Comments on: The State of the City http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/23/the-state-of-the-city/ News & Commentary from the Artvoice Editorial staff Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:04:18 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: GetReal http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/23/the-state-of-the-city/comment-page-1/#comment-4000 GetReal Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:41:59 +0000 http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/?p=1615#comment-4000 Political tool. Yes. Sloppy, no. It is about the same as a lot of nonprofits. But, anyone can look up what the organization does and then decide if they want to contribute. It is all public information. Political tool. Yes. Sloppy, no. It is about the same as a lot of nonprofits. But, anyone can look up what the organization does and then decide if they want to contribute. It is all public information.

]]> By: RWilliams http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/23/the-state-of-the-city/comment-page-1/#comment-3999 RWilliams Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:41:54 +0000 http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/?p=1615#comment-3999 You are right. There are more important issues to look at. When I referred to sloppy, I was looking at a non profit that raises over $113,000,has operating expenses well over %60 and only gives out $6,500 for 2006. Very ineffective and bad management as far I can see. I am familiar with non- profits and how they operate. To me, this one does not have the betterment of Buffalo as a main goal but is there only to serve as a political tool for the Mayor. You are right. There are more important issues to look at. When I referred to sloppy, I was looking at a non profit that raises over $113,000,has operating expenses well over %60 and only gives out $6,500 for 2006. Very ineffective and bad management as far I can see. I am familiar with non- profits and how they operate. To me, this one does not have the betterment of Buffalo as a main goal but is there only to serve as a political tool for the Mayor.

]]> By: GetReal http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/23/the-state-of-the-city/comment-page-1/#comment-3994 GetReal Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:10:59 +0000 http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/?p=1615#comment-3994 Explain what is sloppy about the finances. The organization is so small, there is little room for slop. Examine the Form 900 linked to this blog. I did. It is in order and clearly done. The charity's accountant applied for an extension, and it was granted, the money is all accounted for. This is textbook on how to do it. The IRS would give them high marks for following the process. There were no penalities or fines by the IRS. What is the sloppy part? It is even typed, which is more than I can say for many Form 990s done by similar organizations in Buffalo. You may not like the Mayor, or disagree with him promoting the charity via the state of the city. But, in an ironic way, this is a great way to reduce fundraising costs and put more money on the streets. Anyone who does not want to attend the speech can watch it on TV and the media don't have to buy tickets. So, there is not law being broken here. There may be abuses by the Mayor in other areas, but this is just nit picking. Go find some real issue to pursue. Learn from history. Nixon wasn't impeached because he was a jerk to people or did some underhanded stuff, they got him on an actual crime. A real violation of the law. He tried to cover up watergate, etc... Where is the Mayor's watergate? Raising money for charity is not a crime. If it was, then every jerk I know who hits me up for a donation to their pet project at the office Christmas part should be in jail, not to mention the countless charities who solicit donations in the mail or over the phone. If you don't like the Mayor's charity, then don't contribute. If you don't like the way he runs the city, don't go to the state of the city address. It is just a propaganda speech anyway. So, write an editorial about the substantive issues you disagree with, vote for other candidates in elections, look for the real watergates. Explain what is sloppy about the finances. The organization is so small, there is little room for slop. Examine the Form 900 linked to this blog. I did. It is in order and clearly done. The charity’s accountant applied for an extension, and it was granted, the money is all accounted for. This is textbook on how to do it. The IRS would give them high marks for following the process. There were no penalities or fines by the IRS. What is the sloppy part? It is even typed, which is more than I can say for many Form 990s done by similar organizations in Buffalo.

You may not like the Mayor, or disagree with him promoting the charity via the state of the city. But, in an ironic way, this is a great way to reduce fundraising costs and put more money on the streets. Anyone who does not want to attend the speech can watch it on TV and the media don’t have to buy tickets. So, there is not law being broken here. There may be abuses by the Mayor in other areas, but this is just nit picking.

Go find some real issue to pursue. Learn from history. Nixon wasn’t impeached because he was a jerk to people or did some underhanded stuff, they got him on an actual crime. A real violation of the law. He tried to cover up watergate, etc…

Where is the Mayor’s watergate? Raising money for charity is not a crime. If it was, then every jerk I know who hits me up for a donation to their pet project at the office Christmas part should be in jail, not to mention the countless charities who solicit donations in the mail or over the phone.

If you don’t like the Mayor’s charity, then don’t contribute. If you don’t like the way he runs the city, don’t go to the state of the city address. It is just a propaganda speech anyway. So, write an editorial about the substantive issues you disagree with, vote for other candidates in elections, look for the real watergates.

]]> By: Simon Magus http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/23/the-state-of-the-city/comment-page-1/#comment-3993 Simon Magus Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:01:02 +0000 http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/?p=1615#comment-3993 THE STATE OF THE CITY? GIVE THEM A CALL THEY HAVE EVEN MANAGED TO GOOF UP THEIR PHONE LINES! THE STATE OF THE CITY?

GIVE THEM A CALL

THEY HAVE EVEN MANAGED TO GOOF UP THEIR PHONE LINES!

]]> By: RWilliams http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/23/the-state-of-the-city/comment-page-1/#comment-3990 RWilliams Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:41:00 +0000 http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/?p=1615#comment-3990 The fuss is not about the finances, though they seem sloppily done. The fuss is about the abuse of power by the Mayor. He shouldn't being using city seals to collect money for his charity at a civic function. He also should allow people in to hear without being shaken down for his charity. So Mr. Get Real, do you understand why people are seeing a pattern of abuse of power with this Mayor. The fuss is not about the finances, though they seem sloppily done. The fuss is about the abuse of power by the Mayor. He shouldn’t being using city seals to collect money for his charity at a civic function. He also should allow people in to hear without being shaken down for his charity. So Mr. Get Real, do you understand why people are seeing a pattern of abuse of power with this Mayor.

]]> By: GetReal http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/23/the-state-of-the-city/comment-page-1/#comment-3978 GetReal Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:05:26 +0000 http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/?p=1615#comment-3978 In defense of the Mayor's charity. It is typical for Form 990 to be filed in the year following its form date. So, the 2007 form is really for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which begins in October of 2007. Filing in November of 2008 is actually on time. The overhead that Artvoice identifies with the Mayor's charity is fairly typical of a small fund exclusively dependent on fundraisers (i.e. it isn't a nonprofit getting grants and foundation support). Anyone familiar with nonprofits of this sort realize that overhead related to fundraising is usually the biggest expenditure. With that said. Who would donate to a politician's charity? It is what it is, but the donors make this choice fully aware that the money will end up going to some cause near and dear to the people behind the fund. This is really a lot of fuss about nothing (figuratively and literally). In defense of the Mayor’s charity. It is typical for Form 990 to be filed in the year following its form date. So, the 2007 form is really for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which begins in October of 2007. Filing in November of 2008 is actually on time.

The overhead that Artvoice identifies with the Mayor’s charity is fairly typical of a small fund exclusively dependent on fundraisers (i.e. it isn’t a nonprofit getting grants and foundation support). Anyone familiar with nonprofits of this sort realize that overhead related to fundraising is usually the biggest expenditure.

With that said. Who would donate to a politician’s charity? It is what it is, but the donors make this choice fully aware that the money will end up going to some cause near and dear to the people behind the fund.

This is really a lot of fuss about nothing (figuratively and literally).

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