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**The Million Mom March claims to be in line with mainstream America. =
However, Americans have not supported them financially. The organization =
recently had to lay off most of its staff and is now losing its office =
space. The space had been provided at no cost by the San Francisco =
General Hospital, something the hospital is not supposed to do.=20

http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=3Dn.mom.0412w

Million Mom March leaving its office space=20
By Christopher Merrill
Of The Examiner Staff=20

    The Million Mom March foundation is moving out of rent-free office =
space it enjoyed for two years on the third floor of a building at San =
Francisco General Hospital.=20

    A pro-gun activist launched a campaign against the group this year =
when he discovered what he said were unapproved taxpayer subsidies -- =
meaning free rent -- going toward the ailing gun-control organization.=20

    The foundation, which gained notoriety for its march on Washington =
last year, has had financial trouble lately, said Mary Leigh Blek, =
president of the foundation. Thirty of 35 staff were let go last month =
out of the national office in the hospital. Executive director James =
McGuire resigned as director and as a board member last month.=20

    The questions about the propriety of the group's office space was =
another headache for the organization.=20

    The hospital property belongs to the city, and the Board of =
Supervisors has to approve such arrangements. That has not happened in =
the case of the Million Mom March, an education and advocacy group that =
supports stricter gun laws.=20

    McGuire said the group is an offshoot of the Trauma Foundation, a =
nonprofit injury prevention group that has rights to the space. That =
group, which McGuire also founded, was given the space for free in 1981 =
through an arrangement with Donald Trunkey, then the director of the =
hospital's burn center. McGuire said all political activities of the =
Million Mom March are carried out at another office, meaning that =
taxpayers aren't unwittingly supporting a political organization.=20

    Gun activist James March dismissed that explanation, saying McGuire =
is involved in several gun-control groups, some of which are used as a =
cover for others.=20

    "They can't keep their story straight," March said. "All roads lead =
back to (McGuire)."=20

    On Wednesday, some supervisors said they were concerned the groups =
may have become too cozy with city property.=20

    "Any property that the city and county owns, that we then lease to =
someone, should not be subleased," said Supervisor Leland Yee, who has =
questioned the hospital's financial practices in the past.=20

    Supervisor Aaron Peskin, a member of the city's finance committee, =
raised questions about the lack of lease for either group. He noted that =
the city administrative code requires all leases worth more than =
$500,000 in a five-year period be revisited.=20

    Blek is confident the group will rebound in the coming year. Rallies =
are planned on Mother's Day in every state the group has chapters. In =
Sacramento the group will support a bill that requires Californians to =
pass a written test, a firing-range demonstration and a thumbprint for a =
state Department of Justice background check.=20

    Email Christopher Merrill at cmerrill@sfexaminer.com




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<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>**The Million Mom March claims to be in line with =
mainstream=20
America. However, Americans have not supported them financially. The=20
organization recently had to lay off most of its staff and is now losing =
its=20
office space. The space had been provided at no cost by the San =
Francisco=20
General Hospital, something the hospital is not supposed to do. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=3Dn.mom.0412w">htt=
p://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=3Dn.mom.0412w</A></FONT></DIV=
>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D6>Million Mom March leaving its office =
space </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2><B><FONT face=3DArial>By Christopher=20
Merrill<BR></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial>Of The =
Examiner Staff=20
</FONT>
<P></FONT></B><FONT size=3D2><FONT =
face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Million=20
Mom March foundation is moving out of rent-free office space it enjoyed =
for two=20
years on the third floor of a building at San Francisco General =
Hospital.=20
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A pro-gun activist =
launched a=20
campaign against the group this year when he discovered what he said =
were=20
unapproved taxpayer subsidies -- meaning free rent -- going toward the =
ailing=20
gun-control organization. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The foundation, which =
gained=20
notoriety for its march on Washington last year, has had financial =
trouble=20
lately, said Mary Leigh Blek, president of the foundation. Thirty of 35 =
staff=20
were let go last month out of the national office in the hospital. =
Executive=20
director James McGuire resigned as director and as a board member last =
month.=20
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The questions about the =
propriety of=20
the group's office space was another headache for the organization. =
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The hospital property =
belongs to the=20
city, and the Board of Supervisors has to approve such arrangements. =
That has=20
not happened in the case of the Million Mom March, an education and =
advocacy=20
group that supports stricter gun laws. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;McGuire said the group is =
an=20
offshoot of the Trauma Foundation, a nonprofit injury prevention group =
that has=20
rights to the space. That group, which McGuire also founded, was given =
the space=20
for free in 1981 through an arrangement with Donald Trunkey, then the =
director=20
of the hospital's burn center. McGuire said all political activities of =
the=20
Million Mom March are carried out at another office, meaning that =
taxpayers=20
aren't unwittingly supporting a political organization. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gun activist James March =
dismissed=20
that explanation, saying McGuire is involved in several gun-control =
groups, some=20
of which are used as a cover for others. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"They can't keep their =
story=20
straight," March said. "All roads lead back to (McGuire)." </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On Wednesday, some =
supervisors said=20
they were concerned the groups may have become too cozy with city =
property.=20
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Any property that the =
city and=20
county owns, that we then lease to someone, should not be subleased," =
said=20
Supervisor Leland Yee, who has questioned the hospital's financial =
practices in=20
the past. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Supervisor Aaron Peskin, a =
member of=20
the city's finance committee, raised questions about the lack of lease =
for=20
either group. He noted that the city administrative code requires all =
leases=20
worth more than $500,000 in a five-year period be revisited. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blek is confident the =
group will=20
rebound in the coming year. Rallies are planned on Mother's Day in every =
state=20
the group has chapters. In Sacramento the group will support a bill that =

requires Californians to pass a written test, a firing-range =
demonstration and a=20
thumbprint for a state Department of Justice background check. </FONT>
<P><I><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Email Christopher =
Merrill at=20
</FONT><A href=3D"mailto:cmerrill@sfexaminer.com"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>cmerrill@sfexaminer.com</FONT></A></I></P>
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face=3DArial></FONT></FONT></I>&nbsp;</P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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