A Double-Take
I have been astonished at some of the statements in support of the IAFF bilking the Muscular Dystrophy Association out of millions of dollars meant for the care and treatment of sick children.
So much so that I arranged to meet with a former philanthropy professional who has served on a number of boards, including a board which makes decisions on the funding of charities.
He currently serves as the president of a non-profit metropolitan DC charity.
When I explained to him that the IAFF raises $26 million for MDA and receives $1.4 million back which goes into their general operating budget, I was met with a mixture of puzzlement and disbelief coupled with a classic double-take look.
That expression of “I’m sorry, I can’t be hearing you correctly.”
“You Don’t Raise Money to Make Money”
He said that it would be “antithetical” for the IAFF to raise funds for a charity and then to take a payment from them in return.
I had to look “antithetical” up: “directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.”
So, as I had concluded earlier, what the IAFF is doing is in direct opposition to ethical charitable operations.
It was, he said, “unprecedented.”
Further, he counseled that it was also improper for MDA to make such a payment to begin with.
The World We Live In
It is a measure of the IAFF Harold Schaitberger has created that many are not troubled at all by shaking down a charity, and some will even rush to defend the practice as a “good investment.”
Taking “Fill the Boot” money is no different than church ushers helping themselves to the collection plate.
The MDA issue proves as clearly as any other that Schaitberger has ruined the ethical culture of the IAFF, and thus the IAFF itself.
Skimming money meant for sick kids is also seen as good business by vice-presidents who are simultaneously ripping off the union $80 at a time.
I am glad I went outside the IAFF for an opinion.
It validates my strongly held belief that we have become so corrupt that we no longer even realize our misdeeds and that change can only come from without.
– See more at: http://www.turnoutblog.com/2015/08/30/iaff-mda-the-shakedown-believe-it-or-not/#sthash.Rujdxxt0.dpuf