Down Syndrome Fundraiser-Palin pockets $100,000 to speak-nothing left over for kids but spare change

[Snoutport]

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2011/05/seriously-just-when-will-these-people.html

Yes, I know, you all are sick of hearing about Sarah Palin...but here is the problem with leaving her alone. She continues to speak and influence people all over the country. In this case a Down Syndrome Fundraiser hired her to speak (famous mom with a kid (or grandkid) with down syndrome...makes sense) but they might not have made any money for the kids...but Palin most likely still got her speaking fee.

Palin needs to be discredited at every turn so that she can no longer keep making millions taking advantage of people.

If the woman has a heart she'd donate the money. (and, yes, I'm sharing this blog (that could use a little more fact finding, I'll admit) in the hopes that enough people will hear about this and shame her into donating her speaker's fee.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. She's in it for only the money

[Snoutport]

3. at the expense of children with disabilities, in this case :0(

I am going to use my first frowny face.... :-(

[Taverner]

2. She's a grifter eom

[Broderick]

4. She is about

what 99 percent of the politicians are in for - gifts, special consideration, and money.

She ain't running. She is getting rich bilking a sizable percentage of the population on platitudes.

[OneGrassRoot]

5. It's a pattern. This from last year:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/malia-litman/sarah-palin-speaks-at-fun_b_573746.html

On May 11, 2010 Sarah Palin appeared at another fundraising event. This time the speech was to benefit Rainbow Omega, a non-profit organization devoted to adults with developmental disabilities. This facility is located about 45 minutes east of Birmingham Alabama. According to Stentson Carpenter, the Board Chairman and CEO of Rainbow Omega, the contract with Palin prohibited him from disclosing the fee paid to Palin, but he did confirm that the amount was agreed upon in advance, and that the fee was in addition to travel expenses. Palin's usual fee is $100,000. Travel expenses in this case did not include a private plane, but a first class ticket for Ms. Palin and two coach tickets for her security guards. Obviously Grandma Palin was not donating her time, but was receiving financial compensation for this 39 minute speech.

[Snoutport]

17. She'll never run and give up all this income...

but it is a pity that these fund raisers for people who need help pretty much just line her pockets.

[jberryhill]

6. Shame her?

Lol.

[Snoutport]

9. i thought maybe her heart was just two sizes too small...

[Beaverhausen]

7. Let's hope she donated her speaking fee to the organization

let's not jump to conclusions before the facts are out.

[Snoutport]

10. my hope would be she does. and a little public pressure just might help her make that decision.

:0)

[Botany]

8. It is a family of grifters, crooks, and fame whores.

Sarah used to bill the State of Alaska for lodging and food when she was staying @ her own house.

The oldest child, Track, had to go into the Army to avoid criminal penalties for something that happened in Wasilla.

Bristol Palin is gonna get big bucks for an autobiography that she will never write.

Willow Palin was breaking into vacant homes and used them for "parties."

Todd Palin along with Sarah Palin have another house south of Denali National Park that they didn't pay any taxes on until it was discovered
this year.

The whole freaking "Palin thing" is that they are propped by the media and $ from the right wing ..... my God she couldn't even name
a single newspaper she reads.

[malaise]

11. Why the fugg did they invite her to speak

It makes no sense

[Snoutport]

16. Her son is probably one of the most famous kids with down syndrome in the country

[misanthrope]

21. Because it was in Point Clear, Ala.,...

...an upper crust enclave in one of the reddest counties in one of the reddest states in the nation. It created a ton of p.r. for the charity plus fulfilled many fantasies of the folks who inhabit that area.

[Liberal Veteran]

12. She also trained her daughter well at this.

They spent quite a bit on having Bristol lecture everyone on how awful being a teen mom can be.

[Snoutport]

33. Yeah...earning 1/4 of a million bucks to lecture people not to do what she is doing

[Canuckistanian]

13. She took a fee for speaking at a fundraiser?

I don't care WHAT the cause is, that's low.

And shame on the Down's Syndrome foundation for agreeing to her terms.

[jillan]

14. She is a horrible person.

[MadMaddie]

15. Palin is about Palin and the money

She is a pathetic excuse for a mother and an American.

[donheld]

18. Why is it so many bible beaters I know love her?

:shrub:

[Cleita]

20. Because she's pretty and they are shallow people.

If she looked like a female Joe Lieberman, no one would pay attention to her.

[Mariana]

35. Because they never hear about this stuff.

Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and World Net Daily don't talk or write about things like this. Not that it matters - even if the loons do somehow hear about it they simply refuse to believe it. A lot of them have made her into some kind of super-Christian goddess in their minds, seriously, just listen to them talk about her, and read what they write on the RW sites. They worship her.

[Jakes Progress]

19. Feel sorry for the kids, but what the hell are they doing asking this pile of crap to talk?

What idiot board would do something this stupid? I want the kids to get what they need, but contributing to this pack of tea-bag assholes is not the way to help the kids.

[jmowreader]

23. I think I understand

According to the article, the organizers of this event rented a 1000-seat hall and charged $600 per ticket.

Let's work the math:

If they packed the house they would have pulled in $600,000. Subtract Palin's $100,000, the $10,000 it probably costs to get her there (counting airfare, hotels, meals, etc., etc., etc...) and the $5000 they had to pay the hotel, and you're looking at a clear profit of $485,000.

Instead, they drew 200 people at probably "steeply discounted" rates. I figure they probably lost $50,000 on this because you KNOW Palin isn't going to cut her fees.

[Jakes Progress]

26. That is what I meant

about brain dead organizers. There are charities that serve this demographics that are not stupid and will not waste your donation. Give to them.

[Contrary1]

22. $120,000. in ticket sales and they are not yet sure there will be any profit for the fundraiser?

"Foundation officials have not released the speaking fee charged by Palin."

I'm just sitting here shaking my head.

Edit to add this comment:

"This is a new charity. Seems to me that I read that Palin has received fees from "speaking" to other groups, and right after she was paid, they folded. Maybe this is a way for the Koch brothers to fill Palin's bank account. These so-called charities shgould be investigated. "Candies" pay Bristol more than they donate to "charity" Franklin Graham takes a hefty chunk of the donations for himself from "Samaritan's Purse" These family values repubs. are really something."

Interesting.

[999998th word]

28. It wouldn't surprise me one bit

[mondo joe]

32. Not every non-profit or fundraising event is well managed.

And good intentions aren't enough.

[SpiralHawk]

24. Republicon Family Cesspool Values

as usual

[mwb970]

25. What a terrible woman she is.

Palin represents everything I stand against: ignorance, greed, dishonesty, bigotry, hate.

She is an uneducated, immature, empty-headed, attractive woman. In other words, the opposite of me in every way imaginable.

[Jakes Progress]

27. What a perfect republican the woman is.

She is a distillation of all the current trends in the republican party.

[Snoutport]

34. lol..true!

[BlueIris]

29. Insane. I first learned about the racket that is the lecture circuit in 1999,

and it horrified me. Not surprised to see Palin trying to cash in on it.

[Bunny]

30. She is a horror.

[mondo joe]

31. The story has 2 assumptions - 1) Palin's $100k fee and 2) No corporate sponsors

I note this because I was getting ready to tweet about the story in my professional capacity in non-profits, when I realized the author of the piece made conclusions based on assumptions. They may well be true, but that is yet unknown.

The event may have grossed more than just ticket sales (due to cash sponsors), and it's possible Palin didn't charge $100k (though I wouldn't be at all surprised if she did).

[Snoutport]

36. There is a link above where something similar happened

And I did mention in my OP that some fact checking was lacking...

But from what I've read it is her usual MO...money first, eh?