My dad refuses to give to the Red Cross. When I asked him why, he told me they were a joke in the 1950's, when he was in the Army. Now I think he may be right.
Raw Story is reporting a set of problems surrounding the Red Cross and hurricane relief efforts. Personally, it's interesting because
Amid reports that thousands were trapped in the Superdome and the Convention Center, the Red Cross did not distribute or drop supplies to either location.
The group's explanation that its presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city mirrors a National Guard decision not to drop food supplies, saying they did not want to spark riots.
The Red Cross is still not distributing supplies in the city.
Hosler says that although the city is now fully occupied by the National Guard, the Red Cross remains outside the city and is not distributing supplies, largely because of the decision to forcibly evacuate those who remain.
Some residents have been forced to travel at least 17 miles for water.
"Goods that the government personnel are bringing in are for their own forces," one eyewitness report states. "They are not distributing provisions to people who desperately need them... Thousands of troops are in New Orleans but water is premium and still not available."
Is the Red Cross violating its Code of Conduct? Who really controls them?
The Red Cross was incorporated by Congressional Charter in 1905 in order to "provide volunteer aid in time of war to the sick and wounded of the armed forces" in accordance with the spirit and conditions of various treaties, among which were the Geneva Conventions.
Unknown to most Red Cross donors, Congress incorporated the Red Cross to act "under government supervision" and eight of the fifty members of the Board Governors are to be appointed by the President, seven of whom are federal officials....
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In recent years, affiliations between the Red Cross and federal agencies have grown. Prior to 9/11, the Red Cross was a key organization in what is known as the Federal Response Plan, enacted in 2000.
The Federal Response Plan could only be triggered by a request for support by a governor and a declaration of emergency by the President. In providing relief and assistance under the Act, the President was given authorization to utilize the personnel and facilities of the Red Cross and to enter into agreements with it to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
In 2002, the Federal Response Plan was superseded by the similarly-named National Response Plan. This Plan was created under the 2002 Homeland Security Act. FEMA and the Red Cross were brought under the Department of Homeland Security.
The Red Cross again became a signatory.
And who is currently running the Red Cross?
McElveen-Hunter donated more than $130,000 to the Republican Party since 2000, RAW STORY has found. Her largest donations were $25,000 to the Republican National Committee in April 2004 and $100,000 in July 2000. In May 2000, she gave $1000 to "Bush for President, Inc."
Marsha J. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Red Cross, is a Rear Admiral in the Navy and the Director of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., a global investment bank serving the financial needs of corporations, institutions, governments and high-net-worth investors worldwide, according to the corporation's web site. Evans also sits on the boards of the May Department Stores Company and Weight Watchers International and was recently elected to the board of the Huntsman Corporation, a large chemical and plastics manufacturer. She is also a presidential appointee to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy.
Evans donated $500 to the Republican National Committee in 2004.
Are your donations being handled correctly?
During previous disaster relief efforts, however, the Red Cross has withheld funds intended for victims and placed them into a reserve fund for future use, including for what one Red Cross president described as a "war fund."
The Red Cross has repeatedly been cited for poor handling of donations for disaster victims. Some have even referred accused them of "bait-and-switch fund raising."
An investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight panel after 9/11 revealed that while pledging that 9/11 donations (minus overhead) would all go to victims, the Red Cross held back more than half of the $543 million it had raised.
The Red Cross says they funneled these monies to prepare for terrorist attacks.
"We had planned for a weapon of mass destruction attack," former Red Cross President Dr. Bernadine Healy said, saying funds were diverted to a "Liberty Fund."..
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During the oversight panel's hearings, Representative Bill Tauzin (R-LA), declared: "What's at issue here is that a special fund was established for these families. It was specially funded for this event, September 11. And it is being closed now because we are told enough money's been raised in it, but we're also told, by the way, we're going to give two-thirds of it away to other Red Cross needs."
The subcommittee asked the Red Cross to provide the exact language of its television and newspapers appeals for donations to determine whether it had intentionally deceived the public. The Red Cross responded by refocusing the Liberty Fund back to meeting the needs of 9/11 relief.
Red Cross holdbacks were also evident after the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, where it was alleged that the Red Cross turned over to victims only $10 million of the $50 million raised, keeping the difference for future disasters and organizational expansion. According to one researcher, critics also protested holdbacks following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Red River flooding in 1997 and a San Diego fire in 2001.
I may get flamed for this because it might be seen as trying to drive down donations. I'm not, because there are many other organizations doing an outstanding job. I don't have a beef against the Red cross. I just want to make sure they are held accountable with our dollars that should be going to survivors.