A Memo on Burr Oak Cemetery was good political cannon fodder in the Illinois Governors Race. At the time of this post the results are not clear in the Governor democratic primary in Illinois . But what is clear is that that the horrible grave scandal At Burr Oak Cemetery and associated memo are a big a factor in the governors race between Pat Quinn and Dan Hynes.
Now it is quite unclear why the Grave Desecrations known about in 2003 were not reported to Law Enforcement by Perpetua and Slivy Edmonds Cotton a Perpetua Manager in Charge of Burr Oak. It is my opinion that Pat Quinn was making something out of nothing in the last days of the campaign with his Burr Oak cemetery attacks on Hynes.
Funeral News | Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy
Here is a “first news report” on a hearing that took place in Congress today on National Legislation coming in response to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal. Congressman Bobby Rush had a hearing today January 27th 2009, on the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act. The bill is H.R.3655.
NEWS-Hearing on Cemetery Reform in Washington DC today
2009 Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal inspired National Cemetery Reform Legislation
“WASHINGTON–In the wake of hundreds of grave desecrations at the historic Burr Oak Cemetery in south suburban Alsip, House Democrat Bobby Rush of Chicago wants to bolster federal consumer protections governing the sale of funeral goods and services.
Rush today led a congressional hearing to examine whether the FTC, which regulates funeral homes, should have its purview expanded to include cemeteries, crematories and sellers of caskets, urns, monuments and markers.
Most cemeteries operate as non-profits, a realm the FTC generally does not investigate, said Charles Harwood, deputy director of its Bureau of Consumer Protection. Under Rush’s proposal, the FTC would take oversight of such cemeteries.
The Burr Oak Cemetery made national news in July when it was learned that hundreds of corpses had been unearthed over several years anddumped into a weeded area of the cemetery or double-stacked in other graves.
The cemetery is the resting place of Emmett Till, whose murder helpedfuel the civil rights movement, and blues singer Dinah Washington,among other notables.
A Service Corporation International Cemetery, 500 graves desecrated, was a contributing factor in the Legislation
Rush said the horrific activities at Burr Oak were not an aberration,citing new allegations of desecrating graves and reselling plots later surfaced in Mission Hills, Calif., and DeKalb County, Ga.
“Just because death all too often comes like a thief in the night,” he said, “bereaved consumers should not be left wondering who, in fact,was the real thief: death or the cemetery salesperson.”
Patricia Brown Holmes, a retired judge who led an Illinois task forcethat led to tougher, just-enacted laws governing cemeteries in thestate, spoke in favor of Rush’s measure.
Holmes said the average consumer thinks of a funeral home and cemetery as one in the same, even though under federal laws, funeral homes areheavily regulated and cemeteries are not.
The National Funeral Directors Association also supports the measure,said Randall Earl, who has a funeral home and crematory in Decatur,Ill.
NFDA Eecutive Earl wante to be sure Wallmart Caskets are Covered
He told the panel that existing FTC rules pertaining to funeral homes do not cover casket sellers such as Wal-Mart and amazon.com, so the association wants the rules updated to cover them.
Under Rush’s proposal, new FTC regulations would require cemeteries andthe other newly covered sectors of the death-care industry to provide pre-sale price disclosures.
Misrepresentations would be prohibited and clear contracts itemizing goods, services and prices would be required.
A representative of the International Cemetery, Cremation and FuneralAssociation said cemeteries and funeral homes were best regulated at the state level. Paul M. Elvig said most cemeteries operated as nonprofits, including those run by religious, municipal and fraternal organizations, and the new regulations would disproportionately affect them “in ways that would never pass a cost/benefit analysis.”
Rush’s bill, called the Bereaved Consumer’s Bill of Rights Act, has five co-sponsors.”
–Katherine Skiba WGN 720-via mobile.wgnradio.com
Funeral Industry|Funeral News Blog by Your Funeral Guy
House Subcommittee on Commerce and Energy held the hearing.
Illinois has a New Cemetery law that was crafted in Response to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal outside of Chicago. Here are 5 provisions of the new law.
2009 Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal maybe the most horrific in US History
1.Cemetery owners, managers and customer service employees will 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.
4. There will be a State Wide Burial Database keeping track of every burial in the state. This will prevent desecration of graves and reburials.
5. There will be a place for consumers to file complaints. This is important in preventing abuse.
“Gov. Pat Quinn signed a measure into law Sunday that overhauls the way cemeteries are regulated in Illinois, a move brought about by the scandal at Burr Oak cemetery and one that officials say could ultimately shutter the troubled burial site.
State officials said the changes mark the first significant regulations imposed on an industry that has historically operated with little oversight. Employees at Burr Oak, near Alsip, were accused of digging up bodies and reselling plots for profit.”-via www.chicagotribune.com
Funeral Industry|Funeral News|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy
This is the first time the cemetery industry has been regulated in the State of Illinois. The name of the New Law is the Cemetery Oversight Act.
This is good for the cemetery and funeral consumer in Illinois and provides an example for the rest of the nation.
Counting Down to Number 1 of the Top 100 Funeral News stories of 2009, the last count is 25-1. Several Last minute stories probably should be in the top 100.Some of those posts maybe, Batesville enters the cemetery (vault) business,the almost funerals of Flight 253, returning Iraq Veterans and the Funeral Business ,The Batesville Demise of 09, funerals from the Flight of AF 447, National memorial Services in 2009 , as well as SCI and their special Deals with the FTC.
The most important stories of 2009 are Walmart Selling caskets and the Facebook Memorial. The handling of Digital Assets in a funeral arrangement will be an Important Funeral News Story in the years ahead. I have received threats, threats of lawsuits, website hacks, and been booted out of forums because of my Funeral News stories written from the Consumers perspective.
Here ae the Top 25 Funeral Stories of 2009:2(5.25)
24 . Service Corporation International, mishandled the Kennedy Funeral From a funeral directors perspective Service corporation International totally mishandled the Kennedy Funeral in Front of 4 Living Presidents! They Nation watched and waited in wasted air time because Teddy did not get to the cemetery on time.
13. SCI Denies wrong doing in Veterans Corpse Abuse ScandalService Corporation International seems never to admit wrong doing and finds a way to pay themselves out of any scandal- EvenVeterans Corpse Abuse for those headed to Arlington National Cemetery from National Funeral Home.
11.Brittany Murphy Death and Funeral|has celebrity death gone too far n 2009?The death of this young star near the end of 2009 is the focus many, as the world focused on Celebrities and their funerals in 2009.
10.Service Corporation International’s Burr Oak Cem. ScandalThe Scandal at Service Corporation International outside Los Angeles at Eden Memorial Park. was worse than Burr Oak cemetery Scandal outside Chicago. This Scandal received little National Press.
4.Michael Jackson MemorialThe Michael Jackson Memorial Service may be the most viewed Funeral Of All Time.
3.Sadly|Pics,Places,Logo Virginia SCI Body Desecrations This World’s Largest Funeral Corporation, Service Corporation International is given the Nickname Big Death in 2009 by the company employees. In Houston SCI is known the Enron evil. The Funeral company’s reputation for scandal is known to most Americans.
2. When someone dies setup a Facebook MemorialThe Facebook memorial has awakened the Funeral Industry to the importance of the online obituary, Facebook participation and digital assets.
1 .Walmart Selling caskets online Walmart selling caskets has frightened the Funeral Industry. Industry leadership says no big deal but the fact that caskets are being sold at Walmart has opened the mind of consumers to funeral purchase options beyond the Funeral Director.
Did I miss your funeral story? Please let me know with a comment.
Disagree? Leave a comment.
Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.
Burr Oak Cemetery has reopened (sort of). If want to check up on a loved one’s grave you can visit the cemetery before November 27th
Burr Oak Cemetery
You cannot drive there or walk in until November 27th 2009.Your ticket can be obtained from the owner of the Cemetery’s Burr Oak site, Perpetua, Inc at http://www.burroakalsip.com/
Burr Oak Cemetery is the site where Three Hundred Graves were desecrated and bones where piled up all over the Cemetery.Four people were arrested THERE IS MORE THAN A WORLD OF HURT THERE that still needs to still be resolved.
Part of the plan to keep traffic at the cemetery down is to open up on Black Friday the busiest shopping day of the Year.
In order to correct the Burr Oak Cemetery situation Illinois has proposed cemetery reform and the NATIONAL House of Representatives has proposed the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act.
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