"After months of planning for two dozen parties to fete the 56 delegations to the Democratic National Convention — and facing financial difficulties — the city's host committee is scrapping those parties and holding one big bash.
Friends of New Orleans, a charity formed to help that city recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, is paying for the party, and for a concert with New Orleans-style food at the Fillmore Auditorium afterward for the 6,000 delegates and their guests on Aug. 24, the Sunday before the convention opens."
Guess what?
"Friends of New Orleans, Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 organization currently based in Washington, DC. Your contribution to Friends of New Orleans is tax deductible."
So tax deductible contributions that the donors thought were going to rebuild New Orleans is going to be used for a party at the Democratic Convention.
I would think that would be illegal. And if not it is totally outrageous.
Friends of New Orleans
BUMP AND UPDATE
For whatever reason, probably because they realized they had stepped on their peepee, the story has changed.
The party for the 6,000 delegates and their guests on Aug. 24 will honor Friends of New Orleans, a charity formed to help that city recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.The host committee originally said in a news release that Friends of New Orleans would be hosting the party. That is incorrect, according to the group, which raises funds for non-profit groups in Louisiana. The host committee is paying for the party. After the party, Friends of New Orleans is planning a gathering of its own at Fillmore Auditorium to raise awareness of the rebuilding efforts. The group plans a similar event at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota
So let me understand.
The Friends of New Orleans isn't hosting THAT party, but instead is hosting THIS party. And a similar event will held at the Repubs..... uh huh. Sure.
An why? Why in the hell is a tax payer funded charity throwing a party for anybody???
This is nonsense. Pure and simple. And things like this is why that I quit long ago giving any money to anyone except the church.
This article by the Denver Post has been rescinded.
ReplyDeleteStatement by Friends of New Orleans Concerning 6/5/08 Denver Post Article, “Host Committee Slashes DNC Party Venues”
The Denver Post article "Host Committee Slashes DNC Party Venues," inaccurately portrays Friends of New Orleans (FONO) as being a financial sponsor of the Delegate Party planned for the Democratic National Convention. Friends of New Orleans, a private, non-profit, non-partisan, membership organization for people in the U.S. and abroad who care about the region, is not now and never was a financial sponsor of the event. The event, which is being held at the Colorado Convention Center on Sunday, August 24 in Denver, Colorado, is being sponsored by the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee. Acknowledging the inaccuracy, The Denver Post updated its article at 12:31 p.m. MDT. In addition, the Democratic National Convention Committee issued a statement clarifying its financial commitment for the event.
Since its inception in 2006, FONO has been instrumental in keeping the focus on rebuilding New Orleans and its surrounding parishes. To keep New Orleans and its issues post-hurricanes top-of-mind in an election year, FONO has planned benefit events at each of the two national conventions in Denver and St. Paul on August 24 and September 1 respectively. The purpose of these events is to highlight the local organizations working tirelessly to rebuild their homes and communities.
I guess Rush is wrong AGAIN.
Why would you say that Rush is wrong?????
ReplyDeleteThe article was printed by the DP and I quoted the article and linked to the article for publication at 3:00PM.
And while I am glad to know the FONO is not throwing a party for the DEMOS, I wonder why they are wasting money in Denver and St Paul for useless PR.
I ran across this topic on a Rush Limbaugh site. I thought that is where your source was. I have a lot of anger towards Rush because I am a Repubplican that lives on the devastated Gulf Coast. For months the radio stations combined into one station and it was a resource for survival information. About October 2005 regular programing started again. This was good. It was a sign of recovery and we hung to any bit of good news. I went out at lunch to get gas and Rush was on the radio. He was spouting such trash and LIES I couldn't believe it. He was saying New Orleans was fine and the only business people going under was due to better businesses coming in. A New Orleanian called in to correct him and he brushed him off as a pinko liberal when actually he was telling the truth. Before Katrina I enjoyed Rush. Now I realize it is all lies. These people care more for their party loyalty than their loyalty to their country. This FONO article is just one more example. I am a member of FONO. It is not to aid Katrina. It is basically a lobbying group to keep the presense of a destroyed American city on the map. It is having a presense at BOTH conventions to lobby the politicos. This is how far this country has fallen when a destroyed American city feels it needs to lobby for help from its own country. Many people lost many things from the storm. Some homes, some lives, some businesses. What I lost was a belief in my country. I can't tell you how very much that hurts.
ReplyDeleteI really don't worry about what a radio talk guy says about complex situations.
ReplyDeleteI guess my real question would be why NO should be rebuilt by the taxpayer. The city is in a bowl and will be devasted again.
New Orleans HAS rebuilt mostly without the aid of government on ANY level. The first government aid made its way to the city November 2007, more than two years after the storm devastated our world. As to why government money should be used to be rebuilt, I have 2 answers. 1.)It is what I, as an American citizen, pay taxes through the wazoo for. 2.) It was the failure of inadequate poorly designed federal levees that destroyed the city in the first place. As you see signs in stores "You break it,you fix it." You know this arguement we have gotten from the beginning of "Why rebuild it?" has been the biggest loss to me from Katrina. I NEVER thought Americans would turn their backs on their own. NEVER!!! Now I know how wrong I was. I hope you and your family never have to live through such heartache. If you do, I will be there to support you because you are my countryman and that to me is the American spirit. I believe this country has lost its way. People wrap themselves in the flag while turning their backs on their fellow Americans. Is that how patriotism has been warped? I just bought a book called "Painting Katrina". The foreword says it all for me. It says:
ReplyDelete"To all the people whose lives were ravaged by the hurricanes of 2005, to the first responders and volunteers who put themselves in harm's way to save lives, to the private citizens from all walks of life and all parts of the country (and I add- the world) who gave us shelter and helped us rebuild, and to the indomitable spirit of our beautiful New Orleans."
New Orleans, a 300 year old city, has not died. We are still here creating a culture that has been here much longer than America itself. I am sorry you feel we are not "worth" your support but we are not going to disappear to make you happy. We endure.