September 9 - LBG RPCVs oppose the nomination

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Directors of the Peace Corps: Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez: The Gaddi Vasquez Nomination to Peace Corps Director: SPECIAL REPORT: Bush's Choice to Lead the Peace Corps. Is he Qualified?: What Returned Volunteer Organizations say about the Nomination: September 9 - LBG RPCVs oppose the nomination

By Admin1 (admin) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 12:02 pm: Edit Post

To: LBG RPCV Members and Friends:
From: Mike Learned, National Coordinator, LGB RPCVs

LGB RPCVs (through our Steering Committee) has decided to formally and
vigorously oppose the nomination of Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps Director.
The lead article in our August newsletter describes the extraordinarily
negative political baggage Vasquez brings to this nomination. If you have
not received the newsletter email me (below) and I will send you an
electronic copy of the article.

We have done or will do the following:
* lobby the National Peace Corps Association and all of its 100+ affiliates
to join us in this oppostion.
* lobby the Senate Foreign Relations Commitee which will have to confirm
Mr. Vasquez.
* provide you (our members and friends) with information so that you can
individually oppose and lobby against the nomination (see below)..
* any other reasonable action we can think of that might help prevent his
confirmation.

Our formal opposition is threefold and is based on the nominee's public
record:
* Mr Vasquez has no identifiable international, volunteer, or management
experience to warrant his nomination.
* Mr. Vasquez' shared responsibility for the bankruptcy of Orange County,
California as described by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1996
makes him unfit to administer a Federal Agency with an annual budget of
$275 million.
* Mr. Vasquez's votes in 1989 and 1992, while on the Orange County Board of
Supervisors, to deny housing rights and job protection to people with
HIV/AIDS negates his ability to effectively administer Peace Corps'
numerous HIV/AIDS prevention, education and health programs, and act as a
leader in the world fight against AIDS.

As an organization of lesbian, gay and bisexual RPCVs, staff, volunteers
and friends we are also concerned about his association with both the Boy
Scouts of America and the Salvation Army. However, I have not been able to
find any public record that ties him to the homophobic positions that both
organizations have taken.

Each person who receives this email can do the following:
* go to<www.PeaceCorpsOnline.org> and sign the on-line petition opposing
the nomination.
* go to <www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm> and contact your State's
Senators and urge she or he to oppose the nomination.
* talk this up with all your Peace Corps supporters and friends.
* contact us and let us know that you support our position.

When Mr. Vasquez's hearing date is set, we'll tell you how to contact the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee to voice your opposition to the
nomination.

Mike Learned
103571.2317@compuserve.com


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