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Uploaded: Friday, February 22, 2008, 12:31 PM
Lieber bill would tighten recruiters' access to students
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by Casey Weiss
Mountain View Voice Staff
Photo
 | Activists protesting outside the new Army Career Center in Mountain View last week called for more honesty and tighter policies for military recruiting among high school students.
Their wishes could be partially granted if the state Legislature passes a bill reintroduced this week by local Democratic Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, who said it would help to better inform parent and students about military recruiting policies on high school campuses. Recruiters currently have access to high school students' contact information -- unless parents sign a denial of consent form.
Although all families are required to receive this opt-out form with other registration and back-to-school information, Lieber said they often miss the form, which is on page 78 of a packet for Mountain View and Los Altos high school students.
"The bill would put it front and center where families can see it," Lieber said.
Under the proposed bill, the option to opt out of the recruitment process would be on the emergency contact form. The bill would also push to inform students that the armed services receive their contact information if they take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, an online test that helps students explore career opportunities through math and verbal testing. The site's home page only refers to the test as the ASVAB career exploration program.
Lieber said she often hears complaints from families who are receiving constant calls and e-mails from recruiters.
"We see this as an important privacy issue. California, unlike other states, has the right to privacy in our Constitution," Lieber said. "We have a responsibility."
Lieber is not directly working with last Friday's protesters. Paul George, director of the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center in Palo Alto, which helped organize the event, said he favors even tighter recruiting policies.
Calls to the local recruiting center were referred to the Army's local public affairs spokesman, who did not return several phone calls seeking comment. The Army's national media relations office in Kentucky also did not return calls seeking comment.
Under the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act, all schools that receive federal funding must provide military recruiters with students' names, addresses and telephone numbers, unless parents have signed the consent forms. Public schools also must give military recruiters the same information colleges and potential employers receive, MVLA associate Superintendent Brigitte Sarraf said. The government will withhold funding from schools that do not comply with NCLB.
"If you allow college recruiters to come on campus, you have to make that option available to military recruiters," said Sarraf, referring to the law.
She said a fair number of parents opt out, and that only a few students from the high schools enlist each year.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill co-sponsored by Lieber in 2006, but the assemblywoman said this time, with more people critical of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, she is hopeful it will pass.
While Lieber's bill, which she will present to the Assembly on Friday, would cover only California students, Congressman Mike Honda, D-San Jose, is pushing for a national opt-in policy, which would prevent release of information to recruiters unless a guardian signs a consent form.
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Posted by justsaying, a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2008 at 1:17 pm What is this woman all about? Is she bucking for some high office or something -it sounds like nany-state
Spanking Law Expands to Cover Teens
A Bay Area state lawmaker's proposal to ban spanking of infants and toddlers is getting a make-over.
Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View, says her bill will now include physical punishment of all minors, or children under 18 years old.
Although all families are required to receive this opt-out form with other registration and back-to-school information, Lieber said they often miss the form, which is on page 78 of a packet for Mountain View and Los Altos high school students
Lieber is not directly working with last Friday's protesters. Paul George, director of the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center in Palo Alto, which helped organize the event, said he favors even tighter recruiting policies
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Posted by aol447, a resident of the The Crossings neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2008 at 1:18 pm omg - looking up info on this one - there realy was a site to recall her?
Web Link
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Posted by Enough!, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2008 at 6:19 pm Fine, then the same families should be exempt from Federal student aid for college, or any other Federal benefits package. Next thing she'll be after is exemptions for the selective service once a young man turns 18.
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Posted by Pete Kramer, a resident of another community, on Feb 22, 2008 at 7:28 pm Why limit high school student access to the military? Credit card companies are all over high school students, particularly as soon as they graduate. There is a whole lot more deception and misleading of young people by credit card companies than the military could ever concoct. Many colleges that solicit high school students offer ROTC. Should those schools also be prohibited from contacting students? How do consent forms hold up legally once a student is 18 years old? Are you telling me that he or she can go vote without their parents' consent but cannot be contacted by a recruiter?
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Posted by BillyJoe, a resident of another community, on Feb 22, 2008 at 7:52 pm [Post removed by Mountain View Voice staff.]
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Posted by Thelma, a resident of the Cuesta Park neighborhood, on Feb 23, 2008 at 1:20 am Ms.Lieber you have lost your mind !!!!
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Posted by Lieber FAN, a resident of another community, on Feb 23, 2008 at 1:34 am There is a need for this kind of legislation nationwide. Thank you Sally Lieber, and thanks to Congressman Mike Honda for supporting legislation to make the Opt-In instead of Opt-Out policy U.S. law.
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Posted by BillyJoe, a resident of another community, on Feb 23, 2008 at 1:52 am [Second gratuitous post by this person removed by Mountain View Voice staff.]
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Posted by mom, a resident of another community, on Feb 23, 2008 at 12:14 pm Why military recruiting is part of No Child Left Behind never made any sense anyway. I think this is a great idea, you should be able to opt-in to having your info shared with the military not have to opt-out.
I have no problem with military recruiters attending a college fair - that seems to be an appropriate venue. Although I'm pretty sure most high school kids are capable of finding a recruiting office if they'd like to join.
My nephew, a HS senior in another state, receives 7-8 calls A WEEK from the various military branches. Glad he has caller ID!
The personal attacks on Ms. Lieber are childish and inappropriate.
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Posted by Enough!, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 23, 2008 at 6:23 pm Bring back the draft, and make sure there's a fair quota reserved for Mountain View and Palo Alto. That will end the whining over recruiters in schools.
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Posted by justsaying, a resident of another community, on Feb 24, 2008 at 10:17 am yes this attack on honda and liber are childish
NOT
they started it momma they called people bad names now they want to run and make laws because they cant controll everyone - make them stop momma or i'm gonna tell dad when he gets home
get over it - if honda and lieber think they can rule the world let them try - they really dont have a stake in this anyway so they will say and do whatever it takes to stay in the limelight a little longer and maybe get a few more of your tax bucks - nice
i like the re-call site - what the heck was anyone thinking after that to let her get in office?
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Posted by aol447, a resident of the The Crossings neighborhood, on Feb 24, 2008 at 10:32 am Hmm - I sort of like the draft idea but that lets in the mommas boys who cant even hand the phone calls - what would he do if he actually had to work?
I know a lot of whiners in CA that should go first :)
Oh for Leiber and Honda - yes they will do whatever they can to stay on the gravey train of your tax dollars even if it means looking like an a** to the rest of capitol hill it helps CA image to the nation too ya know - thats the place with Berkeley and now they cant even accept phone calls oh my goodness - heck if I were military I wouldnt want the sorry pitiful person from CA next to me supposedly trying to save my life they would pi** their pants if someone so much as yelled!
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Posted by Kent, a resident of another community, on Feb 24, 2008 at 5:11 pm I did not vote for her for city council long ago. She was more like ACLU member Rose Bird state supreme court judge. Both were Liberal to criminal killers but not to responsible watchful parents. However I wondered what did Sally Lieber think about our MV fire dept. rescued a toddler at Costco parking lot while angry mother suing City of MV. I'll bet Sally favored the mad mother. Hmm?
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Posted by Dale, a resident of another community, on Mar 3, 2008 at 6:29 pm Clear and Obvious Bias in the article:
"Activists protesting outside the new Army Career Center in Mountain View last week CALLED FOR MORE HONESTY and tighter policies for military recruiting among high school students.
THEIR WISH COULD BE PARTIALLY GRANTED if the..."
Is there any specific evidence that all/some/ANY of the recruiters in Mountain View have been been guilty of dishonesty? No. And yet by acceptance of this allegation (as fact) the author shamefully toes the line.
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