Director faces tough issues

* Last month, State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer began subpoenaing pro-life crisis pregnancy centers to determine whether they meet state requirements. Many pro-lifers viewed this as an attack on the pro-life movement in New York State.

"We hope this does not represent an attack in any way on well-meaning pro-life people and agencies," Mr. Barnes stated. "While we agree that agencies need to operate within the parameters of the law, we don't want to see anyone in government using their authority to intimidate the pro-life movement."

The director said that the Catholic Conference is asking the Attorney General to "be even-handed in his approach, to also investigate abortion providers" about the same possible violations.

* Ever since last year's "bare-bones budget" was enacted, Mr. Barnes said, "there has been a tremendous need in the state for increased funding for people in need." The budget crisis existed prior to Sept. 11 but was compounded by the attacks on that day. "That crisis is causing a real crisis in the human services community, the health community and the education community," he said. "The state and federal governments need to look at the needs which existed prior to Sept. 11 and are now growing, and address that immediately."

* The Catholic Conference is currently preparing for the March 12 public policy forum, an annual event sponsored by the Conference that draws about 1,000 Catholics and the state's bishops to Albany to lobby state lawmakers on issues of concern. This year's issues include protecting Catholic health care and healthcare workers, parental rights in education, services for the working poor and vulnerable, enactment of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, reforming the state's drug-sentencing laws, and helping rural New Yorkers.

Mr. Barnes will accompany the bishops to their meetings with government officials, including Gov. George Pataki. He urged Catholics of the Albany Diocese to participate in the forum, saying that it "gives Catholics from around the state the ability to meet with their legislators, to discuss issues of importance to the Catholic community and to see the legislative process in action, and gives Catholics a better idea of how they can influence policy in their state."

(For information on the Public Policy Forum, call diocesan Catholic Charities at 453-6650.)(KB)

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