[GladesGuru]

You give money to the Red Cross??????

Those greedy, usless bachelor's children came to South Florida after Hurricane Andrew and were selling donuts to the survivors.

After that, there fund raising efforts in South Florida were a reflection of the deep love and respect of the citizens for all that ther Red Cross had done for them in the hour of their greatest need.

OK, I'll get off the soap box now.

But I won't give 'em a penny now or ever after their South Florida performance. Why? Here's an example. Within minutes of hearing about the storm (we're talking middle of the night) a Tampa area business owner called his drivers out of a sound sleep and had semi-trucks loaded with supplies and on their way before dawn. All at his own expense, too.

Still like the bureaucrats at the Red Cross? Large charities are like large government; fat, wasteful, unresponsive.

[jonalvy44]

Here in upstate NY they do a lot of good, helping flood victims, etc. They are the first responders...They don't seem to have the high overhead that United Way does.

[Corin Stormhands]

You give money to the Red Cross??????

I spent some time working for the Salvation Army when I was in college (I still support them). I can't tell you how many WWII vets I had come up to me and thank me, then curse the Red Cross.

One guy told me he was in a military hospital, somewhere in Europe. Red Cross made him pay for the paper and envelope to write home.

I don't think they're all evil. And they do some good stuff. But, like any large bureaucracy, there's a lot of waste there.

[ladyinred]

I alway remember my Dad a WW2 vet telling us that after his ship was sank by the Japanese, he and the other survivors who were rescued out of the sea where charged for a cup of coffee at from the Red Cross. I will never give them one dime.