Here is a question: When USA Swimming purchases the services of a lobbyist does some of that money make its way into a politician's coffers?

If so, would love to know which political party USA Swimming prefers. According to a reader email it appears to be the Republicans.

When I mentioned that USA Swimming had purchased the lobbying services of  Nielsen Merksamer a Sacramento based lobbying firm hired to kill Senate Bill 131; a bill that would extend the statute of Limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits, one reader had something to say and it is a curious thought too.

This reader mentioned to me in a private email; (they wanted to remain very anonymous), that two California politicians named Steve Knight out of Antelope Valley and a former trial lawyer named Don Wagner in Orange County, California did the following to suppress SB 131 probably at the behest of USA Swimming and the Catholic Church.

 "... [Steve] has two kids in USA Swimming. If anyone should have common sense it should be Knight. Last year, as vice chair of the Republican Caucus he was on board to kill Beall's bill. His committee vote was chicken S*** and cowardly. He abstained. He knew that it took a majority of the committee members to get it out of committee so his abstention was really a NO vote. Would be interesting to see which California legislators, if any, have received money from Colorado Springs. That's one of the first orders that will come from the lobbyists. Send money to key legislators. ..." 

Don Wagner out of Orange County. He is a former lawyer who made millions suing people and now claims this holier than thou attitude about these bills. He blames trial lawyers, says they are job killers, etc..."

There you have it... Has USA Swimming hired lobbyists with member donations to make the requisite political "donations" for them to get this billed killed or "modified"?

The USOC to create an independent agency to investigate sexual abuse! One victim stated: "I think that's crap," said Jancy Thompson. "It's just bull-[bleep]."

Remember when USA Swimming hired all those lobbyist to defeat a Senate bill in California that would have fixed a clerical error which would have given victims of sexual abuse an extra year to seek recompense for being abused at the hands of coaches or the Catholic Church? Lobbyists paid for by USA Swimming killed it so justice could not be served and their golden wallets protected. Here are some blog post covering the subject:  [Link]

This act of greed, non-responsibility, and pride infuriated many but when the International Swimming Hall of Fame in an act of sheer impropriety decided to induct Wielgus into there "hallowed hall" this was the tipping point. Attorney Robert Allard working pro bono created a "posse" of sorts and set up a petition to have Wielgus' name withdrawn. In just a few short days he withdrew his name.

Why did he capitulate so fast, was it Nancy Hogshead smooth negotiation style, Donna de Varona's charisma? No, more likely Wielgus realized that the "Zeitgeist is a-changing." We have President Obama making speeches about college campus rape and statistics all over the headlines stating that around 1-in-5 women being sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.

Wielgus' child protection resumé on this subject are not pretty. They include a cover-up, lobbyists denying a victims' rights bill, his refusal to apologize for doing a lousy job till he was finally challenged by a petition.

One of the 19-victims named, Jancy Thompson, was asked the following question in the Orlando Sentinel and in a honest and penetrating voice she stated the following:

"...The United States Olympic Committee plans to establish an "independent agency" to investigate and rule on sexual-abuse cases involving its governing bodies of Olympic sports.

La-di-da. Not enough.

"I think that's crap," said Jancy Thompson. "It's just bull-[bleep]."

Please forgive Ms. Thompson if she sounds a tad upset. You may be too if, as Thompson alleged, your swimming coach molested you and forced you to wear a dog collar with a leash attached to it as penance for not performing up to par.

Thompson says that happened when she was 15. Now 32, she still bears the scars of abuse and humiliation, as she tries to put her life back together with once-a-week therapy sessions and a legal scrum that has gone on for four years. ..." 

[Link]

I wonder? I bet the money Wielgus spent on lobbyists would have paid for a lot of therapy for Jancy and others.

I would like to organize a team (a posse) to bring the National Organization of Women into this issue and demand Wielgus resign and get USA Swimming reformed. I will keep you posted.

Notice how the USA Swimming Website never mentioned one great swim at the NCAAs?

USA Swimming is a de facto governing body monopoly. They own the sport and they own the elite athletes therein. They tell these athletes where to be (enforced charity events if you want your full pay) and what they can or can't say in front of a camera.

Worst of all they subsidize their trafficking of elite swimmers by raising an incomprehensible amount of money off the backs those families with 12-year-old little girls and boys who have no chance, or in most cases, a desire to be an Olympian.

Yeah, that's my premise, accept it or get over it.

So why no NCAA coverage? — Here it comes... ready?—There was no NCAA coverage because the NCAA is a better governing body than USA Swimming and subsequently should take complete control over  the sport of swimming. The NCAA for the most part services adults, and though not perfect, they have fewer abusive coaches, far fewer rapes, they don't have a secretive insurance company sequestered in the Caymans, (like USA Swimming did) and far less money grubbing.

The NCAA should be the sports governing body, period. The NCAA could offer scholarships to young kids at nationals, be more race inclusive and be far more benevolent than USA Swimming ever has.

Remember when USA Swimming hired lobbyist to protect the Catholic church and themselves form pedophile lawsuits.  Yeah, that's why the NCAA should select Olympians.

This I Learned: The "Make A Splash Foundation" has received funding from the US Congress.

I was practicing search strings options at Google and while searching the House.gov site I bumped into budgetary earmarks for USA Swimming's Make a Splash Foundation.  Who knew that the '...Splash Foundation received government money? I certainly didn't.

Earmarks are budget designations which promise funds to various projects or services. In just one search I found nearly $1,000,000 or more earmarked for both New Jersey and Chicago Make a Splash Foundation programs. That's like having each member of USA Swimming, all 300,000-plus kids, donating $3.00-to-$5.00 each.

Congressman Rothman of New Jersey in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010: USA Swimming Foundation Make-a-Splash Program to provide at-risk youth with after school programs in Berkley Heights, $400,000 

[Link] 

Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr - Chicago Youth Development program: The USA Swimming Foundation seeks funding to expand the City of Chicago to provide after-school swim lessons to at-risk students. The program would reduce drowning which is disproportionate among African-American and Hispanic youth and also provides a positive activity during a time that is often unsupervised. $450,000 

[Link] 

Rep Congressman Albio Sires - New Jersey since November Project Title: New Jersey Make a Splash Program - Recipient: USA Swimming Foundation The funding would be used to provide after-school recreational programming for inner city, lower income youth in New Jersey. The USA Swimming Foundation would develop and implement a quality, multi-level learn-to-swim Make a Splash program in Ashbury Park, Bayonne, Jersey City, Newark and Plainfield, New Jersey.  $456,000 

[Link]

So, I then wondered how they arranged such a windfall earmark from the US Government. It turns out USA Swimming also hired a lobbying firm in 2010 by the name FaegreBD Consulting (formerly B&D Consulting). This firm charged USA Swimming $27,000 and set four lobbyist lose to lobby the Center for Disease Control for a piece of their budgetary pie. That's how I read it, your mileage may vary.

[Link]

What does this all mean? Well, I am surprised that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) paid for stuff like this when they could just go straight to the city governments themselves and work out the best programs needed right there at the pool deck level. Why give the money to a intermediary in a town called Colorado Springs to dole out to cities in New Jersey and Chicago?

USA Swimming hires two mercenaries to "Kill Bill" - or more specifically California Senate Bill 131

Before the California Senate is a Senate Bill numbered SB 131 - This legislation would extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims to file lawsuits against their abusers. It is wonderful legislation and California elected officials up and down the state in some pretty serious swimming communities are all for it.

Jim Beall, a Democrat from San Jose, is SB 131’s principal author. Ricardo Lara, Democrat from Long Beach, and Assembly member Nancy Skinner, a Democrat out of Berkeley, are both co-authors.

Why is this bill important? Diana Nyad said it best, sometimes children are not allowed to come forward or are afraid to come forward. In Nyad's case it was both:

From Out Magazine:

"... Her anger was no tantrum played out on a tennis court. “I was swimming every stroke with anger at that man and that sexual abuse,” she says. “That man” was her high-school coach back in Florida, an Olympian and Hall of Fame vet, and “that sexual abuse” was the four years of rape she endured under his tutelage. “I was so naïve. I hated him and loved him and felt humiliated and denigrated and so afraid, so terrified to be the last one left or the first one there in case I might be taken or attacked. ..." 

[Link]

Now here is where USA Swimming comes in: Two political mercenaries, otherwise known as lobbyists, have been hired by USA Swimming to help "Kill Bill SB 131. Their names are Jim Gross and Gene Urbin from renowned lobbyist firm Nielsen Merksamer.

Instead of endorsing this bill, USA Swimming wants it erased. One has to question why would they want child victims to summarily lose the right to seek the justice or compensation they so deserve? This bill is between victim and abuser yet USA Swimming wants to get into the middle of and run this bill of the California Senate floor. One must ask why?

The short answer is that they fear liability but why do they feel liability? The only logical answer I come up with is that there are individuals or a specific individual at the "top of the food chain" at USA Swimming that is directly involved or directly knew such abuse was occurring.

Correct me if I am wrong.