No DNC surplus funds for LGBT groups

[kweerwolf]

The host committee for the 2004 Democratic National Convention announced last week that it had dispersed the $4 million surplus from the convention to 32 nonprofit organizations and charities throughout the area, but conspicuously absent from the list are organizations working on behalf of the LGBT community.

In an interview with the Boston Globe announcing the grants Mayor Thomas Menino said “We have a diverse community in Boston and wanted everyone to share in the convention’s success.” Bay Windows wondered why the LGBT community was not included in that diversity. Menino’s spokesperson Jennifer Mehigan declined to comment on the grants, referring all questions to Boston 2004, Inc., the host committee. David Passafaro, president of the host committee, said that in choosing the grant recipients the committee stayed as close to their original mission in hosting the convention, working for the benefit of the city, boosting Boston’s convention and tourism business, and providing economic opportunity, particularly to women- and minority-owned businesses that might serve the convention.

To stay close to their original mission Passafaro said the board chose to award grants to organizations that fell into specific categories: tourism organizations (such as the Freedom Trail Foundation, which received $150,000), special events organizations (such as First Night, which got a $250,000 grant), workforce development organizations (including the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, $300,000), minority- and women-owned enterprises (such as the Center for Women and Enterprise, which received $75,000), and youth development organizations (including $25,000 to Boston Partnerships in Education). While Boston 2004 received requests from other worthy organizations, Passafaro said the committee decided not to award them funding.

“For instance, I got a call from the Boston Rape Crisis Center. They do good work, they’re an important organization, but it didn’t fit out into what we’re trying to do,” said Passafaro. “I didn’t want to use dollars for something they didn’t give it to us for.”

http://www.baywindows.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=0C72597FE84E41F39CBDD451C74249D4

[dsc]

1. So whose funds were these?

Was this funds Boston put up to host and thus their money or funds the DNC had charge of? In either case I do think it stinks gays were left out.

[xchrom]

2. did gay folk contribute any of this money being dispersed?

why do i think the answer to this question is probably yes?

[foreigncorrespondent]

3. Yeppers!

And this just proves that they are pulling further away from us. The whole Dean thing was just the tip of the iceberg.

[dsc]

4. Maybe not

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/08/01/settlement_helps_host_committee/

It appears that the donors were major ones who give huge checks. Unions and such too. While some of those might also be gay, there appears to be no gay specific donations.

[xchrom]

6. why would gay folk as individuals give money

to a political organizations except to see their issues advanced as a specific?

i'm that choosey with my donations -- i doubt i'm alone.

[dsc]

7. that is part of my point

It looks like this was some sort of fund under Boston's control and donated by large union and corporate donors.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. One thing here, another thing there...

Is anyone else beginning to see a pattern in recent DNC news?

[JoshWatermanMN]

8. Thats fine . . . this GLBT doesn't have any surplus funds . . .

. . . for the DNC, at least until they clean up their acts.

[closeupready]

9. Me, too.

The DNC sent me a solicitation for a handout. I'm going to send it back with a letter outlining exactly how I feel - and no $$$, of course.