Yesterday, I told you a fairy tale about a Chicago non-profit. Its founder lied about her credentials and her daughter's death that led to the founding of the organization. The Save A Life Foundation's (SALF) mission is "to provide vital first aid skills to our nation’s youth," but they are unable to account for how many kids they've actually trained in the Chicago metro and have made unreasonably high estimates, according to the head of the Chicago Schools. Furthermore, a temp has alleged that they plagiarized an EMT training manual.
I bring this fairy tale to your attention because I want highlight another fairy tale -- Senator Norm Coleman's claim to the Republican Champion of Oversight.
(Updated: see below)
-- cross-posted from mnblue.com, home of the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter ---
Norm wants to be known throughout the realm for fighting corruption, graft and waste. However, Republican Champion of Oversight is more like being the tallest dwarf, mostest-giantest shrimp or the sharpest spoon in the knife drawer. Norm has overlooked so many instances of Republican corruption, graft and waste, that the piddly amount he has investigated pales. He has ignored pallets of greenbacks that have disappeared in Iraq, ignored the corruption in the no-bid contract process, ignored torture ... the list is lengthy and you can read it in its entirety here.
I require your patience once again today as I set up Norm with more information about Save A Life Foundation, The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. As it turns out, Homeland Security and FEMA knew all along about SALF's problems, yet to this day the organization remains in good standing with both. I have obtained a chain of emails showing they've known since Chuck Goudie broke the story on ABC7 in November 2006.
Most of the names in the email chain are redacted, but on the night that the report aired James Duncan, Director of Region V National Preparedness Division based in Chicago emailed some people above him in the agency:
I don't know if any of you saw Channel 7 News tonight, but they are doing an investigative reporting series on Save-A-Life. It was not pretty! [Name Redacted] had to get his boss away from the camera.
The unknown recipient forwarded it to Liz DeGregorio of Homeland Security and at least one other person.
Did you all catch this?
And someone responded:
No. I wonder if we can get on the news site...Thanks for the head's up [name redacted]
And one final email indicating they understand the content of ABC7's expose:
Channel 7 is the local news in Chicago -1 think it is ABC.
The report questioned her credentials as an RN - could not find any record of her schooling - and also some conflict between the Red Cross and Heimlich maneuver. Also questioned the circumstances of her daughter's accident. Also mentioned SALF receives "homeland security" money.
I did not see the report - this is second hand info.
Yet, to this day, SALF remains in good standing with Homeland Security's Citizen Corps and FEMA. No reviews, no questions asked. Just like every single other aspect of the corruption, incompetence and lawlessness in the Bush Administration, this non-profit just slides on by ... business as usual.
Continuing with the Bush Administration's practice of rewarding incompetence, corruption and now dubious non-profit organizations, you give them an award! This is the from the front-page of SALF's website ... screenshot taken today:
When you click on Bush's picture, you get the video of the ceremony. When you click on the picture to the right of His Shrubness, you get the following announcement:
Here's the link to Homeland Security's Citizen Corp page for SALF ... I also took this screenshot today. Homeland Security still considers SALF a legitimate and upstanding organization.
*** Update ***
A reader added the following comment over at mnblue:
From SALF Commends Legendary Citizen Corps Pioneers, August 22, 2005 (includes photo of DiGregorio and Save A Life president Carol Spizzirri):
Elizabeth DiGregorio, Acting Director of the Community Preparedness Division within the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of State and Local Government Preparedness and Coordination. Ms. DiGregorio is responsible for developing the national strategy for Citizen Corps and for overall coordination of the program's implementation as part of the President's initiative under the umbrella of USA Freedom Corps. Citizen Corps fosters a culture of service, citizenship and responsibility by brining together volunteers and the first responders in a community to find ways to make a community safer, stronger and better prepared for all emergencies.
Ms. DiGregorio was appointed Chief of Staff by FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh in July 2001. As chief of staff, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency and for directing implementation of the priorities and policies of the agency's director. As chief of staff, Ms. DiGregorio oversaw the agency's internal operations, advised the director on the agency's crosscutting policies and procedures, and served as the focal point for implementing the director's initiatives.
-- cross-posted from mnblue.com, home of the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter ---