capacity early in the morning by activists wearing blue t-shirts with pro-Jackson Lab slogans, accompanied by top-level, mid-level and low-level fellow travellers from the Ave Maria-Monaghan-Barron Collier camp.  

I remember going up to the microphone during that July 27 meeting, as the only property owner and resident of Ave Maria who spoke against the Jackson Lab proposal, while the pro-Jackson Lab activists expressed their displeasure.  I stated my opposition  both because of my moral convictions against Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, and because I am opposed to the use of taxpayer dollars for the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab venture without a voter’s referendum.

No other resident or property owner from Ave Maria was there to show opposition to this scam.  A Catholic resident from my neighborhood who was present at this meeting– simply as a spectator, proceeded to speak to someone standing next to me, and expressed “neutrality” on the Jackson Lab issue.  But in a world of daily financial schemes, “neutrality” is usually a code word for being the beneficiary of a bail out. 

Another property owner, who is also a member of the Board of Regents at Ave Maria University, spoke passionately in favor of the Jackson Lab proposal.

But, by the time I addressed the Board of Commissioners on July 27,  I had already spent several months publishing articles denouncing the lab’s involvement in the world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, as well as the taxpayer scam behind the proposal. It is important to note that this “neutrality” on July 27,  and absence of indignation by Ave Maria residents took place after the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida had expressed his opposition to the Jackson Lab’s move to Ave Maria, and after much Catholic and secular media coverage of the Jackson Lab issue.

This situation was well described in the following excerpts from The Jackson Lab, Tom Monaghan and His City of God (July 24, 2010) by Randy Engel, a highly respected investigative journalist:

“Were it not for AveWatch.Com, dedicated to investigative journalism of all things Tom Monaghan, including the Jackson Lab debacle, and the courageous journalist and Ave Maria Town resident, Marielena Montesino de Stuart (The Roman Catholic World at http://romancatholicworld.wordpress.com/) these tough moral and ethical questions would have been deep-sixed by Monaghan and Co. with at least the tacit, if not voluptuous  praise of the residents of Ave Maria Town, aka “The City of God,” and the faculty and students of AMU, which lies just down the road from the proposed Jackson Lab site, inside Ave Maria.”

“Case in point is the recent letter sent out by AMU’s [Ave Maria University] President and Monaghan’s long-time friend and lead legal counselor, Nicholas J. Healy, Jr. in response to a critic of the Jackson Lab project. Healy himself is on record as supporting the project claiming that it would bring “very considerable benefits to the entire area. …They will bring well-paying jobs and so on. It will help real estate in the town.”

“For openers, Healy, advises the writer that he is “badly misinformed” (but then, aren’t we all?) with regard to the circumstances and actions taken by Monaghan to approve the sale and subsequent donation of 50 acres of land  by his real estate business partner Barron Collier for the location of the new Jackson Lab biomedical complex.”

“In response to the hundreds of e-mails on the Jackson Lab issue sent by the U.S. Coalition for Life, to faculty and staff of AMU and AMSL [Ave Maria School of Law] we have received two responses – one from Fr. Robert Garrity telling me I was “misinformed” about the issues and a second asking to be removed from our mailing list. I find this silence to be unnatural and a bit unnerving. It is the same kind of silence one associates with religious cults. “

But now Arthrex, Inc., has become the formidable legal opponent of the Ave Maria-Jackson lab deal.  As such– Arthrex, Inc., is also the powerful opponent of the big landowners who have been flexing their muscles in support of the Ave Maria-Monaghan-Barron Collier camp.  

Ave Maria is now in the crossfire of legal action, as well as rezoning and town center relocation issues– which may affect the properties, pocketbooks and bottomline of Ave Maria residents.   

Those who have been sitting on the fence for months, or who have been quiet supporters of this taxpayer scam, may be coming out of their closets to position themselves on the safe side of this issue.   A very practical choice, if they consider the ravaging results of corruption, not far away, in Broward County.  This self-serving behavior, of course, is totally predictable.

Which brings us to the next and most important point:

The defense of innocent human life is sacred.  Indeed, it is a question of life or death.  As such, it does not allow hesitation or political waiting games, to see when the time is right.

After nearly nine months of silence, it would be offensive to the dignity of the pro-life cause, for Catholic residents and faculty members in Ave Maria to now use the defense of the unborn– as a statement of public opposition to the Jackson Lab.   To do so, would erode the meaning of pro-life, to a secondary issue that can be nuanced and postponed. 

The same goes for using their Catholic faith as an excuse to oppose the Jackson Lab, since the Catholic Church makes the defense of the unborn an urgent and sacred cause.  Nine months of waiting to see which way the prevailing wind will blow, is not a Catholic position. 

Lastly, if the Jackson Lab proposal is defeated, an enormous debt of gratitude is owed to those who have worked so hard, and have given so much to oppose it– while the crickets chirped in Ave Maria.

♦   ♦   ♦  

RELATED ARTICLE:  The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Scandal:  Donors and Sales Pitches

 

 

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Corruption in Florida + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Charles “Chuck” E. Hewett + Collier County Board of County Commissioners + Commissioner Tom Henning + Commissioner Georgia Hiller + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS

Happy Thanksgiving… A Recipe from the Northeastern Reaches of Portugal

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Happy Thanksgiving!  

CLICK ON image below for recipe from the northeastern reaches of Portugal:

Sé da Guarda - Northeastern Portugal

You may read about  Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (an EIN Service for Political Professionals-*) Poynter Online, Spero News, Daily Estimate, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs,  The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Thanksgiving Portuguese Turkey Recipe + Sé da Guarda + Portugal

A Look at Corruption in Broward County, Florida: Should Collier County Citizens be Worried Too?

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

“Given the pestilential abundance of lowlifes in South Florida, it was surely possible that Perrone’s crime had been randomly observed by someone equally degenerate.” –  Carl Hiaasen 

Broward County, Florida has serious problems.  So does Collier County.  It is the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal.  The biggest taxpayer scandal in this county’s history.

The Collier County Board of County Commissioners has refused a voter’s referendum on the use of   millions of taxpayer dollars, to pay for the establishment of a genetics facility called the Jackson Lab, in Ave Maria, Florida. 

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab taxpayer proposal is now facing formidable legal challenges, organized citizen opposition– and a new commissioner named Georgia Hiller, who has a strong dislike for backroom deals. 

Á propos of the circumstances surrounding this scandal, and the public’s concerns about corruption, it is good to take a moment and reflect on what is happening in Broward County, Florida:

CLICK anywhere on image below to read story: 

BROWARD COUNTY CORRUPTION 10-31-2010 - MIAMI HERALD

 

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:   The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal + Collier County Board of County Commissioners. 

♦   ♦   ♦ 

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

© All Rights Reserved    www.CommissarsandMandarins.com

The JAX-Files: Legal Action Against the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Deal

The Roman Catholic World

The JAX -Files

November 19, 2010

by MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

On October 11, 2010, John Lundin– a Naples resident, filed a lawsuit against the Collier County Board of County Commissioners, based on Sunshine Law violations.   

Lundin is an experienced observer of the political process, and an opponent of the Jackson Lab deal.  He smelled a rat when he examined a photograph that appeared in the Naples Daily News, taken at the Jackson Lab  facility in Bar Harbor.  It  appears that Commissioner Fiala was inspecting mouse cages, while Commissioner Coletta was in the same room, along with Jeff Klatzkow, the attorney for Collier County. 

They were all there to see the wonders of the modern mutant mouse.  

Standing in the middle of it all, with a smirk on his face, was the president of Ave Maria University.  

The following is an excerpt from the Naples Daily News, October 11, 2010:

“…John Lundin has filed a lawsuit against the Collier County Commission for allowing two commissioners to travel to Maine this past summer to tour the genetics research laboratory which may have been a violation of the state’s Sunshine Law.

If the court decides the state’s public meetings’ law was violated, the lawsuit seeks to have any board vote on the Jackson project declared void while the lawsuit is ongoing, according to the complaint filed by Fort Myers attorney Steve Carta.

While John Lundin’s case looms over the heads of the  commissioners,  two more cases have been filed with the Collier County Court, directly aimed at actions which may be unconstitutional and illegal– and which could put a stop to the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal.

The first case was filed on Wednesday, on behalf of three Collier County citizens, who will appear and intervene in the validation of $130,000,000 in bonds:

 http://commissarsandmandarins.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/collier-county-case-no-10-006541-ca.pdf 

The second case was filed today by Arthrex, Inc., (a manufacturer of medical devices) in order to stop an arbitration process that could change the supermajority  law  (4/1 vote)  for rezoning of the proposed Jackson Lab site in Ave Maria.   The landowners claim they only need a simple majority, further explained below. 

Barron Collier Companies is concerned that the new commissioner, Georgia Hiller, will ’rock the boat’ along with Commissioner Henning, who, until Hiller’s arrival, was the lone dissenting voice against the Jackson Lab deal.  

This is why, during the Collier County Board of County Commissioners meeting on November 9, pressure was exerted to complete an arbitration process before December 14– when Commissioner Hiller will cast her vote for the first time.  This aggressive move is seen with suspicion by many, and as a way for the powerful landowners to circumvent the supermajority law.  It also lends more credence to the opinion that the Jackson Lab deal is a taxpayer bailout of Tom Monaghan and Barron Collier’s Ave Maria real estate experiment. 

In a public poll conducted by the Naples Daily News, 84% of responders said no to ANY taxpayer funding of the Jackson Lab project.  The letters to the editor of the Naples Daily News stand as another example of the overwhelming opposition to the Jackson Lab deal.   This is supported by thousands of petitions.

Meanwhile, the arbitration is to be conducted by Judge Kenneth Bell, on Saturday, December 11, at 9:00am, and could continue on Monday, December 13.  But this may all change, now that legal action has commenced.

On November 16, the Naples Daily News published the following commentary by Janet Vasey, an experienced financial analyst and member of the Productivity Committee for Collier County:

Last week, the Eastern Collier County Property Owners (ECCPO), which controls 200,000 acres including Ave Maria, told the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) that because of decisions made eight years ago to protect large tracts of environmentally sensitive land, all their future zoning requests only need a simple majority (3–2) vote.

State law and county ordinance are very clear that zoning issues are so important to protect the public interest that they should be decided by a supermajority vote — which is even required to put something as minor as a daycare center in the basement of a church.

But control, power and greed do not go along with public interest:

“Obviously, because Tom [Monaghan] is our partner, when this opportunity [the Jackson Lab] was brought to our attention last year, we went to our partner and said, ‘This is what we want to do, is it something you’re comfortable with?’” Gable said. “He [Monaghan] went and did his due diligence, researched it, and said, ‘Go ahead with it.” — Blake Gable, President of Real Estate Development for Barron Collier Companies, Naples Daily News, April 10, 2010. 

Michigan denied Monaghan his real estate dreams of expansion.  So, he came down to Collier County and couldn’t resist Barron Collier’s offer of free land.  Lots of it.  Then, he jumped into an investment partnership,  in what he thought would be a great money-making deal.  

Even a special law was created just for Tom Monaghan and Barron Collier, called House Bill 1625 (the Ave Maria Special District Law) where Monaghan and the giant  developer can rule as kings– and control the election of the governing board. 

This medieval arrangement is called the  Ave Maria Stewardship Community District government.  A modern day “taxation without representation”– to say the least.  That is why it is called “A Town Without a Vote, Now and Forever” http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/may/09/town-without-vote-now-and-forever/ .

Monaghan had the nerve to promote this controlled set up as a ”City  of God”. 

So, in another clever move, Monaghan approved the sale and subsequent donation of 50 acres of land  by Barron Collier Companies for the location of the Jackson Lab project – which Ave Maria University officials welcome and embrace.   Indeed, without Monaghan’s approval, Barron Collier Companies would probably not have moved forward with the Jackson Lab deal in Ave Maria. 

Collier County citizens must never forget this.

♦   ♦   ♦

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Corruption in Florida + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Charles “Chuck” E. Hewett + Collier County Board of County Commissioners + Commissioner Tom Henning + Commissioner Georgia Hiller + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

© All Rights Reserved    www.CommissarsandMandarins.com

NOTICE TO READERS

 

The JAX-Files: The Truth behind the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Deal

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal… one page at a time.
The JAX-Files:  November 18, 2010

______________________________________

From: John M. Passidomo
To: ‘KlatzkowJeff’ ; ‘Georgia Hiller’
Cc: Marielena de Stuart Montesino ; Brock E. Dwight ; henning_t ; fiala_d ; CoyleFred  ColettaJim ; ochs_l  MaunzSusan ; HubbardJacqueline
Sent: Thu, Nov 18, 2010 10:00 am
Subject: RE: Arbitration
Jeff:

Thanks for copying me on this e-mail.  I’ve been out of the office and in hearings and apologize for the consequential delay in responding.

I think it is important to recognize that the county’s procedure for Requests for Interpretation embodied in LDC Section 1.06.01 (see below) limits the authority of the County Manager or his or her designee to make only interpretations of the text of the LDC, the text of the GMP, the boundaries of zoning districts on the official zoning atlas, and the boundaries of land use districts on the future land use map. 

You accordingly advised the Board of County Commissioners on October 12, 2010 that although the Board had the power to interpret its own ordinances, they did not have the power to interpret the 1967 Special Act and that, in your opinion, “that Special Act is what is going to control this issue”.  A copy of the relevant excerpt from the transcript is also set out below.  I agree with your opinion.

There is no authority in county ordinances for the County Manager or his designee to interpret a state law.  The Board was therefore, in my opinion,  prudent in seeking nonbinding arbitration to obtain an interpretation upon which they can reasonably rely.

                                                                                                                                                                                                       John

[John M. Passidomo is a real estate attorney]

JAMES M. PASSIDOMO E-MAIL – NOVEMBER 18, 2010 – ATTACHMENT 1

JAMES M. PASSIDOMO E-MAIL – NOVEMBER 18, 2010 – ATTACHMENT 2

__________________________________________________
From: KlatzkowJeff]
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2010 4:41 PM
To: ‘Georgia Hiller’
Cc: Marielena de Stuart Montesino; Brock E. Dwight; henning_t; fiala_d; CoyleFred; ColettaJim; ochs_l; MaunzSusan; John M. Passidomo; HubbardJacqueline
Subject: RE: Arbitration
Commissioner Hiller:

Based on my understanding of the Board’s direction, my answer to your queries is as follows:

1.      The controversy is whether the creation or amendment of an SRA requires majority or 4/5ths vote.

2.      Sec. 682.02, Florida Statutes allows for binding arbitration of any controversy.

3.      The parties are the County, on the one hand, and those owners of lands in the Rural Land Stewardship Area who elect to participate.

4.      The arbitration will be held December 9th before Major B. Harding, former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court.  Justice Harding has promised us that he will have a written order prior to December 14th.  We are currently working with Mr. Passidomo on an Arbitration Agreement.   The Agreement will reflect Board direction.

5.      My understanding of Chapter 682 is that absent grounds for vacating the Order (such as fraud or corruption), the decision will be binding on all who enter into the Agreement.     

6.      Although I agree with you that there are other processes (such as an LDC interpretation) which are available, the process that the Board has directed is not inappropriate.      

Jeffrey A. Klatzkow
County Attorney
______________________________________________
From: Georgia Hiller
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2010 9:48 AM
To: KlatzkowJeff
Cc: Marielena de Stuart Montesino; Brock E. Dwight; henning_t; fiala_d; CoyleFred; ColettaJim; ochs_l; MaunzSusan
Subject: Re: Arbitration 

Jeff, 

Thank you for your quick response. 

Your answers leave a few of the questions below, unanswered. 

1.  Please provide the statutory section that you are relying on that a declaratory opinion interpreting a law, without more, can be issued through arbitration. 

What is the “controversy” in this case? 

2. Please be more specific than “Yes” 

Again, what is the “controversy” in this case? 

3. Your response below does not describe the respective positions of the parties and given that we don’t know who the parties are, how can we even know what the positions are. 

The BCC did not vote on who they were going to enter into arbitration with. 

Nor did they vote on a definition of  the issue in “controversy” – if any even exists. 

This makes going forward with the “arbitration” legally impossible. 

Importantly, you (as the County Attorney) cannot substitute your opinion as to what the issue in controversy is, nor, who the parties to this arbitration are for that of the BCC – where the BCC has not voted on those matters as it relates to this proceeding. 

The record of the proceedings speaks for itself. 

Additionally, the vote taken by the BCC was not clear as to whether this was to be binding or non-binding arbitration. 

It was evident  that some of the Commissioners did not even understand the difference. 

It was also evident that John Passidomo wanted non-binding arbitration. 

Please clarify your comment during that meeting, that the ruling would bind the BCC but not the opposing parties.  (Who?) 

This process will not be legally binding on any of the parties 

I continue to feel that arbitration is not the proper legal proceeding. 

By County Ordinance, there is a process when an LDC interpretation is needed. 

This legal process is being circumvented by the property owners. 

Finally, the County will have to enter into an “Arbitration Contract” for this to proceed.   

The BCC has to approve this contract by vote at a publicly noticed meeting, before you can move forward. 

This contract cannot be ratified by the BCC after the fact. 

Please understand that my general position will be not to support subsequent ratification of any non-emergency County contract as a County Commissioner. 

Further, approval of County contracts cannot be legally delegated to Staff by the BCC. 

This matter needs to be brought back to the BCC. 

In conclusion, what was voted on by the BCC cannot be legally acted on by the County Attorney due to the omissions creating impossibility of performance as noted herein. 

I suggest that you advise the BCC that you cannot legally execute what they voted on, and, recommend that a special meeting be noticed for November 29, 2010 so that BCC can abandon this process. 

I would appreciate additional responses based on the above. 

With thanks, 

Georgia 
 __________________________________________________
On Nov 12, 2010, at 11:11 AM, KlatzkowJeff wrote: 

Commissioner: 

 In response to your questions: 

1. Please provide the law as to what can be arbitrated in the State

of Florida. 

Response:   Any controversy can be arbitrated in Florida.  See Sec. 682.02 

2. Specifically, where does the law allow for binding arbitration

only interpreting a question of law where there has been no injury

and therefore there is no ripeness? 

Response:   Yes. 

3. Who are the parties to the proposed arbitration, and what are

their respective positions? 

Response:    The County will be one party.  The other parties will clearly be the major property owners within the RLSA who wish to be involved.  Whether additional parties will be allowed to intervene or submit briefs will ultimately be the decision of the arbitrator.  I will not oppose any such request. 

4. Have the homeowners of Ave Maria been made a party/noticed since

they will be clearly affected? 

Response:    No.  Mr. Passidomo and I are still in the process of trying to find an appropriate arbitrator.  Once that is done, the matter can be scheduled. 

I want to be involved in this matter from the inception. 

Response:   I will endeavor to copy you on all documents related to this matter. 

I question whether arbitration is the correct legal proceeding, given

the issue. 

As such, I don’t want to see public funds wasted on a proceeding that

probably has no basis in law and should not and cannot be pursued. 

Bond Validation: 

I understand that the Bond Validation has been filed with the Clerk. 

May I have an e-copy. 

Response:   See attached. 

1. Who prepared the document and at whose direction? 

Response:  The document was created by outside bond counsel and reviewed by me. It was done at Board direction. 

2. Was the petition, as drafted, brought back to the BCC for

approval, and if so when? 

Response:  No. 

I have taken the liberty of copying Mrs. de Stuart Montesino, an Ave

Maria homeowner,  and the Clerk, with whom the Bond Validation has

been filed. 

Please forward my e-mail to Attorney Passidomo.  I don’t have his

address.  I would appreciate his input on these questions also. 

Please respond to each question by return e-mail, with answers under

each question heading and copied to the three named above – Mrs. de

Stuart Montesino, Clerk Brock and Attorney Passidomo. 

With thanks, 

Georgia 

Georgia Hiller 

Collier County Commissioner-Elect, District 2  

Jeffrey A. Klatzkow

County Attorney
 

___________________________________________________
From: Georgia Hiller

Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 9:36 AM

To: KlatzkowJeff

Cc: Marielena de Stuart Montesino; Brock E. Dwight

Subject: Arbitration and Bond Validation

Good Morning Jeff, 

Arbitration: 

1. Please provide the law as to what can be arbitrated in the State

of Florida. 

2. Specifically, where does the law allow for binding arbitration

only interpreting a question of law where there has been no injury

and therefore there is no ripeness? 

3. Who are the parties to the proposed arbitration, and what are

their respective positions? 

4. Have the homeowners of Ave Maria been made a party/noticed since

they will be clearly affected? 

I want to be involved in this matter from the inception. 

I question whether arbitration is the correct legal proceeding, given

the issue. 

As such, I don’t want to see public funds wasted on a proceeding that

probably has no basis in law and should not and cannot be pursued. 

Bond Validation: 

I understand that the Bond Validation has been filed with the Clerk. 

May I have an e-copy. 

1. Who prepared the document and at whose direction? 

2. Was the petition, as drafted, brought back to the BCC for

approval, and if so when? 

I have taken the liberty of copying Mrs. de Stuart Montesino, an Ave

Maria homeowner,  and the Clerk, with whom the Bond Validation has

been filed.

Please forward my e-mail to Attorney Passidomo.  I don’t have his

address.  I would appreciate his input on these questions also. 

Please respond to each question by return e-mail, with answers under

each question heading and copied to the three named above – Mrs. de

Stuart Montesino, Clerk Brock and Attorney Passidomo. 

With thanks, 

Georgia 

Georgia Hiller 

Collier County Commissioner-Elect, District 2 

Under Florida Law, e-mail addresses are public records.  If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity.  Instead, contact this office by telephone or in writing.

[Even though these are public records, phone numbers and e-mail addresses were omitted as a courtesy, in this publication].

♦   ♦   ♦

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Corruption in Florida + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Charles “Chuck” E. Hewett + Collier County Board of County Commissioners + Commissioner Tom Henning + Commissioner Georgia Hiller + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

© All Rights Reserved    www.CommissarsandMandarins.com

NOTICE TO READERS

The JAX-Files: The Truth behind the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Deal

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

The JAX-Files:  November 16, 2010

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal is being exposed one page at a time. 

Powerful landowners and developers are salivating over the prospect of getting millions of taxpayer dollars to make the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal happen.  After all, for those immersed in power, greed and control, using someone else’s money for a risky venture is always the way to go.

In this case, someone else’s money happens to be the taxpayer’s money.  It is no surprise that many Collier County citizens are suspicious of the controversial Ave Maria-Jackson Lab proposal.  Many consider it a corporate bail out for the Tom Monaghan-Barron Collier development of Ave Maria, a town in a remote area of Eastern Collier County, Florida.   

Fortunately for the citizens and taxpayers of Collier County, there’s a member of the Board of County Comissioners who will not stand for nonsense.  His name is Tom Henning.  He has been the consistent lone dissenting voice against the Jackson Lab proposal, based on his conviction that this deal cannot be forced upon the citizens, without a voter’s referendum.  

Starting today, Commissioner Henning is officially joined by Georgia Hiller, the new commissioner from District 2, who ran on a platform of transparency and accountability.

Last week, Chuck E. Hewett, Executive Vice President of The Jackson Lab sent the following invitation to Commissioner Henning,  in what appears to be a last-minute desperate attempt to unabashedly court Henning’s  favor in support of the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab taxpayer deal, and just prior to Georgia Hiller’s arrival on the Board of Commissioners.

The reader should pay careful attention to the familiar tone of “Dear Tom” which Hewett uses  to address Commissioner Henning.  Dr. Hewett dispenses with the protocol expected when addressing an elected official– in a public record, an act which also denotes a disregard for the citizens that elected Commissioner Henning.  Dr. Hewett concludes by signing, “Chuck”. 

Is this the way to address a county commissioner who will be casting his vote regarding millions of taxpayer dollars, in a deal involving the company that Dr. Hewett represents?

Dr. Hewett’s informal approach should be cause for concern to taxpayers and the public in general– given that Commissioner Henning has been firm in his opposition to the Jackson Lab proposal, and conducts himself with the decorum expected of his position.  But, imagine the familiarity that Dr. Hewett may be enjoying with Commissioners Fiala, Coyle, Coletta and  the recently retired Commissioner Halas– considering that they have supported the Jackson Lab deal all the way. 

On the other hand, Commissioner Henning responded to Dr. Hewett’s correspondence in a formal and respectful manner. 

A book about etiquette is in order for Dr. Hewett’s perusal –or should we call him “Chuck” from now on?

This behavior on the part of Dr. Hewett is no different than the special interest lobbying that goes on in Washington DC– in a delirious fury for taxpayer money.

From: Chuck Hewett
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 4:32 PM
To: henning_t
Cc: Louise Lopez
Subject: Visit the Lab?

Dear Tom,

It dawned on me that we have never formally invited you to visit The Jackson Lab
in Bar Harbor.  Certainly, we’d love to have you come.

If you are interested, depending on what worked for you, we could make it a
convenient visit.  You could arrive in the afternoon, join us for dinner, tour
the Lab and meet some folks the next morning, and depart after lunch.  This
would keep your time away from Collier County to less than two days.  Of course,
we’d be happy to arrange a more leisurely visit if that’s what you preferred. 
If you would like to have others accompany you, they’d be more than welcome.

Please let me know if this is an invitation you’d like to accept.

Best,

Chuck

Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President
The Jackson Laboratory
600 Main Street
Bar Harbor, Maine  04609-1500

________________________________

To which Commissioner Henning replied:

From: henning_t
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2010 2:04 PM
To: Chuck Hewett
Subject: RE: Visit the Lab?

Mr. Hewett
My understanding Jackson Labs is not looking to relocate the Maine operation to
Collier County. Others may disagree, to be frank it’s a waste of your time and
taxpayers money to visit your operation in Maine.
It is our understanding (if) Jackson Labs receives $260 million from the
Taxpayers, Jackson will create a new non-profit venture specializing  in
personalize medicine.

Please tell us what Jackson Labs will commit if your non-profit company is
gifted Taxpayers money and when will the Taxpayers see a direct benefit.

Respectfully Commissioner Henning

In the following reply, notice how Chuck Hewett flagrantly ignores Commissioner Henning’s request for accountability:

From: Chuck Hewett
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 9:41 AM
To: henning_t
Subject: RE: Visit the Lab?

Commissioner Henning,

I’m disappointed that you’re not interested in a visit.  Hope to see you soon,

Sincerely,

Chuck

Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President
The Jackson Laboratory
600 Main Street
Bar Harbor, Maine  04609-1500

Under Florida Law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your
e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send
electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by telephone or in
writing.

[Even though these are public records, phone numbers and e-mail addresses were omitted as a courtesy, in this publication].

♦   ♦   ♦

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Corruption in Florida + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Charles “Chuck” E. Hewett + Collier County Board of County Commissioners + Commissioner Tom Henning + Commissioner Georgia Hiller + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS

It’s HIGH NOON– for the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Deal

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

THERE'S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN

It’s ‘high noon’ for the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal. There’s a new sheriff in town. 

But are property owners in the town of Ave Maria, Florida paying attention?

They could be caught in the legal crossfire, in a battle to stop the use of millions of taxpayer dollars to fund the establishment of the controversial genetics lab in Ave Maria. 

Legal maneuvers are taking place around them, but will Ave Maria  property owners be invited to join the legal proceedings?   After all, they are sitting in the middle of the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab battlefield.

Modern Taxation without Representation

The town of Ave Maria, built by millionaire pizza salesman, Tom Monaghan, and Barron Collier Companies, sits in a remote rural area of Eastern Collier County, which is part of the Everglades. 

A tyrannical “Special District” was specially crafted for the Monaghan-Barron Collier team, as a Special Act of the Florida Legislature, which allows these powerful landowners to elect the Ave Maria Special District governing board, and control the votes.   This means that the Special District government is allowed to tax the homeowners inside Ave Maria, without the homeowners having a vote. A modern case of taxation without representation.   Ave Maria is known as “A Town without a Vote, Now and Forever“.

The constitutionality of this Special District, the way in which it was presented to property owners, along with the amended town covenants (Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court filing date November 15, 2007) are pending issues– which could end up in a firestorm of litigation.

Are the financial maneuverings behind the Ave Maria real estate experiment the ‘smoking gun’ of the Jackson Lab deal?

Changes that could affect Ave Maria property owners

On Tuesday, November 9, 2010 the Collier County Board of County Commissioners met.  The  agenda included an item concerning the super majority law (4/5th votes) required for changes in zoning.   These changes in zoning could affect the land where a genetics facility, called the Jackson Lab, would be built in Ave Maria.  

The Jackson Lab’s move to Ave Maria is a highly controversial proposal that could end up costing millions of taxpayer dollars– something which Collier County citizens overwhelmingly oppose, as evident through public petitions, public displays of opposition, as well as a Naples Daily News public poll, where 84% of responders said no, to ANY taxpayer funding for this lab venture.  In addition, many Collier County citizens see the Jackson Lab proposal as nothing but a bailout of the Monaghan-Barron Collier Ave Maria real estate experiment. 

Why is it an experiment?  Tom Monaghan promoted Ave Maria as a “Catholic town” and as a “City of God”.  He gave the town the most holy of Catholic names– Ave Maria, Hail Mary.  This is why the overwhelming majority of residents in Ave Maria are Catholics.

Yet,  Monaghan and leaders from Ave Maria University have embraced the proposed establishment of a Jackson Lab facility in Ave Maria.   This is a contradiction, since the Jackson Lab is involved in the controversial world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research– which the Catholic Church considers a serious crime against innocent human life.  This situation has caused the local bishop to  publicly express his serious concerns about the Jackson Lab’s move to Ave Maria, and has questioned if the Jackson Lab should be considered authentic economic development.  

And as far as the argument for economic development goes– why should taxpayers be expected to throw money at a tax-exempt non-profit lab involved in the fading world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research? Scientists are shifting their focus to Adult Stem Cell Research, based on impressive clinical results worldwide.

A “cluster of doubts”   

Meanwhile, the so-called “biomedical cluster” that could one day be created around the proposed Ave Maria-Jackson Lab site appears to be mere puffery of approximations and speculations.  There are no supporting teaching hospitals or research facilities anywhere near the rural town of Ave Maria, to support such a claim.  There is also doubt that the Jackson Lab could attract such a cluster. 

Á propos of the preceding information, here are two quotes from prominent businessmen, regarding the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab proposal:

“Beware: Scientists are very, very poor businessmen and will promise anything to have projects funded.”  — Julius L. Pericola, Naples Daily News, May 31, 2010.  (Pericola is a retired president of Bristol Laboratories in Syracuse , New York).  

“Pericola is right on in recognizing the airy-fairy promises being made for this company. Wall Street is awash with venture capital for promising biotechnology projects. Let Jackson Lab get the money there if these venture capitalists feel it has something worthwhile to offer. “– Alvin E. Strack, Sr., Naples Daily News, June 2, 2010. (Strack is  former director in the international division of Smith, Kline & French Labs–now Glaxo-SmithKline).

 The only “cluster” that actually appears to be growing is a “cluster of doubts” about the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal, exarcerbated by suspicions looming over the fact that the public is being denied access to  Jackson Lab documents connected to the Collier County deal.  

It’s ‘high noon’  in Ave Maria 

It is important to note that, with the exception of this writer’s ‘voice in the wilderness’– Ave Maria residents have not voiced public opposition to the Jackson Lab’s move to Ave Maria, during the many months that the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab battle has been raging– and in spite of the bishop’s serious public concerns over the Jackson Lab’s involvement with Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. 

This absence of public expression  is consistent with the history of silence in this remote town, under the control of Monaghan and Barron Collier. 

But now that it’s ‘high noon’ for the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal– it will be interesting to see if any Ave Maria residents and property owners will now finally come out of their silence, based on personal monetary and legal concerns. 

Arbitration– or an attempt to circumvent the law?

So, during Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, in a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Tom Henning dissenting, a decision was reached to hire an arbitrator, who would decide if, in fact, the super majority law would apply to changes in zoning.  

Is this simply a brazen attempt to circumvent the law– in order to rush through the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal, as a taxpayer bailout of Tom Monaghan and Barron Collier Companies?  Is this any different than the corporate bailouts coming out of Washington DC? 

Indeed, it appears that the arbitration maneuver is a rush to reach a decision before December 14th, when the new commissioner for District 2, Georgia Hiller, will be voting on an amendment to the Ave Maria master plan for the Jackson Lab’s site on Oil Well Road.  Hiller’s vote is a concern for those pushing the Jackson Lab deal.  She is, essentially, the ‘new sheriff in town’.

A request for transparency

While Florida may be subject to Sunshine laws– a lot goes on underground, or one could say– underwater.  This is where Georgia Hiller comes in.  As Commissioner-Elect for District 2,  she is already questioning what lies deep under the murky swamp of Eastern Collier County, and right underneath Ave Maria.

Case in point:  I have been cc’d the following e-mail correspondence from Ms. Hiller, to Collier County attorney, Jeff Klatzkow.

Property owners in Ave Maria, and the public at large– take note:

From: Georgia Hiller
To: Klatzkow Jeff <JeffKlatzkow@colliergov.net>
Cc: Marielena de Stuart Montesino; Brock E. Dwight <Dwight.Brock@collierclerk.com>
Sent: Fri, Nov 12, 2010 9:35 am
Subject: Arbitration and Bond Validation

Good Morning Jeff, 

Arbitration: 

1. Please provide the law as to what can be arbitrated in the State of Florida. 

2. Specifically, where does the law allow for binding arbitration only interpreting a question of law where there has been no injury and therefore there is no ripeness? 

3. Who are the parties to the proposed arbitration, and what are their respective positions? 

4. Have the homeowners of Ave Maria been made a party/noticed since they will be clearly affected? 

I want to be involved in this matter from the inception. 

I question whether arbitration is the correct legal proceeding, given the issue. 

As such, I don’t want to see public funds wasted on a proceeding that probably has no basis in law and should not and cannot be pursued. 

Bond Validation: 

I understand that the Bond Validation has been filed with the Clerk. 

May I have an e-copy. 

1. Who prepared the document and at whose direction? 

2. Was the petition, as drafted, brought back to the BCC for approval, and if so when? 

I have taken the liberty of copying Mrs. de Stuart Montesino, an Ave Maria homeowner,  and the Clerk, with whom the Bond Validation has been filed. 

Please forward my e-mail to Attorney Passidomo.  I don’t have his address.  I would appreciate his input on these questions also. 

Please respond to each question by return e-mail, with answers under each question heading and copied to the three named above – Mrs. de Stuart Montesino, Clerk Brock and Attorney Passidomo. 

With thanks, 

Georgia 

Georgia Hiller 

Collier County Commissioner-Elect, District 2

 

UPDATE:  Response from Jeff Klatzkow, Collier County Attorney

Attached Document 1: Letter from Nabors, Giblin & Nickerson to Jeff Klatzkow regarding $130,000,000 bond validation.

Attached Document 2: CLERK OF COURTS – COLLIER COUNTY, FL vs. THE STATE OF FLORIDA, ET AL. VALIDATION OF NOT EXCEEDING $130,000,000 IN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 2011

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS

Into the Jaws of Death…

May God Bless the Veterans of the United States of America

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

“Go tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie”

Epitaph of Simonides

Battlefield of Thermopylae

 

  

Click on image below to follow the Normandy Campaign, an interactive program, from D-Day through the Liberation of Paris:

INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH... June 6, 1944 by Robert F. Sargent

28th Infantry Division - Champs Élysées - Victory Parade

  

 

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  D-Day + Normandy Landings + Normandy Campaign +  Liberation of Paris + World War I + World War II + General George S. Patton + Korean War + Vietnam War + Iraq + Afghanistan + American Veterans +  

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

AVE MARIA and THE JACKSON LAB: There’s a New Sheriff in Town…

UPDATE (includes public records): 

It’s HIGH NOON for the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Deal

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Some powerful landowners in Southwest Florida are in a rush.  They are quickly attempting to circumvent a super majority law (4/5ths vote required) for changes in zoning, which affect the site where the controversial Jackson Lab hopes to open in Ave Maria– a town in Eastern Collier County.  

Why are these powerful landowners in such a rush? 

Because a super majority vote could bring an end to the scandalous Jackson Lab taxpayer-funded proposed move to Ave Maria.

But there is another reason why the landowners are in a rush.

There is a ‘new sheriff in town’.  Her name is Georgia Hiller.  She is a new commissioner in Collier County who likes to dig into records in search of transparency.

Click on image to watch video:

GEORGIA HILLER – New Collier County Commissioner

 

 The Jackson Lab? 

The Jackson Lab is a genetics facility involved in activities that include workshops and resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell (HESC) Research.  But the folks at the Jackson Lab put everyone on notice that they may, in fact,  ’kick it up a notch’– when Chuck Hewitt, VP of the Jackson Lab stated to the Naples Daily News (April 10, 2010) that they are not willing to rule out actually doing HESC research.

Yet, this is a time when scientists are shifting their focus more and more to Adult Stem Cell Research, as they see the impressive clinical results emerging worldwide in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, cancer, cardiac conditions, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, blindness, multiple sclerosis, autism and AIDS.

 

This makes the proposed taxpayer funding of the Jackson Lab and its involvement with HESC even more alarming and suspicious.  Add to this– the recent shutting down of public access to Jackson Lab documentation connected with the Collier County deal they are trying to get in Ave Maria.   What are they trying to hide? 

There is a  stench of corruption in the Southwest Florida air.

 

The Bishop speaks out 

 

In view of the Jackson Lab’s involvement in the world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, His Excellency, Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida, (which includes Collier County) has expressed serious concerns about the lab’s move to Ave Maria– based on the Roman Catholic Church’s condemnation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research as a serious crime against innocent human life. 

 

Monaghan’s “city of God” and the culture of death

 

Ave Maria was promoted as a “Catholic town” and a “city of God” by millionaire pizza salesman, Tom Monaghan.  Surely those who trusted Monaghan’s Catholic town promises could have never imagined that within two years Monaghan would be throwing open the doors of his “city of God” to a lab involved in the culture of death.

Yet, officials at Ave Maria University remain unmoved by the bishop’s public statement, as they appear to continue their support of the Jackson Lab’s proposed arrival in Ave Maria.  Interestingly, His Excellency even  serves as an ex-officio member of the AMU Board of Trustees.

  

Ave Maria University is not a Catholic university

    

 The Ave Maria University officials who welcome the Jackson Lab include, of course, pizza tycoon-turned-university chancellor, Tom Monaghan,  and maritime lawyer-turned-university president, Nick Healy.   It is also important to note that the Catholic faculty at AMU has not expressed public opposition to the Jackson Lab’s taxpayer-funded proposal, nor to the Jackson Lab’s proposed move to Ave Maria.

This scenario cannot possibly inspire the local bishop– who has never granted official Catholic recognition to Ave Maria University.  Catholic recognition can only be granted by the Church– and this is a big deal.  Anyone who does not respect or recognize the authority of the bishop is not a Roman Catholic.  There is no getting around it.

 

Ave Maria University cannot even call itself Catholic on its own website– but appears to enjoy letting outside media publications refer to it as a “Catholic university”– which brings only more attention to the fact that it is not.

 

The Opposition to the Jackson Lab

.

I continue to be the only person in Ave Maria who publicly opposes the Jackson Lab, because of its involvement in the world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research– and because I am opposed to taxpayer funding of such an institution. 

  

The rest of the opposition to the Jackson Lab remains outside of Ave Maria, and is mostly led by dedicated citizens who firmly oppose the use of public funds for the Jackson Lab.  This is evident in a public poll conducted by the Naples Daily News, which shows that 84% of responders are against ANY taxpayer funding of this venture.

 

Others oppose the Jackson Lab proposal because they see it as nothing but a taxpayer bailout of Monaghan’s Ave Maria experiment, with his developer partner, Barron Collier Companies.

But while there may be many different soldiers in this battle against the Jackson Lab-Ave Maria deal– at the end, they will all be helping save innocent human lives.

Congratulations, Ms. Hiller– and welcome on board.

♦   ♦   ♦

IMPORTANT RELATED ARTICLE:

The AVE MARIA “SPECIAL DISTRICT”:   

The ‘Smoking Gun’ of the Jackson Lab “deal”

(click on image below to read)

The AVE MARIA 'SPECIAL DISTRICT' - The 'SMOKING GUN' of the Jackson Lab 'DEAL'?

 

Another related article: 

Is it Time for New Leadership at Ave Maria University?

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: 

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS

MARCO RUBIO’s Victory Speech – November 2, 2010

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart 

CLICK HERE to watch MARCO RUBIO’s Victory Speech on Nov. 2, 2010: 

Candidate to the U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio, and the author, Marielena Montesino de Stuart - September 18, 2010 - St. Augustine, Florida

RELATED ARTICLE:  Marco Rubio Speaks to Marielena Montesino de Stuart

 

  

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through:

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.  

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Marco Rubio + Cuba + Cuban Political Exiles + Fidel Castro + U.S. Senate + Republicans + Conservative Pro-Life Candidates + Florida