NYT,pg1,lead: Red Cross Sifting Internal Charges Over Katrina Aid

[DeepModem Mom]

Red Cross Sifting Internal Charges Over Katrina Aid
By STEPHANIE STROM
Published: March 24, 2006

The American Red Cross, the largest recipient of donations after Hurricane Katrina, is investigating wide ranging accusations of impropriety among volunteers after the disaster.

John F. McGuire, the interim president and chief executive of the Red Cross, and Senator Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said some of the actions might have been criminal.

The accusations include improper diversion of relief supplies, failure to follow required Red Cross procedures in tracking and distributing supplies, and use of felons as volunteers in the disaster area in violation of Red Cross rules.

There are no known official estimates of the cash or the value of supplies that might have been misappropriated, but volunteers who have come forward with accusations said the amount was in the millions of dollars. The Red Cross received roughly 60 percent of the $3.6 billion that Americans donated for hurricane relief. Mr. McGuire said the investigation started "a number of weeks ago" and was continuing.

Among the specific problems identified by volunteers were the disappearance of rented cars, generators and some 3,000 of 9,000 air mattresses donated by a private company, as well as the unauthorized possession of Red Cross computer equipment that could be used to add money to debit cards and manipulate databases....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/24/national/nationalspecial/24cross.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all

[merh]

1. The whole Katrina/Rita relief effort is so screwed up.

I'm not sure if the failiings are attributable to the magnitude of the storm, simple human failings given the overwhelming nature of the situation, corruption and greed or all of the above.

I would guess, all of the above.

If all agencies failed so badly in their efforts after Katrina/Rita, think what would happen if another terraist strike hit the USA. :scared:

We are so much worse off today than we were 6 years ago, our nation is in shambles.

I want my nation back :cry:

[Tippy]

2. There have been a lot of quesions raised about the Red Corss

In recent years we all began reading stories about the Red Cross and miss management, I tend to believe greed and corruption played a huge part in the Katrina/Rita effort...hell the entire Katrina effort was miss managed from the top to the bottom why should we belived the Red Cross would not be involved, we live in a corrupt world.

[LostinVA]

4. I never, ever give them money -- because of this and political reasons

I do, hoverer, give money to local relief funds, both for humans and animals.

[Coastie for Truth]

10. With the Exception of the United States Coast Guard Everybody Failed

and now Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is saying that the Coast Guard failed. (He says that they didn't put as much effort into rescuing pets as they did into rescuing people - I'm a pet person - and that is BS)

I am a veteran of the United States Coast Guard -- and we were trained to rescue pets if we could do so without putting human lives at risk.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. Meanwhile, other relief agencies got the shaft re Katrina. . .

notably Operation USA and Americares:

The Red Cross Money Pit:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-redcross25sep25,0,5057936.story?track=tothtml

Katrina's Curse - A Plague of Vultures
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-walden/katrinas-curse-a-plague_b_6542.html

Bush Administration Charity List Dominated By Religious Groups:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a.YafP.BwkJA&refer=top_world_news

:grr:

[Judi Lynn]

5. Red Cross accused of Katrina mismanagement

Red Cross accused of Katrina mismanagement

NEW ORLEANS, March 24 (UPI) -- The American Red Cross is investigating reports of massive losses of cash and supplies in Katrina's aftermath possibly due to theft by some volunteers.

The Red Cross received roughly 60 percent of the $3.6 billion Americans donated for hurricane relief.

John F. McGuire, the interim president and chief executive of the Red Cross, said the investigation is being conducted by the agency's ethics and compliance department, the New York Times reported.

McGuire, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said some of the actions might have been criminal. Grassley said he may seek to revoke or amend the Red Cross's charter if it doesn't get its act in order.

Among the problems reported by volunteers were the disappearance of rented cars, generators and 3,000 donated air mattresses, as well as unauthorized possession of Red Cross computer equipment that could be used to add money to debit cards.
(snip/...)

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060324-113038-7727r

[MadMaddie]

6. This is not the first time...criminal charges need to be filed..

I don't donate to them anymore!!!

[uppityperson]

7. Glad they are being investigated, should be many criminal charges

If what has been said is true, these people should be prosecuted for criminal charges. This goes beyond lining your own pockets to hurting many people.

[XemaSab]

8. Not only that, but profiteering too

The hurricane should not be an opportunity for people to profit off of people's urge to give charitably after a disaster.

[Coastie for Truth]

13. Most of the profiteering discovered so far has been FEMA contractors. NT

[Coastie for Truth]

9. Salvation Army and DU

I have worked with the Salvation Army - as a Ham Radio volunteer (in addition to being a Red Cross volunteer and a ).

I enjoy working with them - unlike the Red Cross they do no "bite off more then they can chew".

But, as a "Liberal" pr "Progressive" or whatever we DUers call ourselves, I have some "issues" with the SA--

1. It is a Faith Based Organization

Mission Statement
The Salvation Army, as an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Doctrines

1. We Believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God; and that only they constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice.
2. We Believe that there is only one God who is infinitely Perfect - the Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things - and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
3. We Believe that there are three persons in the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost - undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
4. We Believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the divine and human natures are united, so that he is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
5. We Believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocence, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
6. We Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has, by his suffering and death, made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.
7. We Believe that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and regeneration (being born again) by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.
8. We Believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believes has the witness in himself.
9. We Believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
10. We Believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
11. We Believe in the immortality of the soul; in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_army|Salvation Army - Wikipedia>

2. The SA is not without controversy

The Salvation Army in the USA has come under attack for what some people see as discrimination in hiring and for its requirements on how employees should behave. Despite the tax breaks it receives as a registered charity, and its government funding (about 11 percent of total revenues, in the form of grants and payments for services), it has a stated policy of "discrimination" against applicants and employees whose faith or sexual orientation are not acceptable to The Salvation Army. The Army's position is that because it is a church, Section VII of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly guarantees its rights to discriminate in hiring.

In a recent case, the New York Federal Court ruled that organization could use religious criteria in its hiring; that ruling is being appealed by the New York Civil Liberties Union. Other issues in the lawsuit by 19 current and former employees are still under consideration by the trial court.

The State of New York has proposed legislation that requires businesses to offer health benefits to same-sex partners of employees. The Salvation Army opposes this policy and has threatened to close its soup kitchens and shelters across New York.

In July 2001, The Washington Post published a Salvation Army internal memo. According to that document, the Salvation Army and President George W. Bush made a deal: the Salvation Army would support Bush's push on faith based initiatives if Bush made sure that the Salvation Army would be exempt from local and state legislations that prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. The leak created considerable amount of protest from the gay community and other liberal groups.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_army|Salvation Army - Wikipedia>

[Danieljay]

11. I , for one, welcome the investigation...and I'm usually a defender

Of the Red Cross. I've defended the Red Cross here time and time again but the recent actions and accusations have concerened me.

I still believe in the value of the organization and the contribution made to Hurricane relief. Most of what is being accused of here is the result of several things. The magnitude of the disaster and the failure of proper monitoring and management of volunteers. It must be remembered that most of those accused were NEW volunteers who were quickly placed on the ground do to the overwhelming nature of the disaster. That does not however mean that there shouldn't be accountability for any negligent failures that occurred.

That being said, I was extremely angry when I found out that Marti Evans received a 3/4 million severence and a $36,000 dollar unpaid bonus upon leaving recently. That pissed me off to no end and I find it entirely inappropiate use of corporate and individual contributions.

When children are turning in their piggy banks and having lemonaid stands for disaster relief, the Red Cross needs to be better stewards of those funds. Huge bonuses that are bigger than most Red Cross staff salaries and 2 year's severance packages is way out of integrity.

[Coastie for Truth]

12. I was part of that Relief Effort

the problems I saw:

1. At the time of Katrina there was no "Criminal Records Check" or "National Agency Check" or "Fair Isaac" Check. That has apparently been changed - since I submitted my paper work in December -- and it came back "OK".
But December - That's three months after Katrina?


2. There is no differentiation between experienced, trained volunteers and "spontaneous" volunteers (people who walk in off the street and "volunteer"). The quasi governmental organizations (Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Urban Search and Rescue, Ham Radio, Community Emergency Response teams) do not accept "Spontaneous Volunteers". The Salvation Army limits what "spontaneous volunteers" are permitted to do.

3. The Red Cross computer system and databases are totally screwed up.

4. The field computer system has been designed for the "PalmTop" and "Tablet Computer" environments. But the volunteers and professionals in the field do NOT have PalmTops or Tablet Computers - so the same data has to be manually entered many times on carbon paper forms. The system is even crashing for three and four family fires.

5. When you get above adjacent chapters in adjacent communities - working together in a major disaster is an "ad hocracy" (been there and done that) - and while FEMA requires us to be trained and conversant in the "" - it's 1.5 hours once - and only once.

I HAVE TWO COMPLAINTS - AT LEAST -

1. Relocation Of Refugees appeared to politically motivated with respect to election dates, registration deadlines, and electoral balance. No proof - just a visceral feeling. This was FEMA.

2. Across the Board - everybody - everywhere - the "Chain of Command" completely broke down - the "" - the Navy and Coast Guard were countermanding each other's orders -- highly paid fire fighters, rescue medics, and urban search and rescue specialists were diverted to helping people fill out forms. And, the "higher headquarters" did not know what was happening at Memorial Hospital.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Thank you for this valuable post, Coastie, based on your experience....

And thank you for your service to others.