[kcvl]

They make me sick! I e-mailed our local Red Cross about this and they are stupid. They told me that the Red Cross has never charged for anything. That's NOT what I have read or heard about them. I doubt all these people are lying and the Red Cross is the only one telling the truth. Fat chance!

[xJones]

I feel snookered. I helped raise $1000 for the Red Cross in one 4H fundraiser and we assured the donators that every cent would be going to the Red Cross and it would be for the NYC disaster. We believed that. Obviously now, we were lying.

I wasn't in charge or I would have preferred the Salvation Army. They have a low overhead and most of the money goes directly to the distressed. Live and learn.

[backhoe]

Hullo, kat- well, good! Maybe if a "mainstream guy on TV" like O'Reilly makes this charge it will wake up the sheep out there!

The United Way is another organization which, IMHO, is rife with fraud and coersion- maybe he'll investigate them next.

You only have to look at the Blood Trail stories to see how questionable the ARC is....

[Mike Darancette]

millions being spent on "community outreach."

Community Outreach=Advertising.

They are taking 911 money to promote the Red Cross. That is fraud.

[borisbob69]

I switched from supporting the ARC to donating money to the Salvation Army over 30 years ago...because I saw the SA giving away various food items at a disaster while the ARC was selling them!

I wouldn't contribute a penny to the ARC because I have never trusted them to be honest with their handling of contributions.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Good morning, kattracks. If any thing good has come out of this, it is that the Salvation Army will hopefully benefit from this very public nation-wide unmasking of a crooked organization called the Red Cross.

[defeat_the_dem_igods]

The Blood Brokers

Red Cross: $550m won't be used for victims

Big Charity Like Big Government

[2Trievers]

Let's let Mark Levine and Landmark Legal at the RC. Grrrrrrrrr...

[Dante3]

This is inexcusable.

I've read that victims of United Flight 93 are excluded from aid by the scores of agencies set up to provide relief to the families. I hope this is not true.

[NittanyLion]

MSNBC reported the other night that community outreach efforts include diversity education. I'll try to find a source.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I watched this last evening...he was hot! He is truly sincere in his beliefs on this issue and I say "Go for It".

I have given money and have also put my loose change into the jars around town. I have given in the belief my money will be used to help those affected by 9/11. (be it victims (citizens or not), rescue workers, displaced families, etc) I have not given so that rescue workers will be charged for the coffee they drink or the food they eat.

If asked, I would say YES, if a portion of the monies go to "blood readiness." However, I am apalled that money given to help the victims of 9/11 is earmarked for an upgrade to the telecommunications system.

From now on, it is the Salvation Army--the charity leftist America loves to hate seems to be the one truly helping without trying to fatten their own coffers..

[Psalm 73]

You know the sayings:
"There is no easier, softer way"
"If you want something done right - do it yourself"
If one takes the time to research charities before a check is written, and/or one gives money to individual charities that you are personally involved with instead of just writing a check and trusting someone else to do it for you, then...
ie: we write checks out every few months for a variety of charities and political/social action organizations. It is not as easy as having $$ taken out of my pay check and sent to "where ever", but I know the money goes were it is supposed to, and not eaten up in "administrative" expenses.

[LeeMcCoy]

My father was a demolitions expert in Germany during the occupation. He said that the Salvation Army would visit our soldiers in their foxholes and bring them free coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, and sandwiches. The Red Cross was there too, but charged our soldiers for everything! I cannot imagine our guys, cold and shivering in some foxhole somewhere, having to fish through their pockets to pay for a lousy cup of coffee!

You can bet the Red Cross never told their families back home that their sons would still have to pay for that coffee...as moms and dads "did without" to send their boys aid and comfort through the Red Cross.

Dad also said that while he was in Basic, the Red Cross came to his camp and requested blood donations for injured soldiers in Korea. Almost everyone in his camp donated gladly. They found out later that the Red Cross then sold the blood to stateside hospitals, and not a drop was sent to Korea.

Fraud? A mild term in my opinion!