We get letters (from fundies)

Apparently fundies read DFH blogs, too. I received the following e-mail this morning:

http://www.google.com/ sent me to your most recent posting about the Choose Life license plate. Naturally blogs are all about
what the person believes to be true…and that’s great. I just thought you would like some corrected information. Your blog says:

Our "Choose Life" tags do cost an extra $20, but the fees go to an Ocala-based organization called "Choose Life, Inc.," touting itself as a non-profit organization "which raises funds to support adoption efforts of Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Maternity Homes and not-for-profit adoption agencies."

You should have read a bit more of the web site. The bill http://www.choose-life.org/bill.html under the About Us tab would have shown you that Choose Life, Inc. receives none of the funds from the sale of the Florida Choose Life license plate. They all go to the County Commission in the county where the plates were sold and they distribute them to qualified agencies such as Pregnancy Care Centers, Maternity Homes and non-profit adoption agencies to be used solely to promote their adoption efforts.

Choose Life, Inc. is supported by the donations of folks who think this is a good idea and with the promotional items we show on our web site.

Choose Life, Inc. has been successful in helping 16 more states get the Choose Life license plate and we are currently working with about 20 more.

Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight and hope you will fix this error on your blog.

Respectfully,

Russ & Jill Amerling
National Publicity Coordinators
Choose Life license plates
Choose Life, Inc.
PO Box 830152
Ocala, FL 34483-0152
Phone: (352) 624-2854
Email: russ@choose-life.org
Fax: Toll Free (866) 850-8572
Web site: http://www.choose-life.org/

Well, okay. Fair enough. I'm willing to do some fact-checking.

So I researched. I went back to the State of Florida's website, specifically to the page about the Choose Life plate. And here's what it says:

License Plate	Choose Life
Statutory Authority	320.08058
Date Enacted	July 1, 1999
Special Fee	$20.00 annual fee (plus registration fees)
Distribution of Special Fee	Choose Life, Inc.

Revenue totals see Revenue Report

The state says the "special fee" of $20 is "distributed" to Choose Life, Inc. Mr. Amerling says it's not. Who's telling the truth here?

Well, I will give credit where credit is due. Section 320.08058(30), Fla. Stat., reads:

(30) CHOOSE LIFE LICENSE PLATES.--

(a) The department shall develop a Choose Life license plate as provided in this section. The word "Florida" must appear at the bottom of the plate, and the words "Choose Life" must appear at the top of the plate.

(b) The annual use fees shall be distributed annually to each county in the ratio that the annual use fees collected by each county bears to the total fees collected for the plates within the state. Each county shall distribute the funds to nongovernmental, not-for-profit agencies within the county, which agencies' services are limited to counseling and meeting the physical needs of pregnant women who are committed to placing their children for adoption. Funds may not be distributed to any agency that is involved or associated with abortion activities, including counseling for or referrals to abortion clinics, providing medical abortion-related procedures, or proabortion advertising, and funds may not be distributed to any agency that charges women for services received.

1. Agencies that receive the funds must use at least 70 percent of the funds to provide for the material needs of pregnant women who are committed to placing their children for adoption, including clothing, housing, medical care, food, utilities, and transportation. Such funds may also be expended on infants awaiting placement with adoptive parents.

2. The remaining funds may be used for adoption, counseling, training, or advertising, but may not be used for administrative expenses, legal expenses, or capital expenditures.

3. Each agency that receives such funds must submit an annual audit, prepared by a certified public accountant, to the county. The county may conduct a consolidated audit in lieu of the annual audit. Any unused funds that exceed 10 percent of the funds received by an agency during its fiscal year must be returned to the county, which shall distribute them to other qualified agencies.

So, Mr. Amerling is correct to the extent that the funds are not given to Choose Life, Inc. I guess he may want to suggest to the state that they change that language on the license plate web page (unless, of course, the error doesn't matter to him in that, you know, it's pretty self-serving, what with the link to his organization and all ...).

However, my original point stands: the State of Florida -- indeed any state -- should not be injecting political or moral views into its administrative responsibilities like license plates, any more than it should use state funds to print religious tracts or to press for restrictions of freedoms granted by the U.S. Constitution (if, after the Bush crime syndicate is done with it, there are any freedoms remaining). I'm disgusted that the state or, more accurately, the majority in the Legislature, advocates a moral position on a legal medical procedure in the guise of a legislative appropriation of state funds.

So, Mr. Amerling -- I've corrected my error and pointed out the true destination of the fee revenue, just as you asked me to do. In turn, I respectfully request that you contact the appropriate person in Tallahassee and have them correct their error, namely, the listing of your organization beside the heading "Distribution of Special Fee" on the license plate website. I'm sure you'll want to take this opportunity to set the record straight, won't you?