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Don Imus's Ranch For Sick Children Draws Scrutiny: Charity Spent $2.6 Million Last Year on 100 Kids
Wall Street Journal ^ | March 24, 2005 | Robert Frank

Posted on 03/24/2005 3:25:36 AM PST by billorites

Every weekday morning, listeners across the country tune in to radio host Don Imus to hear his trademark rants about politics, Hollywood, sports and Iraq.

Mr. Imus and his wife, Deirdre, opened the 4,000-acre ranch, nestled in the mesa country of northern New Mexico, in 1999 to help sick children. Its stated mission is to give "children with severe illnesses an opportunity to experience the life of an American cowboy."

The ranch has also burnished Mr. Imus's image. With his signature scowl, gruff voice, 10-gallon hats and tendency to refer to some public figures as "creeps," "thugs" and "fascists," Mr. Imus, 64 years old, has built a top-10 national radio show with 3.25 million listeners a week. It is also simulcast on MSNBC television. The ranch has helped shine a spotlight on his softer side, transforming Mr. Imus and his wife into two of the country's best-known philanthropists. They've donated more than $1 million to the ranch over the past four years and raised $20 million for its start-up and operations. Celebrity donors, including TV-news star Barbara Walters, former New York Stock Exchange Chief Richard Grasso and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, receive praise on Mr. Imus's show.

Yet the charity's large budget, and the Imus family's personal stays at the ranch, are drawing scrutiny from tax officials and regulators. The ranch's expenses totaled $2.6 million last year, while it hosted only about 100 kids -- an unusually high dollar-to-child ratio, charity experts say. The Imus family stays at the ranch all summer with the children, but they also visit for weeks at a time during holidays as well as dropping in for occasional weekends, Mr. Imus says...

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: architecturaldigest; imus; imusranch; taxshelter
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1 posted on 03/24/2005 3:25:36 AM PST by billorites
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To: billorites; McGruff

Here it is.


2 posted on 03/24/2005 3:26:53 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: billorites
The ranch's expenses totaled $2.6 million last year, while it hosted only about 100 kids -- an unusually high dollar-to-child ratio, charity experts say.

According to Imus, the bulk of this is depreciation on the buildings.

What is it with these people? A guy buys some property, flies in terminally ill children at no cost, and these creepy reporters hound him like hell.

I'm not an Imus listener, but what has Robert Frank ever done for a sick kid?

3 posted on 03/24/2005 3:30:22 AM PST by sinkspur ("Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.")
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To: sinkspur

Imus just said he had invited Frank to the Ranch. He declined the offer.


4 posted on 03/24/2005 3:33:03 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: leadpenny

Hopefully, Robert Frank's kids don't ever get cancer.


5 posted on 03/24/2005 3:39:03 AM PST by Hawk44
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To: leadpenny
Oh, so the guy writes an article about the Ranch, and has never even seen the place?

These snotty Northeastern tabloids look down their noses at anything that doesn't happen on the East Coast.

Imus runs the ranch himself, is out there every time kids are out there, and, from what I've seen his "quarters" are not palatial. Kids ride horses, watch sheep being sheared, and do other stuff.

Oh, and there only appears to be one family member interviewed, out of 500.

6 posted on 03/24/2005 3:40:28 AM PST by sinkspur ("Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.")
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To: billorites

The implication of course is that Imus is doing this somehow for his personal gain. The man can afford to build a huge ranch and live like Heinz Kerry's. He doesn't need to set up any phony charity.


7 posted on 03/24/2005 3:41:43 AM PST by rhombus
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To: miss marmelstein

ping


8 posted on 03/24/2005 3:46:55 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: Miss Marple

Here.


9 posted on 03/24/2005 3:48:23 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: billorites

I'm not much of a fan, but I have to defend Imus on this one. Leave the scrutiny for the ones who are out there trying to hide corruption behind a "so-called" charity.


10 posted on 03/24/2005 3:49:04 AM PST by GOP_Proud (Those who proclaim tolerance have the least for my views.)
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To: sinkspur

Guess the government people are threatened by it. Hes moving in on their turf, they would usually be taking care of the terminally ill.


11 posted on 03/24/2005 3:49:07 AM PST by ran15
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To: sinkspur; Hawk44

I know Imus (not personally). He is very concerned.


12 posted on 03/24/2005 3:49:51 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: billorites
A cattle ranch run by vegetarians, to teach sick kids to have more self-esteem through work? How often are there actually any kids out there? The entire project has always struck me as absurd.

He's losing it this morning. His obsequious friends are bending over backwards to agree with his complaints about this article.

Embarrassing.

13 posted on 03/24/2005 3:50:02 AM PST by withteeth
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To: billorites

So what's the big deal? $2.6 million divided by 100 kids equals $26,000 per kid. According to the following info, only 10 kids are hosted at the Ranch per one week session. I suspect that there are a lot of rich people who wouldn't think anything of dropping $26K for a week's vacation.

More info on the Imus Ranch here: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3359675/


14 posted on 03/24/2005 3:51:12 AM PST by elli1
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To: withteeth

Finally, they got to a bit of sports.


15 posted on 03/24/2005 3:51:48 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: billorites

Trump will be on at 7:07. He knows something about handling money.


16 posted on 03/24/2005 3:53:44 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: withteeth
How often are there actually any kids out there?

Ten weeks in the summer, ten kids per week.

The entire project has always struck me as absurd.

Yeah, well, let us know when you host 100 sick kids and make a difference in their lives.

17 posted on 03/24/2005 3:54:35 AM PST by sinkspur ("Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.")
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To: leadpenny
The ranch is a place where his wife makes up recipes. To sell books to vegetarian's.
18 posted on 03/24/2005 3:59:48 AM PST by chas1776
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To: billorites

I watch Imus in the morning, even though I don't agree with his politics, just for the fun of it.

This is just another 'journalist' trying to tear down someone to make a name for himself and take perverse pleasure in it.

Imus may be, as with a lot of other personalities, tying to leave a legacy, but if he doing good with his efforts he should not be dragged through the mud for it.


19 posted on 03/24/2005 4:02:15 AM PST by RetSignman
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To: withteeth; sinkspur

As a matter of fact, he is at the ranch now and if I am not mistaken, he said yesterday that there were kids there right now.

I heard him talking about taking them out horseback riding for about an hour or hour and a half and some of the horses were bucking.


20 posted on 03/24/2005 4:03:41 AM PST by Neets
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