Red Cross bureaucracy causing frustrations

[solitas]

(source: http://thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050904/NEWS01/509040328/1002&template=printart)

Thetowntalk.com material cannot be directly posted or linked.

Summation: the article is an interesting and worthwhile read about inefficiencies and many, many gripes about Red Cross ineptness and bureaucracy, and how both storm victims and facilities providers are ignoring them and turning away from them to FEMA and the Salvation Army.

[solitas]

It's a shame to have to go to the website and help hump-up their webcounters, but once in a while this little cockroach of a website (a gannett property) has something worthwhile.
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[quantim]

I'm all for big corporations but Gannett is the cockroach of them all.

[Professional Engineer]

However, some of the refugees and those who have helped them are frustrated with the Red Cross and its intractable bureaucracy, its tendency to look to the rule book before taking a step

I see they haven't changed since I gave up trying to become a volunteer 16 years ago.

[Roccus]

My money continues to go to the Salvation Army. I can trace my disillusionment with the ARC back to 1962. The fiasco of their 9/11 fund should never be forgotten. I'd burn my money rather than give it to the ARC>

[Not now, Not ever!]

OOPS! they seem to have ripped that article off their website.

[Mach9]

Right on. My personal gripe--beyond bureaucratic inefficiency--is paid grief-counselors. Here's something all the religious groups do better and for free, and the ARC pays shrinks and would-be shrinks to handle it. No thanks.

[upchuck]

At least you linked to the printer friendly version so all the ads don't get a hit :) Thanks!!

"This changed a lot of people's mind about the Red Cross."

You got that right! Ever since the Red Cross money fiasco after 9/11 I have refused to have anything to do with them. I'm lucky to live in a town that has a blood bank other than the Red Cross. I give every time I can.

Spend your precious donation dollars wisely. Give to the Salvation Army.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Choosing a loudmouth bigot as the poster boy for their Relief-a-thon wasn't the smartest thing to do.

[Criminal Number 18F]

I'm all for big corporations but Gannett is the cockroach of them all.

Gannett allows linking, but only by other Democratic-Party-supporting sites.

FR is explicitly enjoined because our politics are offensive to them.

It was weird when Gannett bought the Army Times (a privately owned newspaper for the troops) and suddenly was running anti-military, anti-soldier editorials -- as news.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[ThreePuttinDude]

Just say NO to the ARC....

No new communication systems
No new computer systems
No new office equipment
No new office furniture

How about putting the money where its supposed to go, you'll not get any of my dough.

[demkicker]

However, some of the refugees and those who have helped them are frustrated with the Red Cross and its intractable bureaucracy, its tendency to look to the rule book before taking a step

For years the Red Cross has frustrated me. I live in Houston and saw a man on the local news who is in business as a hotdog vendor that was excited to aid the Katrina victims by taking his equipment over to the Astrodome parking lot and feed people. He'd cooked hundreds of hotdogs and had the buns and trimmings and was ready to feed hungry people.

Some hot shot from the Red Cross came over to him in the parking lot and shut him down because he didn't have a 'permit'. Never mind that he had permits to sell hotdogs elsewhere! When he told the Red Cross dimwit in charge that he had hundreds of hotdogs already made up to feed the hungry and asked, "What am I supposed to do with all of these hotdogs, throw them away while I see hungry people before my very eyes?" Yes, you guessed it folks, the brains at the Red Cross chased this good man off along with food that would have comforted many.....

[Criminal Number 18F]

Wasn't it the Red Cross that was paying some politico's wife... Libby Dole?... $400k and a private jet, to try to hit the little people up for $2 donations.

I have been to more than half of the countries in the world. When there is somebody helping, it's more likely to be the Salvation Army or a smaller religious charity than one of the big "professional do-gooders."

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[lightman]

I absolutely will not support "volunteer" organizations that pay their top execs six figure salaries. The faith based groups are better, my personal favorite is (Lutheran) ELCA Disaster Response because 100% of what you give goes to relief; all of the overhead is covered through normal church Sunday offerings.

[Roccus]

Amazing.........but not in the least surprising.

[Professional Engineer]

Thanks for the story. I hadn't heard that through the lamestream sources.

[quantim]

Some hot shot from the Red Cross came over to him in the parking lot and shut him down because he didn't have a 'permit'.

A tactic to save his noble life.  It beats a bullet in the head from one of the street mongers who relish in anarchy.

[solitas]

Nope - it's still there, i just looked again.

(and PDF'ed it in case they DO kill it)

[okokie]

How did the Red Cross have the authority to keep him from serving the hotdogs-I would have told the guy-TOO BAD I'M serving the hotdogs!!

[Roccus]

And you probably will not! There is nothing a reporter relishes more than a free meal. The talking heads are just too fond of being invited to the ARC's fund raising kick-off dinners.

[RGSpincich]

Off subject. I am watching the History Channel's documentary on 911. Victims, survivors, the media and the politicians all reacted with infinitely more dignity and grace on September 11, 2001 than they have this week.