Elizabeth Castro wrote "Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web". She clearly has Perl experience.
...
However, her actual Perl appears to be pitiful.

Is this really necessary? I'll keep this in point form so it doesn't turn into a flame:

1. There is a second edition out that most likely fixes 90+% of your complaints. Insulting an older edition of an author's book is like me making fun of a report you did in grade 2.
2. The original book is accessible. It's an inexpensive, short, easy to read introduction to Perl. Insult its quality all you like, it got many people (including myself) interested in Perl. In my opinion that's far more important than explaining things like strict, warnings, and all the other frequent regurgitated complaints around here.
3. As for security, you're looking in the wrong places. If someone who has only read a visual quickstart guide is placing code online for any type of serious organization, their problems already runs far deeper. Do not concern yourself with locking doors when you have no walls.

I should also point out that your criticism of Matt Wright is also somewhat invalidated. He recently changed his site to support the NMS project and provide a secure alternative to his scripts. Perhaps you need to find some new scapegoats?

If an applicant simply walked out on me, I would rush over to hold the door for them. That says to me one of two things: bad attitude or bad programmer.

How about if they flat-out told you that based on your questions they weren't interested in working for your company? An interview is just as much about the employee judging the employer as it is vice versa.