Proclamations touch on campaign news

DAVID HULSE
Posted 8/21/12

HONESDALE, PA — With the national news media devoting themselves to a presidential contest filled with issues of sexual misconduct and the male candidate questioning his opponent’s competency for …

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Proclamations touch on campaign news

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HONESDALE, PA — With the national news media devoting themselves to a presidential contest filled with issues of sexual misconduct and the male candidate questioning his opponent’s competency for the position, the Wayne County Commissioners on October 13 issued proclamations for both Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Business Women’s Week.

Addressing domestic violence, Michele Minor Wolf, director of the county Victims Intervention Program, said her staff investigated some 900 complaints last year of which 63% were domestic violence, 22% were sexual assault, and the remaining 15% included other serious crimes.

Wolf said the caseload appeared to be lower than recent years, which had showed year-by-year increases in complaints, but she suspected that this was due to a change in the computer reporting system. “The numbers are down by around 1,000 from last year. I believe that’s a state thing,” she said.

She said her staff of seven logged 3,400 hours, fielded 1,100 hot-line calls, and provided 410 nights of safe-house housing for victims. Those safe-house stays typically averaged 30 days each. “It’s not a band-aid; we’re looking to get them into permanent housing and have them out within 30 days,” she said.

Her program also provides red silhouette figures displayed at various public sites, representing Wayne residents who have died as a result of domestic violence over the years. There are 18 such silhouettes now in use. Wolf said violence “is about power and control, and unhealthy need. It’s not anger management, and perpetrators often have dual personalities, one in public and one at home.”

Most sexual assaults don’t get reported by victims. “It’s hard to get them to come forward. Some only do 30 years later,” she said.

Asked to comment on the impact of national news from the presidential campaign has affected new calls, Wolf was circumspect, “It’s difficult to say. We do tend to get more after something’s been in the media.”

National Business Women’s Week

Betty DeMaye Caruth was the spokeswoman for members of the Wayne County Chapter of the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation (BPW) who separately received a proclamation naming the week of October 16 to 22 as National Business Women’s Week.

DeMaye Caruth said BPW stems from 1919, “before women got the vote,” and is a leading advocate for the improvement of women’s lives and careers.

She noted that the U.S. still has no equal rights amendment for women. She emphasized the vote, in efforts to crack the “glass ceiling.” In an apparent reference to the national elections, she said, “I don’t believe we’re through it yet.”

In a personal reference DeMaye Caruth added, “Men have always gotten the money, while I’ve done more work. We’ve got families to raise. Women have always done double duty. This week, we recognize them,” she said.

She declined to comment on the professional and sexual issues that have arisen in the presidential campaign.

Commissioner Wendell Kay said, “As an attorney, it’s hard to think of a counterargument for equal pay… They should be compensated the same.” He said he was glad that PA has passed an equal rights amendment for women, which also prohibits gender-based discrimination.

Asked about the women’s reluctance to comment on the relationships of issues in national news, Kay, who is a Democrat, commented that it might be related to the (strongly Republican) community. “They’re probably concerned about repercussions to their work and businesses,” he said.

Republican commissioner and soon to be state representative Jonathan Fritz also was circumspect. “I decline to comment on your ‘no comment,’” he said with a knowing smile.

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