Arkansas Blog

Man what a sweet deal!!!

'concern that certification of the need for the treatment is provided by Lord's Ranch staff, not by wholly independent evaluators"

So the Ranch certifies that there needs to be treatment, and the Ranch brings them into the fold and the Ranch passes go and collect $200.00.
Where was I when they were setting up this game?

You can be that Mr Suhl will regret the day he gave the Right/Rev/Broth/Gov a free ride. He shoulda been more attentative to his plane maintance. Or should I say "our states" plane, since clearly we paid for it.

WOW Max, this Christian Children ORG ,sounds(JUST )like the one in FL who beat and "Killed" That Child in that JUV, BOOT CAMP IN FL. they closed that camp because it was tied to Grants. and funds from known Bush/GOP appointees.. ( CHECK it out ) same people running this Camp /RANCH ?
Hope thoses children are safe UP there.

Huckabee has worked years, making appointments to the bench and to boards, to make all this happen. Unless criminal activity is found, it will be years before it's all cleaned up through expiration of terms.

We just need to make sure when Beebe takes office he doesn't continue the current culture of (apparent) corruption.

Hey, Rep. Blair, if you get Ted Suhl in your committee, ask him if any of his employees over the past 5 years have been relatives of juvenile judges who send kids to the Lord's Ranch. Then, ask him if the juvenile judges spoke with Suhl or anyone personally about their family's employment. Then, ask him if those judges at any point in their careers were appointed by Governor Huckabee.

Please, AT, send a reporter to this committee meeting. It's important that we get all this out in the open.

This thing stinks to high heaven, if you know what I mean.

Ask if the state Police have ever been there to investigate child abuse allegations.

Mike Beebe's corruption will make Mike Huckabee look like Mother Theresa

Has this guy given to anyone else?

Legislative Members of the committee:
 
Chair: Representative Buddy  Blair
Vice Chair: Representative Johnny  Key
Representative Tommy G.  Roebuck
Representative Sam  Ledbetter
Representative Jay  Bradford
Representative Shirley  Borhauer
Representative Jay  Martin
Representative Arnell  Willis
Representative Rick  Green
Representative Pam  Adcock
Representative Stephanie  Flowers
Representative Gregg  Reep
Representative Dawn  Creekmore
Representative Otis  Davis
Representative Robbie  Wills
Representative J. R.  Rogers
Representative John Paul  Wells
Representative David  Cook
Representative Timothy  Hutchinson
Representative Sharon  Dobbins
Non-Voting: Representative Jeff  Wood

This is the same Buddy Blair that offered to trade a vote on an education bill for clemency for a friend's inmate kid? The picture of moral fortitude, eh?

"Mike Beebe's corruption will make Mike Huckabee look like Mother Theresa"

You slime politicos keep tossing these slimeballs around and none stick. I realize it's a cussword but you got any evidence? You know what that is? Other than stuff you heard-read on AFA site/station..

Somehow, I bet that sleezy David Martin of CJRW is involved.

Legislative Members of the committee:
Chair: Representative Buddy Blair
Vice Chair: Representative Johnny Key...
...
Representative David Cook...
...
Posted by: Basil

David Cook is Suhl's representative. Wonder if they're acquainted.

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:mXIDe9MW1W4J:www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3944/is_200105/ai_n8952460+%22Ted+suhl%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=13

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) has ordered the Child Welfare Agency to give a contract to a fundamentalist-oriented home for troubled youngsters called The Lord's Ranch, despite the Staffers at The Lord's Ranch, based in Warm Springs, blocked state inspectors from interviewing children about suspected abuse in 1994, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. That same day, the Randolph County sheriff's office reported that Ted Suhl, director of the ranch, had purchased two AR-15 assault rifles, two shotguns and several handguns. (Suhl claims he bought just one handgun and did not keep it at the ranch.)

A 1996 report by state officials noted further compliance problems at the ranch. Nevertheless, Huckabee appointed Suhl to the Child Welfare Agency Licensing Board and approved the facility for $140,490 in state funds, to be used for psychological treatment of children.

Suhl and other officials at the Lord's Ranch donated $8,650 to Huckabee's reelection campaigns between December 1996 and December 2000, but he told the Democrat-Gazette the contributions had nothing to do with governor's support for the children's home.organization's reluctance to accept government oversight in the past.

'We just need to make sure when Beebe takes office he doesn't continue the current culture of (apparent) corruption."

His history would tell us no. He's an insider, his candidacy funded by lobbyists. It will only get worse.

Lendall will stop this.

'We just need to make sure when Beebe takes office he doesn't continue the current culture of (apparent) corruption."
...Lendall will stop this. Posted by: Greenie

I'm impressed! I planted that little seed expecting it to drive the Asa folks crazy, and a Green beats them to it! Hat's off! I hope Beebe will at least accept some advice from Lendall after December.

Of the Committee members, Gregg Reep and Tim Hutchinson took money from Suhl. Sharon Dobbins' husband also took money from Suhl.

Others to share in the wealth were Janet Huckabee for Secretary of State and Tim Wooldridge for Lt. Governor.

You can look it up.
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/SideCandidate.phtml?si=20063

The Burklyn Co of Warm Springs has also given money to Committee members J R Rogers, David Cook, Arnell Willis, and Dawn Creekmoe, as well as $20,000 to the RPA.

ARK. BLOG: Delphi, you are da man.

YAY Buddy! The lone Democrat from Fort Republican is on the job!

I don't hate Huckabee, I hate what he does. I hate his greed, I hate his assumption that everyone in Arkansas is a Baptist and needs the Lord to pinch a married couple's heads in a vice to keep them married. I hate his greed. I don't think much of his incredible ego. I don't think much of his 12 years in office and Arkansas still sits at the bottom of all things good.

All things good except for fat cats in NWA and the selected few who figured out how to profit by serving in our state government or doing business with it.

Except for seeing justice served and preventing that itty bitty chance that Huck might go to the White House, having this Lord's Ranch thing bring him down in the last minutes of his term of office won't do any of us much good. Too bad that engine trouble didn't take place 10 years ago.

I'm not calling for Huck to go directly to jail, but I do expect to see a total airing of the facts concerning the business the Lord's Ranch has been doing with the state of Arkansas. And I would like to know every spider web that connects Huckabee, Suhl, and the Lord's Ranch. It is our right to know and it's Huck's duty to tell us. It's just that simple.

I wonder if you boys at the Arkansas Times every had a nice thing to say about the Governor. It is the same old McCarthyism employed against him because he is a conservative, a Republican and a (dare I say it) Christian.

You put a magnifying glass under him and whatever he does comes up putrid from your point of view.

Talk about partisan---he puts a kink in your chain and you make it personal. If I had been him I would have cut you out of the action.

If Clinton had done it you would have found some excuse for him. If he had handed you a glass of urine and said drink it you're response would have been 'how much'.

Anonytroll - 7:18;

You clearly do not read the AT or this blog often. The Times has, in fact, commended the Gov. time and again as well as acting as a responsible ( and legitimate) media by criticizing the quesitonable activities of Gov. Huckabee.

The Times has criticized Clinton and Beebe, Holt and DeLay, and everyone in between.

Your partisan bias has precluded you from recognizing that.

Anyone know how many children they serve? Most of these places are relatively small. And if they're really getting $8.5 million a year in Medicaid funds, 100 kids would be $85000 a year per child. I guess that's how they afford the airplane.

Yeah, why doesn't anyone have a nice thing to say about Jack Abramoff on this blog? Where are the Tom DeLay defenders today? Benedict Arnold had nice hair. Judas Iscariot had good taste in robes.

It's not polite to comment on Huckabee's circle jerk with the Lord's Ranch guy. Don't you know that was a Christian jet and those boys working at Christ's Corral sweat shop now are fully aware of the stinging whip 'O Jesus?

All those clothes Huck took from Jennings, all that furniture he couldn't decide who owned.....well, that was Christian furniture and those were Christian clothes and his PAC is a Christian PAC. Would a Christian with a Christian jet and a Christian PAC and a Christian friend who registers his Christian jet in New Hampshire be a crook?

Christ NO I say! Don't even look at Huck, he's too Christian for Democrat eyes.......oh they burn, they burn...

Maybe the Lord did intervene and bring all this mess into the pulic view. Seems like the Huck has got a bunch of explaining to do..........of course, we will never know all the behind the scenes schemes, cause the Repubs are experts at lying and cover-ups, but I, for one, would like to know the truth.
And what the hell happened to seperation of church and state? Have we thrown the Constitution out the window entirely? For a "faith-based" organization to receive taxpayer funds is plainly wrong and probably illegal.
I am a Christian and I attend church and support our activities, but we do not expect to or receive public funds.
I am mad as heck about this, not only at the Huck but other lawmakers who allowed the Lord's Ranch to receive taxpayer's money.

The republicans are going to look in to this. There had not be any Democratics on the List.

Ron Fuller is the registered lobbyist for the Burklyn Co. Think he might show up for the legislative committee meeting next week? However, with seven committee members already familiar with the fine folks from Warm Springs, there might be no need to make any overt effort.

What Part of the State is the Lord's Ranch in.

Oh, dear anon,
I do not care if the people involved in giving public funds to a "faith-based" entity are Democrats or Republicans; I do care about the Constitution.
I also care if this bunch has refused to allow oversight, and if the children under their watch are receiving the proper care. It is important that we know how the $8.5 million of our money was spent, and it is clearly important to find out the relationship between this organization and the bro/gov.

I think if you look at the payments for troubled youths and mental health services in general you will find that this contract is not unusual or particularly favorable to this provider in relation to what is happening with other providers. The state has put a lot of money into mental health services and juvenille intervention.

It is worth noting that most of the kids in this type of facility were put there by a Juvenille Judge. Every Juvenille Judge in the state, with one or two exceptions, that was on the bench before non-partisan elections was there as an elected Democrat.

The reality is that this provider and other private providers have had to fight for everything they have got under this administration. Huckabee's DHHS office has fought them and tried to streer money into state owned or operated facilities or in many cases to out of state providers.

For the reader who asked about the location, it is in Northeast Arkansas, Warm Springs (near Pocahontas). It is spread out over several hundred acres and they take some of the hardest cases with many kids who have been too difficult to be served by other facilities. This is often the last hope for kids that everyone else has given up on.

They do good work and support people in both parties. Lay off.

"They do good work and support people of both parties. Lay off."

Hmmm....didn't say a word about the multi-million dollar jet these good servants of the Lord were smart enough to register in New Hampshire. Guess registering it there shows just how non-partisan they are....sharing their wealth with impoverished Yankee states I suppose.

I assume you will not object if a full investigation into the Lord's Ranch and any connection they may have to Mike Huckabee is undertaken? If all parties are honest and aboveboard, they won't mind, will they?

"I assume you will not object if a full investigation into the Lord's Ranch and any connection they may have to Mike Huckabee is undertaken?"

No objection here...but at the same time, I want a full investigation into State Senate Democrat Leader Percy Malone's Millions of Dollars in state contracts that he has obtained while serving in the ledge and while on then Gov. Clinton's staff before that.

I'm sure you have no objection to investigating your Democrat friend's sweetheart deals.

I would encourage any fair investigation of any sweetheart deal. We need more transparency and accountability in government. I don't like crooked democrats any better than crooked republicans.

This may have already been noted, but The Lord's Ranch donated in excess of $1000 to Huckabee's campaign for governor in 1998.

http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/elections/ycontribarkgov2.html

didn't say a word about the multi-million dollar jet these good servants of the Lord were smart enough to register in New Hampshire...Posted by: Deathbyinches

Just out of curiosity, why did the Governor of Arkansas base his PAC in Virginia? Is that where all Presidential candidates base their PACs? Or is it that it's easier to hide things from the Arkansas Times this way.

The Lords Ranch is Randolph County- on the very edge of it. We have tried for years to get rid of it--but there is nothing that we can do. If you are a politician in Randolph County you are digging your own grave if the people in the county know that you have accepted money from them--thats why many people don't report it.

I bet the Church at Rock Creek (Huckabee's Church) - gets many more dollars from the state than the lord's ranch.... Any takers?

I'll trade an investigation of Percy Malone, if you'll agree to an investigation of the multi-million dollar scam/business that Rep Jim Medley (R-Fort Smith) has built on the backs of grandma and medicaid/care. Until Mr. Medley walked into public service (?) he had a pretty average business - today, he collects millions and millions of dollars for his Agency on Aging game. Our tax dollars building business and lining pockets was not the founding fathers intent of government.

I'll trade an investigation of Percy Malone, if you'll agree to an investigation of the multi-million dollar scam/business that Rep Jim Medley (R-Fort Smith) has built on the backs of grandma and medicaid/care... Posted by: BlueTicker

I'm beginning to think the investigations in the Nick Wilson days were just the tip of the iceberg. No wonder this state is so poor. Money appears to be leaking out of the state treasury like water through a sieve.

This is what we get for letting ourselves be divided by social issues. Once they have skimmed enough from the public trough for people to see the cost good government will be the primary issue again.

Its just a con to get the votes and then the money.

How much does the Hutchinson clan stand to make from the recent tax credits pushed through by the Twinks?

The Governor and ALL state employees as well as all grant recipients should avoid, at all times even the Appearance of Impropriety. That's what this is all about EVEN if it is not ILLEGAL...it is CERTAINLY ILLADVISED. Those who work for a grant funded organization are precluded from accepting personal favors or offering personal favors or personal business opportunities. That's just NOT acceptable. And this is just NOT acceptable.

Is Jim Holt upset that the Lord's Ranch is costing Arkansas taxpayers $8 million a year, allegedly providing services for non-Arkansas citizens from Illinois and Texas? Can I get an amen and a constiitutional amendment?

I'm no fan of the Lord's Ranch. But this thing is just spinning out of control. Two points. One, although they may be religiously affiliated, the payments they get from Medicaid are for providing residential services to mentally ill youths. That's frankly no different than Medicaid paying for care in a Catholic hospital. There's not a constitutional issue here. Second, to the extent that the Lord's Ranch serves kids from out-of-state, those bills are paid by those other states, not by Arkansas Medicaid. There may be an issue worthy of investigation here, but these are not the issue.

ARK. BLOG There are several issues. One, though a lesser one, is whether mandatory religion is part of the "therapy." That isn't constitutional. A better question is whether proper admission and release procedures are used and whether this outfit is providing quality care or some phony baloney religious mumbo jumbo. There is also a question of expenditures. Is Medicaid supporting that jet? And what else. $8.5 million is a LOT of money. Questions should be asked. Expenses should be audited. Therapeutic procedures should be reviewed.

When are we going to realize that relgion is deleterious to the good mental health of children?

"That's frankly no different than Medicaid paying for care in a Catholic hospital."

I don't see Huckabee riding around in no Pope jet. I'd think that would be the first investigation followed by a complete investigation into the treatment of kids and the financial records of the Lord's Ranch since day 1.

Also, I agree with hugh mann, I'd be delighted to see crooked Democrats led away in handcuffs. My fight is not with Republicans, my fight is with dirty lying crooked politicians of all kinds. We have to start looking at them like we would a big skin cancer on our arm. They're death to good government. They're death to this state and this country.

And speaking of bad guys, BlueTicker is dead on when he says Jim Medley should be investigated, he pretends to be busy representing Fort Republican, but he spends most of his time in LR writing bills that only benefits his company.

I watched that little operation grow from a rented store front to buying, at the time, the large office building in downtown Fort Smith. How can you make that much money in just a couple of years?

I dread entering into the Age of Investigation, but what else are we to do? The ticks have about sucked the old dog dry and they're still sucking. Boy, are they sucking! Get that big ole Stephen Colbert Flashlight 'O Justice shining on them all and let's clean up this state. Then we can do the same with Congress and the White House.

We need to adopt a No Crooks and No Lobbyist policy. And remember, don't buy a Ford!

What *lord* does the lord's ranch serve? The dark lord?

What kind of place harshly "restrains" kids, is cited for abuse twice and has the cult leader running around with uzi's and ASSAULT weapons on children?

What in the hell is wrong with officials in this state? What the hell is wrong with the media for not blowing this wide open? What the hell is wrong with Mike Beebe for not having this investigated?

How many kids have died there? How many kids have been injured there? Somebody find that out. Jesus Christ.

there are questions, too, about how hard it is to get a child removed once placed at the Lord's Ranch.

What exactly does that mean? That the kids are held prisoner there?

AT--Yes, there are issues. As I stated in my original post, I'm no fan of the Lord's Ranch, and I acknowledged there may be issued. My point was simply that some of the bloggers were jumping straight to a constitutional issue of separation of church and state because it's a religious-affiliated facility. And that's too big a stretch. And someone else intimated that the $8.5 million from Arkansas Medicaid was supporting out-of-state kids, which isn't accurate. If the quality of care isn't good, then, yeah, that should be dealt it just as it should for any other provider, religious or not. And, yeah, $8.5 million is a lot of money. But the state website says they have 92 beds. That translates into about $250 per day, a not-extravagant rate for residential care for mentally ill kids.

Okay...the Lord's Ranch people screen the kids and make recommendations to the court about where they are placed...and IMAGINE THAT...they go to the Lord's Ranch. AMAZING! Not unlike the court screeners who are employees of treatment centers that get mega bucks to conduct classes and provide treatment to alcohol and drug offenders...it's a conflict of interest all the way around...FOLLOW THE MONEY! FOLLOW THE MONEY!

I doubt all youths at the Lord's Ranch are mentally ill.

They do have a pretty good basketball - even travel and play in a religious league.

AT or ADG
You just scratched the surface; you never looked at his ever exploding crack pot RSPMI out patient mental health services. I can assure you the money paid to TED for outpatient services is 3 times the one paid for his prison camp. FYI Ted has a sweet hart deal with DHHS, the oversight monitoring take place at his time and convenience and with his rules and regulation. Why don?t you ask the bureaucrats at DHHS for detail? Also ask DHHS all the name of his affiliated entity including his for profit out-patient companies? May be IRS need to look at his commingling of funds from his for profit and not for profit. Also what happened to the kid from Alaska DHS? Why don?t you call them too?

It amazes me how many readers have such strong opinions on hearsay. You talk about these people like you know them in person and have witnessed all of this. Child abuse? Really? Did you know that just to remain accredited all facilities have to continually be audited and monitored by agencies that have nothing at all to do with the state and simply cannot be paid off. Did you also know that the state laws are so strict in terminology that telling a patient in a hospital or nursing home to stay in bed can be considered restraining them--even when no real effort is made to actually keep them there. It is all in the terminology. As for the director gettign along well with government officials, that doesnt surprise me since government officials, judges, etc often visit these places in order to make more informed decisions. Personally, if they have a good relationship with the government, maybe they are doing something right. If my kid were going to a place like this, personally I would prefer that he be in a place with so much government involvement. As far as not allowing kids to be interviewed, since privacy laws could result in a fine for such without approval from the parents, again chalk one up for the facility. Any of you guys ever visit this place or know any of these people in person? I would like to hear from you.

You ask if any one has visited the Lord's Ranch, yes. The better question would be do they (the Lord's Ranch) allow you to visit. Request a tour and then see what you are allowed to see. Check for their past survey documentation from our state agency and then decide if they are doing the right thing.

Have you requested a tour and been turned down? I understand that the privacy laws lately are pretty strict (Sororities can't even visit the patients at local hospitals or nursing homes). But I would think they would let you tour the place anyhow. You wouldn't have to see the kids. I can also see that you might have to give them a really good reason to need to. I mean, it isn't like you can just waltz up to a jail, hospital, etc and demand a tour and actually get one. Maybe you just need to be a bit mire creative.

"Interested observer", you seem to be suggesting you know firsthand some information. I would like to hear it. Do you know anything about how they treat kids? Are they under some sort of accreditation agency? I ask because if they are, then they should be inspected regularly and abuse would be very hard to cover up. Can anyone find them listed with an agency?

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Hopefully the money that was donated to the Lord's Ranch, will keep the kids from escaping like they frequently do. I beleive that a full investigation would be a waste of time, because I'm sure it goes higher that just some children's mental health facilitly. What are they really funding?

Problems exist not only at the Ranch, but at the OUTPATIENT CLINICS that support the Ranch under the name ARKANSAS COUNSELING ASSOCIATES (now in the process of becoming "Maxxus, Inc" to disassociate from the Ranch itself, in name only). Each ACA clinic used to operate under the Ranch's single Medicaid provider number, but they've given each site its own number now. They have instructed the therapists to REDO all of the intake interviews of the current clients (when the APS is up) AND BILL FOR THEM AGAIN!! That's ten medicaid units per intake. IS THAT MEDICAID FRAUD? Someone please investigate.

Let's get something straight:

I lived at the stinkin' ranch (as pastor Alonzo would have put it) for 5 months, and since I have been there neither I nor any of the other youth there experienced anything worse than a P.R.T from a staff member, and that only occured when someone attacks staff or a peer... y'know, stuff of that nature. At that, I've never even seen a p.r.t performed on another person. Now I'm not saying I would go back to the Ranch back to freaking balogna/cheese sandwhiches, an orange/apple, and great value cookies all weekend long for lunch and dinner again, but it's not a bad place, and the children there are not beaten (such nonsense). Mr. Bud, Ms. Shirley, Ms. Laura, and Mr. Ted (the suhls) are kind, loving people. When I left Ms. Shirley was working on preventing the "no pictures on your dressers" rule from being put into place because she felt that it would make us feel more at home if we could... does that really sound like someone that would allow us to be abused? Those people made those 5 months make for a pleasant stay. So just take heed to that before you go bashing them. They really look out for us kids, and the staff do also.

Posted by: *ItsWorseThanYouThink | June 17, 2006 08:05 PM

I doubt all youths at the Lord's Ranch are mentally ill.

They do have a pretty good basketball - even travel and play in a religious league.*

Yeah, a good number of them are court ordered there for things that have nothing to do with their mental health--missing too much school, drugs, fighting, etc. And some of the parent ordered kids are there simply because they gave mom the finger and went with bobby to the school dance after mom said no 1 time too many...

as for traveling, the kids there get to leave campus ALOT more than the kids at other placements.

I m not sure where to even start I have a Grandson at the Lords Ranch From what I see Danielleporter06 Might have been there and doesnt seem to feel the children were mistreated, Is there somewhere I can look up any allegations on this place, any info would be helpful Thankyou

Danielleporter06 I wish I could get more information from you. I am concerned about the well being of my Grandson, Are you told you cant say certain things on phone calls

I have read every word of all this blog and am very disappointed in the people of Arkansas. I have lived in NW Arkansas all my life and have raised many children here, both biological and adopted. Our 16 year old was having many problems and spent time in JDC. After searching all over the US for a rehab center for him, his probation officer told us about The Lord's Ranch. Wet researched it and talked to many of the folks at the ranch. We decided to send him. On our first visit back after he was there 6 weeks we were so impressed with his attitude, actions and even appearance. He had come a long way in 6 short weeks. We attended church with all the students from the ranch. It was one of the best services we have ever been to. To see our son praising the Lord and listening intently to the pastor was such a change from his previous behavior. We were so impressed with the Ranch and it's facilitators that we applied for 17 year old to go. After lots of faxing of doctor's reports, school reports, etc. he was accepted. We are at this time in Pocahontas waiting to take him there in the morning. Trust me, it is a wonderful place for our youth. If we want our children to grow up respecting authority, loving their country, loving others, and being honest and productive citizians, we need to change the course of this blog and start supporting The Lord's Ranch and it's staff.

I was just thinking about the ranch and thought I would look some things up on it, seeing as how I went there 5 years ago. I must say that I would never send my child there. Yes, it did help me, but at what cost! I was to scared to say anything about anything, and they read letters before they are mailed out so I couldnt write about it either. I saw with my own eyes the way they "restrained" kids when they didnt obey just right. Yes I went to church quite often and did become closer with the lord but at the same time, there were times were I didnt want to even live because it got so bad. The way they punish children is not ethical at all, and people get in trouble for spanking their children, but the ranch can make children from 7 to 18 stand for 10 hours straight for days at a time against a wall... or break bones due to a "restain"... I dont think so... I went to the ranch for over a year, and I would never send my child there or recommend it to anyone else!

One more thing! The whole point of the Lord's Ranch is to help children and adolecents and bring them closer to God... I am sorry, but the way they do things is not God's will I am sure!

I was a resident of the ranch back in 1995. I m sitting here reading all of the money this's and political thats and my head is reeling at how little the posts on here have anything to do with concern for the well-being of the helpless children, and yes, helpless adults captive there. I have seen and been the subject of various types of abuses there. It is not hearsay. I was prevented from speaking to my caseworker at home, i was prevented from speaking to my guardian ad litem, sometimes my family. There s so much to say. I say completely objectively that anyone who has been a resident there who has gleaming things to say about the ranch is either brainwashed or on the payroll. I have seen such horrible things there. You know, when i went down there, i was sent for family problems: smoking, ditching school a couple times-things like that. The "mental problems" and the plaguing nightmares I now have are because of the ranch. I am available to anyone at anytime to discuss the ranch. I can be reached at ek2012@aol.com. I PRAY TO GOD THAT PLACE DOESN T END UP ANOTHER JONESTOWN.

Hi My Name Is Shauna. I Too Was A Redident At The Lord's Ranch. As I Read Some Of These
Comments From Others About The Abuse From The Lord's Ranch Staff. I Was By The State Of Texas
And My Mom Signing Ordered To Go There After Running Away From Home 96 Times And Charged 36
Accounts. I Was Running Cause I Just Lost The Most Important Person In My Life My Dad Died Oct.
11,1992 By 1993 My Mom Wasn't My Mom She Became Abusive So I Ran. Anyways Ended Up At The
Lord's Ranch In 1994 When My Probation Officer And I Flew Up There It Was A Nice Peaceful Place
(SO I THOUGHT)! Once My Probation Officer Had Left The Nice Attitudes Had Changed. I Too Had To
Stand On The Wall For Many Hours And If I Fell Asleep I Would Have To Stand Longer.I Remember A
Few Times When I Was Punished To Lay On The Floor Down Stairs In The Middle Of The Floor On My
Stomache With My Hands Inner Locked Behind My Back. That Was Cool With Me Except When They
Would Lean Down And Get In My Face Cause I Would Look Around And See Laura And Ted Messing
Around Or Alonzo And Christy Sneaking Out Together, I Would Get My Hands Brought Up Almost Over
My Head And Was Told Not To Say Anything. Also If I Didn't Answer Their Questions This Would
Happen As Well. When Us Kids Were Put In The Cottage That Offset The Main House We Were Forced
To Eat Things We Didn't Like. If We Didn't Eat In The Amount Of Time They Wanted The Food Would
Have Been Taken And Put In The Trash. Yes There Were Many Times That They Would Sit There Next
To You And Listen In On Your Phone Calls And When The Parents Would Ask A Question As A Child
Scared Looks At That Person And Sees Them Shake Their Heads No. So You Didn't Answer That
Question. All I Could Say Was I Can't Answer That. To Confirm The Sandwhiches And Juice And Fruit
Everyday That Was True Except Sometimes On Sunday After Church There Was A Chinese Buffett
Restaurant Down From The Church That We Would Go To. Only If You Were One Of The Lucky Ones
And Didn't Have To Go Back To The Ranch To Eat Sandwhiches. I Finally Needed To Find Something
Else To Do To Get Away From Them So I Did As I Was Told Just To Get On The
Cheerleading Team For The BasketBall Team. Which Would Sometimes Carry Us Places That It Would
Take Until The Night To Get Back Home. I Know I Was Relieved To Be Able To Go In And Get A
Shower, Go To My Room And Lay Down To Sleep, But There Were Many Times The Friends That I Had
There Would Tell Me What Happened While We Were Gone.(Which Also Wasn't Good)! Also For A
Punishment We Had To Walk From The Main House Two Miles To The Missouri Line And Back While
The Others Got To Ride The Horses. When I Read All The Comments And As I Type My Own, My Eyes
Are Filled With Tears That Finally This Is Out. Why Haven't We Ever Said Anything Before Now? Well,
Maybe It's Cause Who Would Believe A Troubled Teen! Better Yet If You Are The Only One Saying
Anything Before Anything Like This Happened Who Would Believe And Launch An Investigation?
There Was Many Times I Called To See If I Could Go Back And Visit So I Could At Least Talk To Some
Of The Girls That I Knew There And Was Told No. My Reasons For Wanting To Visit Was So I Could
Talk To Them And Maybe Get A Number To Their Parents And Tell Them What Was Happening. Well,
I Guess I Will Close Now, You May Reach Me At shaunafontenot@yahoo.com For Any Questions,
Concerns Or Info.