Illinois Governor Quinn Signs Cemetery Oversight Act-YourFuneralGuy

The State of Illinois has passed the Cemetery Oversight Act

The Governor of the State of Illinois Pat Quinn has signed the Illinois Cemetery Oversight Act. This was done on  the recommendation of the Cemetery Oversight Task Force after public hearings in Illinois in 2009 on the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal.

This is a leap forward  for the Funeral and Cemetery Consumers in the State of Illinois.

The Burr Oak  Cemetery Scandal occurred in  July 2009. This was a horrific situation in which over 300 graves were desecrated funds were pocketed from consumers. Four  people were arrested in this Scandal.

This Act will make Illinois one of the leading pro-consumer states with respect to cemetery oversight,” said Joshua Slocum, Executive Director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance.-via www.illinois.gov

Under the new Law Managers of private,cemeteries(non religious)  are required to obtain a license through the state. To obtain the cemetery  license, applicants must pass an exam, provide evidence of character, and comply with continuing education requirements.

A  “Worker’s Statement,”  is require for other Cemetery workers.detailing ones work history and other evidence of character.

The act also requires the creation of a statewide database to keep record of every burial. This will assist future generations in finding the location of a loved one’s remains and will help the state discover unlawful re-burials. It also requires cemeteries to post a sign in their office that contains the IDFPR consumer hotline number and information on how to file a complaint.via www.illinois.gov

Some of the activities the Cemetery Oversight Act prohibits are

unprofessional conduct

charging for services not performed

incompetence

failure to properly  maintain the cemetery grounds.

You can read more on the Historic Regulations of this new law here.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

The law is somewhat limited in it’s scope because it does not apply to religious Cemeteries.

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Haiti Earthquake Aid Mistake|Not caring for the DEAD-YourFuneralGuy

A Major Mistake in giving aid to Haiti is Not providing for the Care of EarthQuake Dead.

It appears that a major mistake has been made  in giving  millions in aid to Haiti  The mistake is simply Not Caring for the dead or no Death care. This mistake has been made by three organizations. 1) The Government of Haiti 2). THE USAID -US Agency for International Development 3)THE NFDA- the US National Funeral Directors Association.

1)The Government of Haiti after the Earthquake can hardly be faulted for not being able to care for the dead in the disaster. They can be faulted for not asking for help in caring for their dead

2) The USAID is showing a lack of judgement in not  dealing with Haitian Dead. They could have made plans to do this through the US National Funeral Directors Association. Or they could have forced the Haiti Government to   get some basic assistance through the USA NFDA with some funeral boots on the ground.

3) The US National Funeral Directors Association  could have insisted  in bringing immediate funeral help to Haiti. They should have asserted themselves with the Haitian Government and the United States Government and sent Funeral Directors to Haiti anyway participating in the coordinated effort

US Funeral Directors helping bury the dead would go a long way towards dignity. Simple Digital pictures of some of the dead  before disposal would provide some hope of identification.

Once Food Clothing Shelter and medical care are provided to Haitians  the  personal psychological disaster of where are my loved ones? (Father mother sister brother) will arrive.

Knowing their loved one had a dignified burial, along with the possibility(HOPE) of obtaining a photograph as identification  would  go a long way toward resolving grief.

An Intervention by President Obama or Former President Bush/Clinton( in Charge of aid )could restore caring for the dead in Haiti Use of Mass Graves|burials will only create  more problems in the long run.

Funeral Industry |Funeral News | Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

This snippet from Fox News may give insight into the politics of all this.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, which is leading the search and rescue operation after a 7.0 quake rocked the Caribbean nation Tuesday, told FoxNews.com that the grisly task of body identification and burial rests in the hands of Haitian authorities.

“USAID traditionally has nothing to do with that,” spokeswoman Gina Jackson said in an interview Thursday, adding that the agency remains focused on rescue efforts — not recovery — as it digs through the rubble for survivors.

“If there are morgues in existence right now, they’re being constructed by the Haitians — not us,” she said. “That’s not traditionally our role.”

via www.foxnews.com

Illinois:Burr Oak Cemetery reform legislation passes-YourFuneralGuy

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal brought cemetery reform to Illinois

In Illinois State wide Cemetery reform passed the Illinois Legislature and went to the Governor this past week. This  is  a significant step toward stopping Funeral and Cemetery Scandal in the State of Illinois.

The governor of the State Pat Quinn praised the  legislation in his State of the State address.

When it becomes law there will be changes to help the funeral and cemetery consumer in Illinois.

Here area few of the changes that will take place in Illinois when the bill becomes law:

1.Cemetery owners, managers and customer service employees would have to be licensed,

2.Regulatory agency will conduct audits

3.Regulatory agency will issue fines of up to $10,000 for violations such as poor grounds upkeep or failing to keep burial maps.

In the aftermath of a widely publicized scandal at Burr Oak Cemetery, the Illinois House voted Wednesday to toughen regulation and improve oversight of state cemeteries.

Gov. Quinn all but signed the legislation during his State of the State speech, applauding the act as important reform…..

Under the bill sparked by Burr Oak, all cemetery workers will be required to register with the state, and owners, managers and customer service employees would have to be licensed. The bill also places cemetery oversight under the governor’s authority, taking it away from the state comptroller’s office.

via m.suntimes.com

The Citizens of the State of Illinois have spoken. No Burr oak Cemetery Scandal ever again.

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Photo of Mass Grave in Haiti causes tears-YourFuneralGuy

This photo of a mass grave in Haiti causes tears. Rarely is there lack of respect for the dead in any culture.In the case of the Haiti Earthquake Dead, the survival of the living overshadows respect for the dead.

Mass Grave In Haiti -Photo Credit Dominic Narr

The Haitian Government does not have the capacity to deal with the crisis of the living, let alone the dead.  As a seasoned funeral director this photo shocks me. I thought the human race was done with this sort of  Auschwitz photo.

In Haiti the dead need to buried quickly for the living to survive. Disease must be prevented. There will be no funeral ceremony for many Haiti Earthquake dead

Steve Yoder, who is an administrator at the Menonite mission called Christian Aid Ministries in Titanyen, choked back tears as he viewed the heaps of bodies.

“This is heart-breaking,” he said. “It’s very grim. It’s very sad. But in this situation that’s the best that can be done.”

via online.wsj.com

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photo online.wsj.com

Mass Burials Continue in Haiti-YourFuneralGuy

Mass Burials are continuing in Haiti. The tragedy continues. The President of that poor nation has stated that at least 7,000 people have been buried in  Mass  Burials and Graves. The number is probably a lot higher.

Click Here to see a video on mass burials in Haiti

Click Hereto view a Desperate Funeral in Haiti

The race to bring  food and water to the living may soon be overshadowed by the race to get the dead into the ground. This will prevent the spread of the most deadly diseases.

Poor neighborhood in Haiti from Flickr.com

The National Funeral Directors Association and the United States Government could have come together and provided assistance in burying the dead. Sadly the United States Funeral Directors through the   The National Funeral Directors Association refused a much needed immediate response.

Mass burials continued in Haiti for a second straight day today as the devastation continues, three days after a 7.0 earthquake.

Yesterday, the Haitian president Rene Preval reported that 7,000 people had been buried in mass graves.

From all indication that figure has gone up significantly, but no precise numbers have been provided.

It’s a situation that is expected to continue in Haiti over the next few days as rescue workers rush against time to prevent widespread infections from the bodies still on the streets.

Dumper trucks and front-end loaders are being used to help with the mass burials.

via go-jamaica.com

Sadly the second decade of the 21st century has begun with a terrible Haitian Earthquake that involves mass burials.

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