So much for "faith-based" programs...

http://nypostonline.com/news/nationalnews/31630.htm

BUSH KILLS HUD ‘WELLNESS' PLAN

By BRIAN BLOMQUIST

May 31, 2001 -- EXCLUSIVE

WASHINGTON - President Bush's team has dumped an $860,000 federal program that taught public-housing tenants to burn incense, carry lucky gemstones and wear feel-good colors like apricot to reduce stress.

Launched under former Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo, the New Age-style "Creative Wellness" program, which was to be taught in public-housing centers in 26 cities, including New York, identifies people as one of 14 different "types," depending on their "corresponding glandular points."

A process of "applied kinesiology," in which the individual is poked in the glands, would let designated "wellness trainers" identify whether a man is an "Apollo" or a "Hermes" and whether a woman is an "Artemis" or a "Minerva."

Public-housing residents in pilot programs in Philadelphia and other cities were taught to surround themselves with certain colors and gemstones and burn appropriate aromas - all under a program entirely funded by taxpayers.

Documents show the program's expenses included $3,240 for color charts, $6,270 for gem bags, $3,174 for incense packs, $6,255 for aroma kits, $1,201 for aroma oils and $624 for nutrition kits that included sugar, salt, candy - and Jim Beam whiskey.

The program was funded from the housing agency's drug-fighting budget.

President Bush's housing officials axed the program just before it was set to go national - and are trying to figure out how Cuomo's staff ever let it get funded in the first place.

Peter Ragone, a spokesman for Cuomo, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for New York governor, claimed the project was a "rogue action by a lone civil servant" and that Cuomo never even knew about it.

Ragone applauded Bush for killing the bizarre program, saying: "This grant should be condemned and shut down immediately."

Documents show career housing bureaucrat Gloria Cousar gave the grant to a longtime pal, Michelle Lusson. Both women were then leaders in a church known as the Center for Holistic Healing in Herndon, Va.

The papers show that Howard Lucas, a Cuomo political appointee who was an assistant housing secretary, signed off on the $860,000 three-year deal with Lusson's National Institute of Medical Options.

Cousar, who's been reassigned and no longer has the power to write government checks, didn't return calls.

Lusson is still trying to get the government to renew her contract, with testimonial letters claiming her methods work.

A public-housing resident in Alabama, who'd been counseled to avoid green, says she's been sleeping like a baby since she "cleaned out my closet and removed the dark-green bedding."

"The upper echelon of Washington really doesn't know the needs of the people," Lusson told The Post.

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), June 01, 2001

Answers

Not only should this BS be ended, I vote to have some lawyers look into this. Last I checked $860k was alot of dough to run a "laying of hands".

We need to see the contract.

On this one I applaud the Bush Administartion. Unfortunately we all know why this was killed. I doubt it had anything to do with concern about taxpayer money.

Gloria Cousar is no small time file clerk signing off on invoices. Do a google search.

-- (bush@twofaced.scum), June 01, 2001.

You applaud dumbya on this? This is grounds for impeachment, but seeing that Timothy McVeigh, J, and dumbya are your heroes, you'll probably vote for him in 2004.

-- this is a travesty (dumbya@no.shame), June 01, 2001.

"travesty" apparently you must be a graduate of this Wellness scam. from the looks of your condition.

Now what the hell did you say???

-- (bush@twofaced.scum), June 02, 2001.

"scum", I called you out for the right-wing fascist that you really are. You think that by cutting social programs meant to help the poor and downtrodden, you can raise the funds necessary to cut your taxes further. Well I got news for you, dumbya wasn't elected and he won't be able to slip through the cracks next time.

-- this is a travesty (dumbya@no.shame), June 02, 2001.

The only travesty here, is you're buying the program, hook line and sinker.( and tax money being spent on garbage like this)

Pass the incense and get me a gallon of green paint , please.......

-- Marg (okay@cutaway.com), June 02, 2001.

Sure this was a boondoggle. It is also a beautiful misdirection of attention - exactly like a magician who carefully plans his trick to ensure that you are always looking at the wrong hand.

The Bush administration is engaged in multi-billion dollar boondoggles. It just passed a 1.35 trillion dollar tax cut bill that rewards his biggest contributors to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. And then, with a flourish, he clobbers a program that wastes less than a million.

Sure, wasting less than a million is still bad. But the main thing is that while you are thinking about that flea-sized outrage, you miss looking at the elephant.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), June 02, 2001.

If this program actually helped drug users stay off drugs, [not that I'd trust the testimonial letters sent to Lusson in that regard], I'd consider it money well spent. It SOUNDS weird, and it's not something *I*'d be into, but *I*'m not the one with a drug problem.

There are many alternative "therapies" that work for some people. Just to name a few, there's acupuncture, aroma therapy, herbal therapy, colonics, etc. I even knew a guy who went somewhere to be placed in an "isolation tank" of water. It sounded like a coffin- type of environment, where one floated in warm water estranged from all the sounds and distractions of life.

It seems like a lot of money, but $287,000/year is a drop in the bucket compared to the $43 million sent to Afghanistan as a reward to stop growing poppies, while everyone knows that poppies will STILL be grown.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), June 03, 2001.

Diane J Squire and Gov Moonbeam say this program has good vibes. Send money.

-- (harmonically_converging@Sedona.AZ), June 03, 2001.

Is this the best they can do to justify cutting funding to the needy?

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), June 03, 2001.

Hey Cherri, since when do "needy" folks "need" incense and gem stones?

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), June 03, 2001.

acupuncture, aroma therapy, herbal therapy, colonics,

Huh?

Those so-called therapies are just as ridiculous. Any money spent on them is wasted too.

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), June 04, 2001.