{"article":{"id":135459,"heading":"Progressive Left: Stop Bashing the Red Cross Without Reason!","author":"activism","created":"2005-09-17 15:48:31","modified":"2005-09-18 17:17:49","last_modified":"Mon, 19 Sep 2005 00:17:49","article":"

There seems to be a strong impression among the Left that the Red Cross is not worthy of our support, or that it is doing nothing, or that it is just as

clueless as FEMA. I don't know exactly why people think this, but perhaps some of it springs from the fact that the Red Cross has been turned away

from the disaster zone by FEMA and the National Guard. Or perhaps because local people have been quoted saying that FEMA and the Red Cross were

nowhere around.

If you know of any other reasons for bad-mouthing the Red Cross and withdrawing our support, please enlighten everybody. I hope they are specific,

knowledgeable reasons and not just anti-establishment feeling. However, the above reasons are not enough. The problem of being turned away by FEMA

is the same problem of everybody who is trying to help, and neither the Red Cross nor any progressive community-based organization can be everywhere

at once.

And just this morning, I heard somebody on KPFK actually saying, \"Please don't donate to the Red Cross.\" What the f???! In times like this, when

everybody needs to help, it is just callous and cynical to tell people NOT to help the people who are helping. I have not even heard a whisper of a rumor

about any scandal or incompetence with the Red Cross' Katrina relief effort. If what I have read is correct, just yesterday (Sept. 15) the Red Cross

sheltered 50, 000 people and served 300,000 meals. That is NOT \"doing nothing.\" To tell people NOT to support that effort, is the ultimate in political

hair-splitting, or perhaps it's just jealousy. I'm sure the people sleeping in those shelters and eating those meals don't give a fig about how progressive the

Red Cross is.

Last pay cycle, I donated to both the Red Cross and Operation USA (favored by KPFK). This pay cycle, I'm dispersing my contributions among smaller

in-kind direct-aid groups, like Pastors For Peace, Food Not Bombs and the Dream Center, which is housing 300 people in the heart of Silver Lake. Next

pay cycle, I may go back to the Red Cross and Op USA again. My point is that both large and small relief groups need our help, whether they're

progressive or not.

No one can ever be 100% sure that their aid dollars won't be ripped off. If the Red Cross can waste or steal your donations, then so could the local

anarchist foodbank. It's always a crapshoot, and the only way to be sure SOMETHING gets through, is to donate to a wide variety of groups. Since I

have not heard recently about any Red Cross officials resigning in disgrace or going to jail or enacting any discriminatory or homophobic policies, I guess

I might as well include the Red Cross in my generosity. So, unless you have a reason, please lay off the Red Cross for now.

For some statistics on the relief effort:

http:\/\/www.redcross.org\/news\/ds\/hurricanes\/katrina_facts.html<\/a>

Red Cross:

1-800-HELP-NOW

1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)

http:\/\/www.redcross.org\/<\/a>

Operation USA

(323) 658-8876

http:\/\/operationusa.org\/<\/a>

ACORN:

http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/chmat<\/a>

Pastors For Peace:

Lucia Bruno at 347-423-4330

www.pastorsforpeace.org

Dream Center

2301Bellevue Ave. LA 90026

Volunteer hours 9-7 daily (except Sunday)

Volunteer check-in at 9, 11, 1, and 3

(213) 273-7100

http:\/\/www.dreamcenter.org<\/a>

Food Not Bombs

1-800-884-1136

The Houston Kitchen can be called at 713-802-9642

http:\/\/www.foodnotbombs.net\/katrina.html<\/a>

MoveOn.Org

http:\/\/www.hurricanehousing.org\/<\/a>

The Moutre Family (seen on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, providing shelter to over 50 people)

The Bearrington's School

1250 Texas Parkway

Suite F

Stafford, TX 77477

(281) 499-7975

(281) 431-8999

e-mail Bearrington123@aol.com<\/a>

Veterans For Peace Chapter 116

28500 Sherwood Rd

Willits CA 95490

http:\/\/www.veteransforpeace.org\/hurricane_relief.htm<\/a>







<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Why is KPFK saying, "Don't donate to the Red Cross"?","numcomment":3,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2005\/09\/135459.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":135469,"heading":"Red Cross = FEMA","article":"Compare the list of donors with the PDF list of Red Cross leadership. (see attached). They are giving money to themselves! Giving to the Red Cross is giving to the government (Bush and the people who caused it) and the corporations (who are planning to profit from it). There is no way to know where your Red Cross donation will end up. (Iraq maybe)\r\n\r\nProgressives know all this and are donating directly to local non-profit groups.\r\n\r\n\r\nList of corporate donors to Red Cross\r\n\r\n3M Co\r\n7-Eleven Inc.\r\nAbbott Laboratories Fund\r\nACE INA Foundation\r\nADA Foundation\r\nADC Foundation\r\nAdobe Systems Inc\r\nAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.\r\nAlbert & Katherine E. Merck Charitable Fund\r\nAlbert Trostel & Sons Company\r\nAlbert W. Cherne Foundation\r\nAlbertsons Employees Federal Credit Union\r\nAMD Matching Gift Program\r\nAmerica Chung Nam, Inc\r\nAmerican Express Employee Giving Campaign\r\nAmerican Express Foundation\r\nAmerican Psychological Association\r\nAmerican Standard Companies Inc\r\nAmgen Foundation\r\nAmphenol Corporation\r\nAndreas Foundation\r\nAnheuser-Busch Co Inc\r\nAnn Taylor Inc\r\nAOL Online Inc\r\nAOL Time Warner\r\nApple Computer\r\nApplera\r\nApplied Materials\r\nAramark Charitable Fund\r\nArcher Daniels Midland Company\r\nAscent Media\r\nAsk Jeeves Inc\r\nAT&T Foundation\r\nAvaya Inc\r\nAvocent Corp\r\nB.R. Guest Inc\r\nBacardi USA Inc\r\nBAE Systems\r\nBanco Popular De Puerto Rico\r\nBank of America\r\nBank of America Foundation\r\nBank of New York Company, Inc\r\nBass Pro Outdoor World LLC\r\nBattelle Memorial Institute\r\nBaxter International Employees\r\nBearingPoint\r\nBearingPoint Charitable Employee Giving Campaign\r\nBearingPoint Charitable Foundation\r\nBechtel Corporation\r\nBechtel Foundation\r\nBecton Dickinson & Co\r\nBellSouth Corporation\r\nBemel & Ross\r\nBest Buy Childrens Foundation\r\nBest Buy Purchasing LLC\r\nBig Y Foods Charitable Foundation\r\nBill and Melinda Gates Foundation\r\nBJs Wholesale Club, Inc.\r\nBlockbuster Entertainment Corp\r\nBlue Cross Blue Shield Of Florida\r\nBoeing Co\r\nBonnie Allchin\r\nBose Foundation Inc\r\nBoston Financial Data Services\r\nBoston Scientific Corporation\r\nBoye Foundation, Inc\r\nBP Foundation Inc\r\nBridgestone-Firestone Trust Fund\r\nBristol-Myers Squibb Foundation\r\nBrother International Corp\r\nBrown Brothers Harriman & Co\r\nBrown Family Foundation\r\nBuick Open Charitable Fund\r\nButler Manufacturing Company\r\nCalyon Financial PTE Ltd\r\nCanon USA Inc\r\nCapital Group Companies Charitable Foundation\r\nCapital One Services Inc\r\nCardinal Health Inc\r\nCaremark RX Inc\r\nCargill Inc\r\nCarnival Corporation\r\nCarroll Petrie\r\nCase Foundation\r\ncastle Trust\r\nCaterpillar Foundation\r\nCDW Corporation\r\nCelebrities for Charity Foundation\r\nCendant Charitable Foundation\r\nChad Hallock\r\nCharles and Helen Schwab Foundation\r\nCheryl & Lowell Jacobsen Family Fund\r\nChevronTexaco Corp\r\nChris Kenber\r\nChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\r\nCIGNA Foundation\r\nCingular Wireless LLC\r\nCirque du Soleil Inc.\r\nCisco Foundation\r\nCisco System Inc Employees\r\nCisco Systems Inc\r\nCITA The Wireless Foundation\r\nCitgo Petroleum Corp\r\nCitigroup Inc\r\nCitrix Systems Inc\r\nClarence Grimes Charitable Remainder Unitrust\r\nClarke American\r\nClear Channel Entertainment\r\nClear Channel Worldwide\r\nCN\r\nCoca-Cola Company\r\nCoinstar Inc\r\nColgate-Palmolive Company\r\nColumbia House Company\r\nComerica, Inc.\r\nCommunity Foundation Of Middle Tennessee\r\nCommunity Of Christ\r\nCompuCredit Corporation\r\nComputer Associates International Inc\r\nConAgra Foods\r\nConEdison\r\nCooley Godward Llp\r\nCost Plus, Inc\r\nCostco Wholesale\r\nCredit Suisse First Boston LLC\r\nCVS, Inc\r\nD. W. McMillan Foundation\r\nDade Behring, Inc.\r\nDads Denim Inc Citizens Of Humanity\r\nDairy Relief Inc\r\nDana Corporation\r\nDana Corporation Foundation\r\nDanaher Corporation\r\nDavid Barger\r\nDavid G. Neeleman\r\nDavid R. Welland\r\nDelhaize America, Inc.\r\nDeloitte & Touche LLP\r\nDelphi Foundation Inc\r\nDepartment Of the Army Chaplain Fund\r\nDeutsche Bank Americas Foundation\r\nDiane Fagen\r\nDiebold Inc\r\nDominos Pizza\r\nDonald G. Fisher Fund\r\nDover Corporation\r\nDow Chemical Company Foundation\r\nDow Corning Foundation\r\nDresser-Rand Company\r\nDuncan D. Ebersol\r\nE. D. S. Workplace Campaign\r\nEbay\r\nEddie Bauer Inc\r\nEdith Pattison Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust\r\nEDS\r\nEdward Jones Company\r\nEdward W. & Lee Hill Snowdon Administrative Fund\r\nEisai, Inc.\r\nEl Adobe Corporation\r\nElbert E. Clark\r\nElectronic Arts Inc\r\nEli Lilly & Co Foundation\r\nEllen K. Estate of Roberts\r\nEMC Mortgage Corporation\r\nEMCOR Group Inc\r\nEmerson Electric Company\r\nEmmeline Ling\r\nEmployees Community Fund Of Boeing Puget Sound\r\nEnterprise Rent-A-Car\r\nEntrust Partners, LLC\r\nEquity Residential\r\nErnst & Young Foundation\r\nExpress Scripts Inc\r\nExxonMobil Corp\r\nExxonMobil Foundation\r\nF&M Bank Iowa\r\nF. M. Kirby Foundation Inc\r\nFederated Insurance\r\nFidelity Charitable Fund\r\nFirst Data Western Union Foundation\r\nFluor Foundation\r\nFM Global Foundation\r\nFoley & Lardner LLP\r\nFood Lion, LLC\r\nFord Foundation\r\nFoster Poultry Farms LLC\r\nFPL Group Foundation Inc\r\nFrances Alexander Foundation\r\nFrank Florik Charitable Trust\r\nFrank M Ewing Foundation Inc\r\nFred Maytag Family Foundation\r\nFulbright & Jaworski Foundation\r\nFulcrum Global Partners Llc\r\nG S. Doctor\r\nG. Unger Vetlesen Foundation\r\nGallatin Steel Company\r\nGannett Fleming\r\nGap Foundation\r\nGary Bloom\r\nGE Foundation\r\nGeneral Mills Foundation\r\nGeneral Motors Corporation\r\nGenworth Financial Inc\r\nGeorge F. Mueden\r\nGeorge Hoag Family Foundation\r\nGiant Eagle Inc\r\nGladys & Roland Harriman Foundation\r\nGloria Estefan Foundation\r\nGMAC Financial Services\r\nGMAC RFC\r\nGolden State Foods\r\nGoldman Sachs & Co\r\nGood Samaritan Inc\r\nGrainger Inc\r\nGreat Lakes Chemical Corporation\r\nGregor S. Bailair\r\nGregory W. Baird\r\nGuggenheim Capital LLC\r\nH.R.C. Foundation, Inc\r\nHalliburton Co\r\nHannaford Bros Co\r\nHard Rock Cafe International\r\nHarland\r\nHarman Management Corp\r\nHCA Inc\r\nHelen T. Madeira\r\nHewlett-Packard Co\r\nHogan & Hartson LLP\r\nHoliday Retirement Corp\r\nHolland & Knight Charitable Foundation Inc\r\nHollywood Media Corp\r\nHome Depot Inc\r\nHospira_inc.\r\nHousehold International Inc\r\nHSBC\r\nHsbc - North America\r\nHSC Foundation\r\nIAC Foundation Inc\r\nIdt Integrated Device Technology Inc\r\nIMS Health\r\nInfineon Technologies Foundation\r\nIngersoll-Rand Charitable Foundation\r\nIntel Foundation\r\nInternational Paper\r\nIntuit Foundation\r\nIrwin Home Equity\r\nIslamic Foundation Of Greater St Louis\r\nJ M Family Enterprises, Inc\r\nJ. M. Huber Corporation\r\nJack & Adele Mason Family Foundation, Inc.\r\nJack in the Box Foundation\r\nJacob G. Schmidlapp Trust\r\nJacobs Engineering Foundation\r\nJames Burrows\r\nJames D. Sinegal\r\nJCPenney Company Inc\r\nJCPenney Purchasing Corporation\r\nJeff Nathanson\r\nJessie Ball Dupont Fund\r\nJewish Communal Fund\r\nJoan H. McBride\r\nJo-Ann Stores, Inc\r\nJohn Deere Foundation\r\nJohn F. Welch Jr Foundation\r\nJohn S & Amy S Weinberg Foundation\r\nJohn S. & James L. Knight Foundation\r\nJohn T. Chambers\r\nJohnson & Johnson\r\nJohnson & Johnson Family of Companies\r\nJon S. Corzine Foundation\r\nJones Lang LaSalle Charities\r\nJoseph & Victor Saturno Foundation\r\nJoseph A. DiMenna\r\nJoseph Lizzio\r\nJP Morgan Chase\r\nJP Morgan Chase Foundation\r\nJp Morgan Private Bank\r\nJPMorgan Chase and Co\r\nJuniper Networks Foundation Fund\r\nJustGive\r\nKantar Group\r\nKash N Karry Food Stores\r\nKerzner International Resorts, Inc\r\nKey Foundation\r\nKeyspan\r\nKidde\r\nKmart Corp\r\nKnapp Swezy Foundation\r\nKohl s Corporation\r\nKresge Foundation\r\nKroger Co\r\nKroger Co Foundation\r\nKubota Tractor Corp\r\nL L Bean\r\nLaur D. Wheaton\r\nLehman Brothers Foundation\r\nLeon W. Harman\r\nLilly Endowment Inc\r\nLincoln Financial Group Foundation Inc\r\nLincy Foundation\r\nLittle Caesers Enterprises Inc\r\nLori L. Huang\r\nLowes Companies Inc\r\nLP Touring\r\nLPL Financial Services\r\nLucasfilm Ltd\r\nLucent Technologies Foundation\r\nLuitpold Pharmaceuticals Inc\r\nM & T Bank\r\nM. R. Erdman\r\nMac Valves Foundation\r\nMacromedia\r\nMAG Instrument Inc\r\nMagnus Charitable Trust\r\nMake Yourself Foundation\r\nMaria Torok Foundation, Inc\r\nMarriott International Inc\r\nMarsh & McLennan Companies, Inc\r\nMartha E. Horowitz\r\nMaurice P. Newton\r\nMaxxis International USA\r\nMBNA\r\nMBNA Foundation\r\nMcDermott Will & Emery Charitable Foundation\r\nMcDonald's\r\nMcGraw-Hill Companies\r\nMcGregor Fund\r\nMCI - Employee Contributions\r\nMCI, Inc\r\nMcKesson Foundation\r\nMeadWestvaco Foundation\r\nMedieval Times Foundation\r\nMendel Rosenblum\r\nMercer Human Resources Consulting\r\nMerck & Co Inc\r\nMerck Partnership For Giving\r\nMerrill Lynch & Co Foundation Inc\r\nMerrill Lynch & Co Inc\r\nMerrill Lynch Employees Tsunami Disaster Relief Program\r\nMetLife Foundation\r\nMiami Overseas Chinese Association\r\nMichael Foods Inc.\r\nMichael J. Good\r\nMichael P. Krasny\r\nMicrosoft Giving Campaign\r\nMission Fish\r\nMitsui & Co USA Inc\r\nMizuho Corporate Bank LTD\r\nMoneyGram International\r\nMonsanto Company\r\nMonte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation\r\nMorgan Lewis & Bockius LLP\r\nMorgan Stanley\r\nMTV Networks\r\nMy Points.Com Inc\r\nNalco Foundation\r\nNasdaq Stock Market, Inc.\r\nNational Semiconductor\r\nNed S. Alexander\r\nNestle Waters North America Inc.\r\nNetwork for Good\r\nNetwork Of Asian-American Organizations\r\nNew Egg.COm\r\nNew England Biolabs, Inc\r\nNew York Power Authority\r\nNew York Times Co Foundation\r\nNews Corporation Foundation\r\nNextel Communications Inc\r\nNissan North America Inc\r\nNOL Beyond Boundaries Trust Fund\r\nNortel\r\nNorthern Trust\r\nNorthern Trust Bank\r\nNorthern Trust Cmopany\r\nNorthrop Grumman Corporation\r\nNorthwestern Mutual Foundation\r\nNovartis US Foundation\r\nNuveen Investments\r\nOaktree Capital Management LLC\r\nOc Tanner\r\nOffice Depot Inc\r\nOld Republic International Corporation\r\nOldcastle Materials, Inc.\r\nOlga Schernekau\r\nOneida Indian Nation\r\nOracle Corporation\r\nOSI Group LLC\r\nOxford Industries\r\nPACCAR Inc\r\nPacific Gas and Electric Co\r\nPathmark Stores Inc\r\nPaul L. Newman\r\nPaymentech Merchant Services Inc\r\nPeets Coffee & Tea\r\nPepsico Foundation\r\nPeter Kraus\r\nPfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program\r\nPfizer Inc\r\nPhilip A. Rhodes\r\nPlastipak\r\nPokemon USA Inc\r\nPokerstars.com and Its Players\r\nPotash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Inc\r\nPPG Industries Inc\r\nPresidio\r\nPrice Waterhouse Coopers Llp\r\nPrincess Cruises \/ Cunard Line\r\nPrincess Tours\r\nPrincipal Financial Group Foundation, Inc.\r\nProcter & Gamble Co Inc\r\nProLogis Foundation\r\nProvident Financial Management\r\nPublix Super Markets, Inc.\r\nPulte Home Inc\r\nPutnum Investments Inc\r\nPWH Coopers Charitable Foundation\r\nQLogic Corporation\r\nQuad Graphics Inc\r\nQualcomm Inc\r\nQuest Diagnostics\r\nQVC Inc\r\nR & P Partnership\r\nRaytheon Company\r\nRBC Capital Markets\r\nReliant Energy Inc\r\nReliv International, Inc.\r\nResearch Foundation for Health & Environmental Effects\r\nRichard V. Spencer\r\nRisk Management Solutions\r\nRite Aid Corp\r\nRobert W. Woodruff Foundation\r\nRobert Wood Johnson Foundation\r\nRockwell Automation\r\nRoger Penske\r\nRonnie G. Ben-Zur\r\nRoss Stores Inc\r\nRussell J. Fuller\r\nS A. Johnson\r\nSafeway Foundation\r\nSales Force.Com \/ Foundation\r\nSamsung Electronics America, Inc.\r\nSamuel I Newhouse Foundation Inc\r\nSandra Bullock\r\nSBC Foundation\r\nSBC Foundation Matching Gifts Program\r\nSchweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc\r\nSealed Air Corporation\r\nSean Penn\r\nSelby Foundation\r\nSelf-Realization Fellowship\r\nSempra Energy\r\nShaws Supermarkets, Inc.\r\nSHeDAISY Inc\r\nShell Oil Company Foundation\r\nShop-Rite Disaster Relief Fund\r\nSi Bank & Trust Foundation\r\nSiemens Caring Hands Fndn\r\nSiemens Corporation\r\nSiesta Valley Ranch\r\nSing Tao Newspapers New York LTD\r\nSixty Four Foundation\r\nSonnenschein\r\nSony Corporation of America\r\nSouthwest Airlines\r\nSpencer Savings Bank\r\nSprint Corp\r\nSprint United Management Company\r\nSt Jude Medical Foundation\r\nSt Paul Travelers Foundation Community Action Awards\r\nState Farm Insurance Company\r\nState Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co\r\nState Street\r\nState Street Corp\r\nState Street Foundation\r\nStavros Niarchos Foundation\r\nSteelcase Foundation\r\nStemmons Foundation\r\nStop & Shop Family Foundation\r\nStuart Frankel And Company Inc\r\nSuperValu Foundation\r\nSybase Inc\r\nSycamore Networks Charitable Trust\r\nSymbol Technologies Inc\r\nSYSCO Corp\r\nTakeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc\r\nTarget Corporation\r\nTaylor Family Foundation\r\nTekelec\r\nTellabs\r\nTeradyne Inc\r\nThe Oxford Club\r\nThe Peierls Foundation Inc\r\nThe Pentair Foundation\r\nThe Pepsi Bottling Group Foundation\r\nThe Pew Charitable Trusts\r\nThe PMI Foundation\r\nThe Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation\r\nThe Ralphs\/Food 4 Less Foundation\r\nThe Resnick Family Foundation\r\nThe Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving\r\nThe Security National Bank Of Sioux City\r\nThe Starr Foundation\r\nThe Sun-Sentinel McCormickTribune Foundation\r\nThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno\r\nThe Toro Company Employees\r\nThe Vanguard Group Foundation\r\nThe VF Foundation\r\nThe Vranos Family Foundation\r\nThe Walter Foundation\r\nThe Wireless Foundation\r\nThompson Family Fund\r\nTiffany & Co\r\nTiger Woods Foundation Inc\r\nTime Warner Foundation\r\nTomkins Corporation Foundation\r\nToyota Motor Manufacturing North America Inc\r\nToyota Motor North America Inc\r\nToyota Motor Sales USA Inc\r\nToyota Tsusho America Inc\r\nTreadwells\r\nTribune Company\r\nTudor Investment Corporation\r\nTuthill Corporation\r\nTyson\r\nUBS Investment Bank\r\nUnilever United States Foundation Inc\r\nUnion Oil Company of California\r\nUnited States Steel Corportation\r\nUnited States Trust Company of New York\r\nUnited Stationers Inc\r\nUnited Technologies Corp\r\nUnocal Foundation Workplace Giving Program\r\nURS Corporation\r\nUs Bancorp Foundation\r\nVerizon\r\nVerizon Communications Inc\r\nVerizon Foundation\r\nVernon H. Wright\r\nViacom Inc\r\nVinik\r\nVirginia Fulton Charitable Gift Fund Of The Fidelity\r\nVivendi Universal Music Group\r\nW L Gore & Associates Inc\r\nW.R. Grace Foundation, Inc.\r\nWachovia Corp\r\nWachovia Foundation\r\nWacoal America Inc\r\nWal-Mart Stores Inc\r\nWalt Disney Co\r\nWashington Mutual Bank\r\nWaters Corporation\r\nWayne Wilde Family Fund\r\nWeight Watchers International, Inc.\r\nWellChoice\r\nWellington Management Company LLP\r\nWells Fargo Bank\r\nWells Fargo Foundation\r\nWestern Gas Resources, Inc\r\nWestinghouse Electric Company LLC\r\nWeyerhaeuser Company Foundation\r\nWhite & Case Llp\r\nWhole Foods Market\r\nWilbur-Ellis\r\nWild Oats Markets, Inc\r\nWiliam Schreyer\r\nWilliam B Dietrich Foundation\r\nWilmer Cutler Pickering Hale And Dorr LLP\r\nWilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati\r\nWorldReach, Inc\r\nWyeth Consumer Healthcare\r\nYahoo\r\nYahoo Employee Giving Program\r\nYahoo Inc\r\nYum Brands Foundation Inc\r\nZimmer\r\n","author":"FYI","parent_id":135459,"mime_type":"application\/pdf","created":"2005-09-17 21:33:40","modified":"2005-09-17 21:33:40","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2005\/09\/us-red_ldrshp.pdf"},{"id":135470,"heading":"Not without reason","article":"First of all, a correction: KPFK didn't say "Don't donate to the Red Cross." One host did. KPFK's hosts have a remarkable degree of free speech in their broadcasts, and because of that and habituation to corporate-dictated lines of most other media, comments by a show host are often, but wrongly, attributed to the station.\r\n\r\nI would be surprised if many in any political sector are blaming the delays in entering NO on anyone but FEMA (although I suspect some of us would have been pleased if the Red Cross had pushed through the lines). But there is cause for caution when the Bush administration touts a few handpicked charities and the Red Cross tops the list. \r\n\r\nBut even if you're not so cautious, the last figure I heard was that 82% of private relief money is going to the Red Cross. I wholeheartedly agree that, if you're in a position to do so and your concerns about the disaster on the Gulf Coast are broadbased, donating to multiple causes is the way to go.\r\n\r\nBut be aware that the Red Cross's efforts are limited. The Red Cross provides immediate relief: cots, food, water, first aid, critical medical attention and medicine. They aren't set up for long-term aid. They don't assist with rescue. They aren't in the business of rebuilding. In natural disasters, they have a track record in emergencies that require short-term assistance and timely return to pre-disaster conditions. That's not the Gulf Coast.\r\n\r\nThe Red Cross is notoriously top-heavy with administrative costs. According to Bill Bischoff in Smartmoney, "In its fiscal year ending on June 30, 2002, the American National Red Cross spent $1.16 billion on employee salaries. Spending on actual disaster relief assistance for individuals was only $608 million. Of that, $479 million was for Sept. 11 assistance. . . . During the preceding fiscal year (the one ending on June 30, 2001), the Red Cross spent $1.04 billion on employee salaries and only $149 million on actual assistance for individuals." (http:\/\/www.smartmoney.com\/tax\/advice\/index.cfm?story=charity1111)\r\n\r\nFinally, the Red Cross is a top-down organization. It's relief efforts are coordinated through its office in Washington, DC. You've provided a useful list of more grassroots-based organizations, which, in my observation, have a better sense of what's needed than a far-flung international corporation, nonprofit though it be. I'd like to suggest that you and others who are reading this check out the May First list for grassroots\/low-income\/people of color-led\r\nHurricane Katrina relief and its list of where to donate to organizations that are:\r\n * Organizing at the grassroots level in New Orleans, Biloxi, Houston and other affected areas\r\n * Providing immediate disaster relief to poor people and people of color\r\n * Directed by, or accountable to, poor people and people of color\r\n * Fostering the democratic inclusion of poor people and people of color in the rebuilding process.\r\n \r\nThey are at http:\/\/katrina.mayfirst.org\/ . They have a link to a webpage on reasons to give to local groups instead of just to the Red Cross. I haven't looked at it, but it might have more answers to your concern.","author":"Leslie","parent_id":135459,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-09-17 21:58:28","modified":"2005-09-17 21:58:28","fileurl":""},{"id":135489,"heading":"Tsunami Problems Too","article":"The problem is that people give to the RC expecting the money to be used for the victims, but, there's no guarantee of that. It could go to administration.\r\n\r\nThe other issue is a larger political one, where the government is trying to outsource everything to corporations and NGOs. The Red Cross could start a trend of externalizing disaster costs. The net effect could be a reduction in disaster preparedness, where people "self-tax" during disasters, but no long-term rebuilding effort is undertaken. People *feel* good, but, things don't get done.\r\n\r\n"Hey, I gave to the Red Cross. I don't wanna pay more taxes," could become the mantra of the selfish, if it already isn't.","author":"another critic","parent_id":135459,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-09-18 17:17:49","modified":"2005-09-18 17:17:49","fileurl":""}]}