New York Post Op/Ed

Thursday November 15 05:26 AM EST

THE RED CROSS' RED FACES

The Red Cross got it right.

Finally.

Yesterday, interim CEO Harold Decker announced that all $543 million raised by the Red Cross' "Liberty Fund" will go to the appropriate place - to the families of those murdered during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

It's about time.

For weeks, the Red Cross has been getting wholly justifiable grief over the way it proposed spending the funds raised ostensibly in response to the 9/11 attacks.

After collecting the money, the Red Cross then proposed doling out the cash in a way that clearly broke faith with its contributors.

National "humanitarian education programs" - whatever that means - were established; a national blood reserve was set up and a whopping $200 million was set aside in anticipation of future terrorist attacks.

All the while, generous Americans thought their donations would be helping the families of victims.

To date, only $121 million has gone to those families.

Now things seem to be changing.

Decker, in making the announcement, sounded genuinely apologetic.

"We deeply regret that our actions over the last eight weeks have not been as sharply focused as the American public wants or the victims of this tragedy deserve," said Decker.

The Red Cross deserves credit for recognizing its mistake, coming clean about it and correcting the problem.

Better late than never.

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And who might I ask has lead the charge against the Red Cross and other charities over their handling of the generous donations to help the families and victims of 9/11? Why, none other than Bill O'Reilly, the man who George Clooney accused of being a "liar".

I disagree with Mr O'Reilly on a lot of issues, but he is dead on with this one.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeeD@yahoo.com), November 15, 2001

Answers

Next time -- and our own leaders have mentioned more civilian casualties in this war thingy than military -- next time there should be other options for donations that are not part of the Red Cross.

-- helen gives her hair a rest (to@the.cheers.of.the.savages.among.us), November 15, 2001.

But there are, helen. For example, Rusty Staub - the former Met, Colt 45, Tiger and Expo - has helped to run a local charity for widows and orphans of NYC cops and firepeoples for some 16 years. Granted they've never handled $500 million in donations in one pop, but they are well known here and well respected.

NEW YORK POLICE & FIRE WIDOWS' & CHILDREN'S BENEFIT FUND

[from the web site:] The New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund, Inc. was established in 1985 by Daniel J. "Rusty" Staub to assist the families of police officers and firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty. The Fund gives grieving families a $10,000 check immediately after they lose their loved ones, regardless of financial need.

[NOTE: I'm not a shill for the above charity.]

-- Rich (living_in_interesting_times@hotmail.com), November 15, 2001.

What we have done is to now look local. Hell, this isn't a poor place. Our latest county unemployment rate is 1.8%. Still, the local food bank serves 24 counties, some in worse shape. We have been giving money to the food bank. They were running out of food. Can't let that happen.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), November 15, 2001.

Our food bank is supposed to serve our county only, but the high fuel bills last winter drove people from surrounding counties here for food aid. This is the only food bank in the area. We were running low on food too, but we have some wonderful local grocers who help and a food drive going on now for the holidays.

This is off the subject ... sort of ... but I was driving through neighborhoods looking for a friend's house and noticed all kinds of furniture and toys and machines of various kinds thrown into dumpsters. There were beds, blankets, clothes, rugs, appliances, you name it. All being thrown out as junk. Even if the appliances didn't work, they could have been recycled for parts even if only for the hardware. The local clothing bank has so much donated clothing that they are literally stacked to the rafters and can't take any more.

Then I see pictures taken in many parts of the rest of the world, and people are wearing the only bits of clothing they own, they sleep on the ground, they have no tools to work with.

I'm not a communist in that I think we ought to take from people who have and give it to people who have not -- and yet I wish we could do better with the enormous amount of "stuff" we have.

-- helen's hair hurts and her ears are ringing... (whaaa@happened.to.me?), November 15, 2001.