[PAA-Discuss] Oh shit - Crawford Peace House

Sun Apr 8 14:44:43 EDT 2007

Alyssa, I didn't mention paying off the mortgage as a bad thing. I think it
was very proper and read that it took a great burden off the folks at Peace
House so $$ could be spent on other things -- like food and plumbing. It was
not at all a criticism. Lee L

  _____  

From: discuss-bounces at paa-tx.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at paa-tx.org] On
Behalf Of Alyssa Burgin
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 10:33 PM
Cc: PAA Discuss List
Subject: Re: [PAA-Discuss] Oh shit - Crawford Peace House

Whoa, did this discussion ever change while I was at the movies.

Absolutely right about the land, and about the second part of the land, and
yes, the Crawford Peace House mortgage was paid off by donations, but it
wasn't that much to begin with. I was working with the Dallas people who
bought the house long before Cindy ever came along, and I watched it grow.
Johnny Wolf had paid down on the house initially, and was already being
helped by some minor donations, but the house didn't cost very much. If you
had seen it when it was first purchased--and considering that it is in a
community that not too many people (other than Ted Nugent and the President)
didn't care to live in--well, let's just say, don't think of it as Craftsman
2/1 in the Heights. Think of it more like a Craftsman 2/1 in the Heights in
1965. 

Robert, you couldn't possibly be more wrong. There's no big conspiracy
theory to it, some nice people who were trying to do the right thing didn't
happen to know anything about bookkeeping, or running a corporation under
the S.O.S. and Comptroller's rules. They wouldn't be the first in that
category.

Ms. Oliver is apparently angry over personal disputes with individuals. That
happens when strong-willed people get involved in something about which they
are passionate, such as the pursuit of peace. If Ms. Oliver had just raised
questions about the finances, that would be one thing, but her actions in
attempting to secure the use of the Crawford Peace House name would indicate
to me, I don't know about anyone else, that she has some personal axe to
grind--against whom, I couldn't say. She is most certainly not, however, an
agent "of the Dems." That's entirely laughable. 

Alyssa Burgin

On 4/7/07, Lee Loe <leeloe at igc.org> wrote: 

Sounds like Oliver is an agent for someone other than the peace community
painting an unflattering picture of the peace movement. Lee Loe

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at paa-tx.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at paa-tx.org] On
Behalf Of Wendy Schroell
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 1:02 PM
To: PAA Discuss List
Subject: [PAA-Discuss] Oh shit - Crawford Peace House 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17988924/from/ET/

Peace House near Bush ranch hit by strife Disputes over name, finances roil
Crawford, Texas, antiwar organization The Associated Press 
Updated: 9:08 p.m. ET April 6, 2007

CRAWFORD, Texas - A group that has sponsored highly visible war protests in
President Bush's adopted hometown has been anything but peaceful, with
accusations of money mismanagement, threats of court action and some members

leaving.

A former member who has rights to the group's name is threatening legal
action because the Crawford Peace House continues to operate.

Sara L. Oliver and others also want a state investigation as to why only 
$14,700 is now in the group's bank account, saying tens of thousands of
dollars donated during Cindy Sheehan's high-profile 2005 war protest are
unaccounted for.

"There are people who have said, 'Don't say anything because you'll hurt the

peace movement,'" Oliver said. "But if the peace movement isn't pure and
transparent and holy as it can be at its heart, then it's just like George
Bush: lying, thieving, conniving, backstabbing bastards." 

John Wolf, who co-founded the Crawford Peace House in 2003 in a house near
downtown, denied allegations of wrongdoing. He said the claims were by only
a few people and would not hurt the work of the house, which is planning a 
fourth anniversary celebration Sunday.

Wolf: Most of $285,000 spent
The Crawford Peace House bank account had only $3 in early August 2005, but
Sheehan's monthlong vigil beside the road leading to Bush's ranch brought 
thousands of people and donations from across the country.

Wolf said the Peace House has an accountant and has kept diligent records,
which soon will be posted on its Web site. He said most of the $285,000
raised in 2005 was spent on food, van and bus rentals, gas and a large tent
for the rallies at several events.

"All of this money was given to us to take care of people who came here, and
that's what we did," Wolf said Friday. "If somebody has fantasies, I can't 
affect that."

Wolf said he plans to turn in the franchise tax report next week - nearly a
year late - to the Texas Comptroller's Office to regain the Peace House's
recently lost corporate charter. 

Losing a corporate charter means the board members are liable for any debts
the group might owe, according to the Comptroller's Office.

The report was not filed sooner because the house's volunteer director was 
overwhelmed with other tasks, Wolf said.

Houses divided
He also said the Texas Secretary of State's Office made a mistake last month
in allowing Oliver to file documents forming a nonprofit corporation called 
the Crawford Peace House.

Wolf said the Crawford Peace House he co-founded still exists as an
unincorporated entity, as well as a religious group, so Oliver is violating
state statutes that prevent an organization from having the same or similar 
name as an existing one.

The Secretary of State's Office was closed Friday for the Easter holiday.

Oliver, who said she left the group in 2005 after encountering hostility
when she tried to help secure grants for the group, said she does not want 
to form a counter group. But she said she would allow some current members
to use the name, as long as the house director and leaders account for the
money and resign.

Sheehan, whose name is listed on the 2005 franchise tax report as a Crawford

Peace House board member, said Friday she has never been consulted about its
financial matters and knew nothing about the current situation.

Sheehan said the matter would not hurt the peace movement or the weekend's 
activities coinciding with Bush's weekend ranch visit.

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