Red Cross caught red-handed

Washington Times ^ | `1/13/01

[kattracks]

First came the disheartening news that the American Red Cross was slow to distribute relief funds to the families affected by the attacks of September 11. Then came the distressing news that the relief funds were being used for programs unrelated to September 11. Now, the most shocking news of all: America's No. 1 blood bank might destroy tens of thousands of pints of donated blood because of greed and mismanagement.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

The Red Cross has managed to self-destruct right before our eyes. This is obviously corrupt management. To build up a huge reserve of blood which could not be stored is to take criminal advantage of the public.

[Iwentsouth]

They didn't collect for the people at WTC. They collected for the byproducts that they could sell.

The going price overseas is very high especially in Japan where blood donations are rare.

[ventana]

So much for Elizabeth Dole's managerial prowess. Usually, a good manager leaves his mark long after he is gone. V's wife.

[backhoe]

A bit more here:

LIDDY DOLE'S RED CROSS RUNS AMOK

BLOOD TRAIL: THE BLOOD BROKERS PART 1 -- HOW BLOOD, THE 'GIFT OF LIFE,' BECAME A BILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS Source: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Published: September 24, 1989 Author: Gilbert M. Gaul Posted on 07/12/1999 19:45:35 PDT by Wallaby (348)

BLOOD TRAIL: THE BLOOD BROKERS PART 2 - THE LOOSE WAY THE FDA REGULATES BLOOD INDUSTRY Source: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Published: September 25, 1989 Author: Gilbert M. Gaul Posted on 07/12/1999 20:45:42 PDT by Wallaby (347)

BLOOD TRAIL: THE BLOOD BROKERS PART 3 -- FEAR OF AIDS SPURS CHANGE Source: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Published: TUESDAY September 26, 1989 Author: Gilbert M. Gaul Posted on 07/12/1999 21:00:40 PDT by Wallaby (346)

BLOOD TRAIL: THE BLOOD BROKERS PART 4 -- RED CROSS: FROM DISASTER RELIEF TO BLOOD Source: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Published: WEDNESDAY September 27, 1989 Author: Gilbert M. Gaul Posted on 07/12/1999 21:44:11 PDT by Wallaby (345)

BLOOD TRAIL: BLOOD BROKERS, PART 5, LAST IN SERIES -- AMERICA: THE OPEC OF THE GLOBAL PLASMA Source: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Published: September 28, 1989 Author: Gilbert M. Gaul Posted on 07/12/1999 22:14:30 PDT by Wallaby (344)

Blood money: what Red Cross donors didn’t know (1976)

Red Cross Going to Refuse Money Raised by Hillary Protest Banner Auction

[brityank]

Bump for later.

Is it my imagination, or does everything the government touch eventually turn into criminal activity?

[backhoe]

No, it's not your imagination, and the difference between is, Organized Crime's a little more honest.... at least when you give them some money, you get something in return--

[ofMagog]

The Red Cross is currently working on very critical problems which demand the support of all.

You may not be aware that someday the Sun will burn out. Your Red Cross is working diligently to prevent this disaster. They have hired a team of not sufficently paid executives to study this problem, giving them each a pittance $400,000 annual salary and a pitiful, but equal amount for personal expenses.

You may be assured your Red Cross will be there if the Sun begins buring out, posing for the cameras and selling donuts and coffee at a resonable fee, snubbing their noses at those obviously less important Salvation Army persons actually at the disaster site quietly serving the public.

And, you need to know that some very important future hopeful VIPs serve on the boards of various local Red Cross chapters and, yes, while primarily looking to improve their resumes, are not totally incompetent and do enjoy seeing their names in the paper as persons who are "doing something."

If you are unsure of how much you should give, call their convenient 800 number and the nice lady with the Jamican accent will give you three free minutes on hold and then charge you a mere $9.00 per minutes to discuss the reasons you should support the Red Cross.

[NewHampshireDuo]

Is it my imagination, or does everything the government touch eventually turn into criminal activity?

Doubt it's your imagination. The lure of huge riches plus the need to keep growing larger which makes the need for more money, so that the charity can be more successful, the management can be richer, which leads to needing more money......and so on

[AZFolks]

Two quick points. First, the other blood centers in the United States did not do this and they collect @55% of the blood for the Country. So if the Red Cross comes knocking and so does your local blood bank, you know where to go! Second, despite their poor behavior lets not forget that sick people suffer if we draw back.

[NewHampshireDuo]

Agree that it will hurt the sick not to donate. But you now have to wonder at the motivation of these groups. I want to give but who do I want to give to? I'd be really ripping if I had run out to donate blood only to have it wasted the way it was. I'm already wondering how much of my donations for the 9/11 bombings were wasted on other things instead of being given to victims' families.

[meenie]

So in other words, if the Red Cross comes knocking on your door, you should tell them where to go, right? Local blood banks, specific donations to groups you choose to support should be encouraged. United Way and the Red Cross should be avoided as being totally corrupt with politics governing the use and distribution of their funds.

[joathome]

And to think my husband talked his boss into the company giving to the Red Cross instead of United Way.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. We stupidly didn't know. Now, we do.

Services. Programs. Future needs. bllaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh

[Don Joe]

Nice racket! How can I get one group of people to donate something to me that I can then sell to another group for $225-plus per item -- and then pay myself a $400,000 salary, and have the company pay no taxes because I declare it to be "non-profit"?

I'm not an accountant, but I'm fairly certain I can adjust my $400,000 salary to whatever amount necessary to ensure that the organization shows no profit at the end of the year.

And the best part of all is that I'd be admired as an altruist -- a hero!

Where do I sign up to run some kinda outfit like that? It sure beats the snot outta the work I'm doing now!

[smiley]

The Double Red Cross is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth.

[StockAyatollah]

Has anyone else been pressured by their employer to donate blood to the Red Cross? I used to think this was a decent organization and just went along. Next time it happens I'm going to send this article as a company-wide e-mail.

[JIM O]

I was the same way, I will not give to the United Way and therefor was feeling pretty good about the Red Cross Involvment. Now This!

I find this vey disheartning

[ravingnutter]

The standard answers are long-term needs, such as the blood-freezing program...

Have no problem with this expenditure, but they never should have taken so much blood in if they did not already have a place to freeze it. That was wasteful.

counseling,

Have no problem with this as long as it is the WTC victims and families. They will need counseling to get through the grief and some of those who escaped will need counseling for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

and future attacks

This is where I draw the line. This money was raised for the WTC victims and their families and should go for services to them and only them.

I understand that there are some administrative costs that are involved in administering a program such as the RC. I understand that some equipment may have to be upgraded to handle a disaster of this magnitude. I do not understand, however, the exorbitant salaries made by RC honchos, they are outrageous. And I can never forgive things such as the grant to law firms to defend terrorist suspects.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

So much for Elizabeth Dole's managerial prowess. Usually, a good manager leaves his mark long after he is gone. V's wife.

Elizabeth Dole doesn't have blood on her hands! How can you blame this on her?!! She's been long gone. It's the other heads of the organization who are responsible. Even Bernadine Healy had to leave the Red Cross, so that she wouldn't be tainted with this.

[aruanan]

So much for Elizabeth Dole's managerial prowess. Usually, a good manager leaves his mark long after he is gone. V's wife.

You could just as easily have said that the present Red Cross would be in much worse straights than it is now if it had not been for her leadership. But it appears that you already had a conclusion that begged a premise which you so gratuitously supplied.

[ventana]

Well, aruanan and my pointy head, perhaps you would checkout backhoe's post #5 he has nicely included Wallaby's excellent research on the Blood business and if you see article number 4, it specifically discusses the Red Cross "from disaster relief to Blood." Liddy Dole was the head of the Red Cross from 1991 to 1999, she did nothing to reform it, as far as I can tell, nor did she do anything to establish the capacity for freezing blood that Bernadine Healy began to realize--due to the atrocity-- was needed. That kind of capacity for a volunteer organization would take a five year business plan and lots of fundraising. Suddenly Bernadine had a lot of cash she thought could be applied for a worthy cause. Perhaps her sentiment was right but the method of funding wasn't. My point was and is, Dole ran that outfit for almost ten years, you don't go from a brilliant organization to a mismanaged fiasco in under two years. Obviously we disagree. V's wife.

[NYCVirago]

A federally chartered and 120-year-old non-profit, the Red Cross collects about 6 million pints of blood each year and earns 60 percent of its revenue ($1.5 billion) by selling such blood byproducts as plasma and platelets for $225-plus per unit.

So, people donate blood to the Red Cross, and the Red Cross turns around and sells it? How is that right?

[NYCVirago]

That is a great post! I'm copying and pasting it to send to friends.

[ofMagog]

I see now that when confronted with the smoking gun in their grubby hands they say they are sorry.

Several years ago I was in a workshop for psychotherapists in Santa Fe. During a discussion of behavior one of the psychiatrists in the group said when he was young one's behaviour was pretty much based on "What will others think?" whereas now it is, "Well, it looked like a pretty good idea at the time." That has been the attitude of the Red Cross for many years.

[Bizhvywt]

Next time give the money to your local Christian church.

[SirLancelot]

Donating to a local church is a very good idea. I don't understand why people donate to national/international agencies when there are people in need in every city in the nation. Personally, I don't donate to ANY cause, cause I figure we all have problems, and I take care of mine, so others should take care of theirs, BUT, if I were to give, I know I'd find a local charity to give to, because it would help people in my area, and maybe, in a small way, improve the lives of everyone in my city. When it comes to national charities, the money tends to end up at the top of the food chain, and not at the bottom where it should go. Call me uncaring, I don't care, but I take care of my own before I start trying to save the planet. :)

[JIM O]

I do not disagree except this situation was a very special case and my thought process was "great the Red Cross is involved" I truly thought this was going to help these people. Mt typical donations go locally or to causes I am closely involved.