Red Cross disappointed many during hurricane crisis

[deminks]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/20/news/cross.php

In New Orleans and the coastal flood plains of Mississippi, many people are complaining that the American Red Cross was missing in their worst hours of need and are worried that its billowing relief fund may bypass them entirely.

The organization did not open shelters in flood-prone areas and was therefore unable to provide food and other necessities to people closest to the coast ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Even some volunteers are disgusted. "I will never, ever wear the Red Cross vest again," said Betty Brunner, who started volunteering in 1969 when Hurricane Camille destroyed her house but quit last week over the organization's response in Hancock County.

The organization has garnered almost three-quarters of the $1 billion that Americans have donated to help the hurricane victims, with endorsements from President Bush, corporate America, and many nonprofit organizations. Its duty, mandated by Congress, is to provide immediate assistance, a need that is rapidly diminishing as victims leave shelters.

[Captain Hilts]

1. My family has had bad experiences with the RC from WWI to today...

During the Johnstown flood of 1936 my mother never saw the RC, but folks up the hill did.

They have the monopoly on volunteer work for the military, as a result, most military people hate them. I still hear vets griping about being SOLD doughnuts by the Red Cross in the Pacific during WWII.

The Red Cross is a money-making racket that SELLS blood to the military.

[FlaGranny]

5. My brother-in-law also complained

that the Red Cross sold the sailors cigarettes in WWII. He hated them also.

[achtung_circus]

8. During WW II

the Red Cross would catch shit for NOT selling cigarettes. I'm not sure I understand your point. Can you clarify, please.

[FlaGranny]

12. Only that my brother-in-law,

when he was in the South Pacific in WWII, had to pay for cigarettes and also other items off the Red Cross ship - items that were supposedly donated. It made him (and his buddies) angry with the Red Cross and he held a grudge against them ever after.

No point really, other than to re-tell his experience.

[barb162]

14. see post 13

[achtung_circus]

16. I see, I thought it might be a non-smoking thing.

but paying for donated items, how does one justify that?

[Danieljay]

23. Red Cross cigarette myth explained

“THE RED CROSS SOLD CIGARETTES.”

ANSWER: This is not true. The sale of cigarettes is a violation of Red Cross policy and the Bureau of Internal Revenue regulations.

There were instances, however, in which servicemen paid for tax-exempt cigarettes carrying the name of the Red Cross. Such a situation may have come about through confusion of Red Cross supplies with army post exchange supplies, In the shipping and sorting of great quantities of overseas material, Red Cross cigarettes were sometimes taken to post exchange, and army cigarettes were accidentally acquired by the Red Cross. Thus a serviceman could have purchased cigarettes bearing the Red Cross emblem. One case is known of a field director’s spending two days trying to identify and track down all the men who had purchased Red Cross cigarettes in this way in order to give each a package of free cigarettes. There were occasions when Red Cross supplies were stolen and sold in the black market. One such case involved an American Red Cross employee who, for this offense, was court-martialed and dismissed from service.

Frequently hospital workers made purchases for patients, and in some instances this service was misunderstood. Patients in neighboring beds seeing money change hands and cigarettes and other items passed from the hospital worker to the patient may have jumped to the conclusion that Red Cross cigarettes were being sold.

NOTE: THE AMERICAN RED CROSS INVITES SPECIFIC EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF ANY ALLEGATION THAT REDCROSS PERSONNEL SOLD CIGARETTES. THE ORGANIZATION WILL TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO DEAL VIGOROUSLY WITH ANY SUCH SITUATION.

[barb162]

13. I heard WW2 vets weren't wild about them too. They had to PAY

for the coffee the RC handed out.

[FlaGranny]

15. Oh, yes, I forgot about the coffee. n/t

[Danieljay]

25. Red Cross sold 15 cent coffee myth explained

“THE RED CROSS CHARGED 15 CENTS FOR CUP OF COFFEE.”

ANSWER: This is not true. The complaints undoubtedly originated in the ETO and can be explained by the ticket system that was standard practice for all clubs in that theater to simplify accounting and keep some check on local cashiers of foreign nationalities. The Red Cross charged 10 francs or about 20 cents for a sheet of tickets (12 coupons) that entitled the bearer to 3 cups of coffee and 6 doughnuts.

Thus the cost of each coupon was less than 2 cents, and each sheet carried in print the information, “Good for any Red Cross Club in the ETO.” Some servicemen failed to examine their tickets carefully and may have assumed that the sheet of tickets was good for only one cup of coffee and doughnut.

In China coffee cost 10 cents and 2 doughnuts cost 10 cents. No coupons were used. In Italy coffee was free, and the organization charged 5 lira or about 5 cents for 3 cookies or pastries. In India a cup of coffee cost 2 anna or 4 cents. The cost of a doughnut was also 2 anna. Sheets of coupons were used in some sections of India. Higher prices charged in India and China were entirely due to the monetary inflation in those countries. Even so, prices charged by the Red Cross were much lower than those charged for the same items at civilian facilities and were charged for meals and individual items of food in such widely scattered place as France, Italy, and China. In France it was not unusual to have simple restaurant meal cost from $10 to $20 in American money, and in China things were even worse, with edible meals sometimes costing as much as $40 or $50.

This revenue made it possible to expand the club program and serve more troops that could have been served otherwise.

The Red Cross, contrary to the belief held by many servicemen and civilians, had to pay for most food supplies received from the Army, as well as for those obtained from local civilian sources. The Red Cross paid direct to the quartermaster from theater headquarters.

[cmd]

22. During WWII Dad needed money to get home from NO when his sister died

The Red Cross would not help him. The Salvation Army paid for his ticket with no questions asked. Dad would never give a cent to the RC.

[Danieljay]

29. First he had to be granted a furlough..and then it would have been a loan.

The Red Cross loaned 70,000,000 during the war and couldn’t make loans to every man who applied for one. It had to set up definite restrictions. Its basic policy was to give temporary financial assistance in time of emergency need.

If a man is granted an emergency furlough and needs transportation and maintenance to his home, the Red Cross will lend him the necessary funds. No interest was ever charged for it is completely contrary to Red Cross policy.

If a financial emergency arises in a man’s family if the allotment or allowance check is late, or if serious illness occurs when the family is short of funds, the Red Cross chapter in his home community has authority to make a loan to the family.

In addition, there are a number of personal emergencies for which field directors are authorized to make loans, but the Red Cross cannot attempt to lend money to every man who is short of funds.

Because of the human element in administering a program as vast as this one, varying interpretations of the loan policy by Red Cross Personnel may have resulted in some complaints.

[cmd]

32. He had an emergency furlough

and he was turned down. Fortunately the Salvation Army helped him; and he has helped the Salvation Army ever since. I have done the same. It was another of the lessons I learned from the coalminer. coalminersdaughter, cmd

[Danieljay]

33. Salvation Army has its demons too...read this

read this from "concerned women for America" a right wing political group.

The Salvation Army, a Christian organization, does not ask prospective employees about homosexuality, but does require its roughly 5,000 staffers in ministerial positions to adhere to a Biblical moral code of sexual purity within marriage and chastity without. The Army, which employs 45,000 people worldwide, is struggling against local city governments that seek to mandate organizations receiving city contracts to provide health and other benefits for homosexual and unmarried heterosexual “domestic partners.”

“We are being forced to make a decision between remaining true to Scripture on the question of sexual morality and honoring our Biblical mandate to respond to the poor and needy,” Hood said.

Both persons in the Red Cross and the Salvation army have ties to both political parties. My point is that if you are going to hold the American Red Cross to a standard, be sure you hold all to the same standard.

[Demeter]

2. Thank Cheney's Wife For Red Cross Conditions

She spent a lot of time over there, mucking around.

[goclark]

6. What about Dole's wife -she was CEO of the RC,right?

[Captain Hilts]

7. Yes, and she hired 3 folks from the failed Dole campaign for prez...

at six figure salaries.

And she was RC head when they screwed up the blood supply.

And the RC swindled people out of money and blood after Sept. llth.

Hey! To whom is the RC accountable? Who's got oversight?

[Demeter]

9. Maybe It's Dole I Was Thinking About

It's these Stepford/GOP wives--how can you tell them apart?

There hasn't been an original since Martha Mitchell and Nancy Reagan.

Although Barbara Bush is another story. What a piece of work!

[leesa]

3. Keep in mind that FEMA and Homeland Security blocked some

of the Red Cross efforts. Let's keep this focused on who the main criminals are...Bush and Chertoff. It's a standard tactic for the GOP to blame Red Cross...they do it every time.

[meganmonkey]

4. i agree. I think this is mainly an effort to direct the blame away from

the Feds. Red Cross isn't responsible here - FEMA is. I am not saying Red Cross is perfect, by any means. They are a volunteer-driven organization and as such there will always be some problems with organizing and administering aid.


However - the Red Cross did not have authority OR access in most cases, at least in the immediate aftermath. And there are many examples, at least anecdotal, of what seems like sabotage by the feds...

[mod mom]

21. I read that the Red Cross was headed by a RW bushie. My husband and I

donated to America's Second Harvest and Salvation Army (our parents always said they were there for the people during the hard times of the depression). Not a cent went to the Red Cross after reading ties to bu$h!

[Danieljay]

34. the Salvation Army has "ties" to Bush too..

The Salvation Army, earned national notoriety last year when it fired a social worker at a domestic violence center on the grounds that she was a lesbian. The Salvation Army was so adamant about protecting their “right” to discriminate against gays and others, that following the controversy over the incident, they began boosting $110,000 per month from their charity kettles to hire a bank of lobbyists to promote Bush’s “faith based” initiative – under agreement with the White House that organizations such as theirs would continue to be exempted from anti-discrimination laws while sucking off the public teat. Currently, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Salvation Army receives approximately $300 million per year from the federal government while barring gays from working in their programs.

Let me just say this. The American Red Cross AND the Salvation Army are good organizations and deserve to be supported. What bothers me is how many people here tend to bash the Red Cross in favor of the Salvation Army which (in my opinion) is far more radical in its policies than the Red Cross has individual ties to Bush. Both organization have done incredible things in face of disasters. If people want to assign blame...lets look at where it truly belongs: FEMA, The department of Homeland Security, and ultimately...the Bush administration.

[RPM_BU]

24. Actually, it was the National Guard and local officials

that kept the Red Cross out of New Orleans.

[SaveAmerica]

30. wrong, wrong, wrong, where's the fly swat smilie?

:thumbsdown:

:boring:

:crazy:

[Danieljay]

31. we were not allowed in...

blame FEMA and the guys with guns. If they say we can't go in, we don't go in. We were ready with supplies to enter.

[struggle4progress]

38. Hogwash. Dozens of independent stories reported different ...

.. aspects of rightwing Federal efforts to limit aid:


(7 Sept) ... Federal officials blocked the American Red Cross from sending food into New Orleans. They kept about 500 Florida airboaters camped outside the city for four days. They turned down three tanker trucks of drinking water donated by Wal-Mart ...

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said his city offered help before Katrina even hit New Orleans. The offer was very specific. Chicago said it could spare more that 100 police officers, 36 fire, rescue and medical personnel and hundreds of other workers. FEMA said all it wanted was a single tanker truck ...

Sweden offered a water purification system and a cellular system donated by Ericsson, plus a C-130 Hercules transport plane. The State Department denied Sweden’s request for flight clearance ...

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/09/08/editorial_main/doc431f8078b7a02016237334.txt


Homeland Security won't let Red Cross deliver food

(3 Sept) ... As the National Guard delivered food to the New Orleans convention center yesterday, American Red Cross officials said that federal emergency management authorities would not allow them to do the same ... "The Homeland Security Department has requested and continues to request that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans," said Renita Hosler, spokeswoman for the Red Cross. Right now access is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities. We have been at the table every single day . We cannot get into New Orleans against their orders" ..
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm


(2 Sept) ... The head of a volunteer firefighter association expressed frustration Friday that federal disaster relief coordinators were excluding his colleagues from participating in recovery efforts in New Orleans ...
http://www.gazette.net/stories/090205/montcou165700_31903.shtml

[Neshanic]

10. The "San Diego" wildfire scandal was very telling of this operation.

That was nuts what they did there.

[Suich]

11. I must have missed that.

What did they do???

[zann725]

17. When Shrub smiled, saying "Send CASH" (to RC)...then went to "thank" RC

PERSONALLY shortly after...I was NOT surprised at their lack of "thorough" response THIS time at least.

"CASH" is something this Admin. knows how to 'handle' very well...as they've proved again and again in Iraq.

[olddad56]

18. The Bush Admin took control of the Red Cross way beofre this disaster

The president selected the board that heads the Red Cross. They take their marching orders from FEMA.

[Danieljay]

36. we dont take marching orders from FEMA, but since FEMA is a federal agency

we have to abide by federal law. If FEMA wont let us in, we can't go in. Simple as that. The guys with guns said no. Blame Bush, FEMA, and Homeland Security, not the Red Cross. We were there ready to go in.

[Dangerously Amused]

19. ...

This may help to clarify. My Dad and his two brothers were all in WWII. They also complained about the Red Cross because the RC a is highly organized business; the admin leaders make big sqalaries and the organization gets tons of money donated to them, and they always have nice new equipment and new uniforms. Which in and of itself is not bad, but yes, they sold little comfort items to the soldiers. Dad remembers apples and doughnuts being 25 cents, which was a LOT of money back them for those things. By contrast, when the Salvation Army came around they never had new equipment or nice uniforms, and they GAVE all those same things to the soldiers that the RC charged them for, just to brighten the soldiers day and make them feel remembered and appreciated.

So yeah, Pops and the Uncles have never been real fond of the RC and would never donate to them.

[Danieljay]

26. More Red Cross myths explained.....

This is not true. Sweaters and comfort articles are given to those who need them and are never, under any circumstances, sold by the Red Cross.

Sometimes, however, despite every precaution, Red Cross supplies have found their way into unauthorized hands, and at such times servicemen may have been victimized. There were instances when servicemen departing for warmer climates sold their Red Cross sweaters to men remaining in the cold zone. Thus a serviceman might have purchased a sweater bearing the Red Cross label, but he did NOT purchase it form the Red Cross.


"dad remembers apples and dougnuts were 25 cents"

This is not true. The complaints undoubtedly originated in the ETO and can be explained by the ticket system that was standard practice for all clubs in that theater to simplify accounting and keep some check on local cashiers of foreign nationalities. The Red Cross charged 10 francs or about 20 cents for a sheet of tickets (12 coupons) that entitled the bearer to 3 cups of coffee and 6 doughnuts.

Thus the cost of each coupon was less than 2 cents, and each sheet carried in print the information, “Good for any Red Cross Club in the ETO.” Some servicemen failed to examine their tickets carefully and may have assumed that the sheet of tickets was good for only one cup of coffee and doughnut.

In China coffee cost 10 cents and 2 doughnuts cost 10 cents. No coupons were used. In Italy coffee was free, and the organization charged 5 lira or about 5 cents for 3 cookies or pastries. In India a cup of coffee cost 2 anna or 4 cents. The cost of a doughnut was also 2 anna. Sheets of coupons were used in some sections of India. Higher prices charged in India and China were entirely due to the monetary inflation in those countries. Even so, prices charged by the Red Cross were much lower than those charged for the same items at civilian facilities and were charged for meals and individual items of food in such widely scattered place as France, Italy, and China. In France it was not unusual to have simple restaurant meal cost from $10 to $20 in American money, and in China things were even worse, with edible meals sometimes costing as much as $40 or $50.

This revenue made it possible to expand the club program and serve more troops that could have been served otherwise.

The Red Cross, contrary to the belief held by many servicemen and civilians, had to pay for most food supplies received from the Army, as well as for those obtained from local civilian sources. The Red Cross paid direct to the quartermaster from theater headquarters.

"admin made big salaries blah blah blah"

13. “RED CROSS MEN AND WOMEN RECEIVED EXCESSIVE SALARIES.”
ANSWER: Some top personnel served on a volunteer basis. Overseas, nearly all others were well-trained paid workers. The salary rates for the majority approximated those received by junior army and navy officers.

Red Cross personnel receive none of the special tax exemptions allowed the Army and Navy, or any of the benefits accruing to servicemen under the GI Bill of Rights.

Most Red Cross overseas workers endured the same uncomfortable living conditions as service personnel, and they often experienced the same hazards.

Like the Army and Navy, the Red Cross suffered casualties. The latest available figures show that 75 Red Cross men and women died while on overseas assignment. Hundreds of others were returned to the United States for medical reasons after extended exposure to unfavorable climates and conditions.

Red Cross overseas personnel came from a wide variety of backgrounds and previous experience. They were all selected with great care. They were patriotic American men and women human beings doing a difficult job under trying conditions. The Red Cross is deeply proud of their performance

[Tomee450]

20. I have heard

bad things about the Red Cross and that's why I did not give them my donation.

[pitohui]

27. yes there is always an excuse not to give

haven't we had enough of this for awhile

can someone link maddy's fine post abt this topic?

[Danieljay]

28. Thank you...The Red Cross expects

to meet the emergency needs of nearly one million people in three key areas:

1. The Red Cross will spend an estimated $744 million in food and shelter operations, including hot meals, snacks, drinks, cots, blankets, and supplies;

2. We are planning to give more than $1.4 billion in direct emergency financial assistance to individuals and families; and

3. We plan to provide $78.4 million in disaster-related physical and mental heath services, including replacing prescription medications, using our network of nurses and trained mental health counselors.

[kostya]

35. Yes, yes, yes, you will spend some money in the Gulf states,

but how much did the RC take in with its "Help Victims of Katrina" advertising. A lot more than they'll spend. They mislead donors about where their money is going. They have been doing it forever so they can keep up those high administrative salaries and finance their pet "programs".

The real costs are all going to be picked up by us, the taxpayers, thanks to W's recently found largesse. - K

[Danieljay]

37. Not the Red Cross I work for...

90% of your donations goes to direct services. See this link.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/3277.htm

We expect to spend more than $2 billion in our response to this epic disaster, a sum that is at least 20 times greater than the relief provided for all hurricanes in 2004. Because of public mistrust and wrongful speculation we are augmenting rigorous internal controls with increased procedures and guidance to ensure and demonstrate proper stewardship. We are also investigating every allegation of fraud committed against the Red Cross and working closely with the Justice Department and the FBI. Financial information resulting from this effort will be made available to the public. We will soon be sharing details of our spending plans with the public, and will provide field units with materials to do the same.

What people need to understand when donating to the Red Cross is this: There are four options for funds.

Katrina relief
American Red Cross Disaster fund
Local American Red Cross Chapter
Use my money as needed

Here is the problem. If people give a donation and say "Katrina relief" we HAVE to use the money for Katrina relief. If, like 9-11, we have excess, it cant be spent on anything else and sits locked up. If you donate to the Disaster relief fund, it can go to this disaster or any other disaster that might strike across the country. It could be money you donated that provides relief for the tornado that blows your house away next spring. Most people insist their money goes to the immediate need, creating all sorts of headaches on how it should be spent once the disaster relief has taken place. Unfortunately, what happens, is that the local chapter of the Red Cross that responds as ours does to an emergency every 32 hours, is short funded because people tend to only donate to the disaster on hand.

The Red Cross mission is to prevent, PREPARE for, and respond to emergencies. We live in a society who loves to respond but dedicates very few resources to preventing or preparing for. The supplies for this relief effort were purchased in the past and thats why we can respond so quickly. If everyone donates only to the Katrina relief effort, that money HAS to go for that, whats left is locked and legally we can't use it. So, the money sits there, as it is with the extra 9-11 funds. It wasn't squandered.

If I have any issue with the Red Cross it would be this: We need, during these emergencies, to explain this scenario to the person donating to help them understand that donating ONLY to the immediate relief is great, but if they donate to the disaster releif fund, it will be used in future disasters, perhaps in their own city or part of the country.