Posted on 03/25/2005 5:31:21 AM PST by Liz
Radio's irascible Don Imus went on the warpath yesterday over questions being raised about the charity he runs for sick children at his New Mexico ranch.
Investigators from the NY Attorney General's Office have been reviewing allegations that the cranky talk-show host has been using the 4,000-acre ranch for personal getaways.
Although he took issue with the inquiry, Imus aimed his angriest venom at The Wall Street Journal for a story he described as "a hatchet job" and its author, whom he called "a dishonest punk."
Expenses at the ranch totaled nearly $2.6 million, according to tax papers, but the ranch hosted only about 100 children, the Journal said.
Imus and his family, meanwhile, stay at the ranch for weeks at a time — he was broadcasting from there yesterday — without reimbursing the charity for the visits.
Imus maintained that he runs the ranch while he is there and saves money by not paying a director. As for using the ranch as a vacation spot, Imus says he has a $24 million waterfront estate in Westport, Conn., that suits his vacation needs just fine.
Imus' charity drew the attention of New York investigators when the organization failed to file its income-tax exemption forms on time........
Sources said such delays, while routine, are often red flags, as was the anonymous letter Spitzer's office received about Imus' ranch visits and the charity's high dollar-to-child ratio.
Dopp said that the review was not an investigation and that Imus and his associates had been cooperative and answered every question. Dopp said there had been no finding of any wrongdoing.
Critics, including rival radio jock Howard Stern, accuse Imus of exploiting his listeners who donate to his ranch, which features sweeping vistas, a rodeo arena and a "Bonanza"- inspired hacienda with crystal chandeliers.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Like Father Ritter and Covenant House? Sounds like Imus may have been using the kids as an image/career enhancer and taxpayer subsidized "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" perk provider.
Just like so many of us drunks in recovery, he forgot to "Keep It Simple".
A multi-million-dollar ranch that hosts only a handful of kids a year? I have always been suspicious of
the ranch handling such a low number of kids per year.
In the meantime, Imus excoriates all sorts of people on his program for alleged abuses of the public trust and the public treasury. But when he comes into the crosshairs - well - that's another story, isn't it, Imus?
You can dish it out OK, but you sure can't take it.
The ranch represents, for Imus, redemption. He is a self-obsessed, selfish individual who used to worship at the altar of cocaine, alcohol, etc., but now worships at the altar of his tall, blonde, good looking (but not real bright) wife, Dierdre. Together, they will do good deeds together so all their friends will acknowledge how important and wonderful they are.
These "good deeds" give liberals (in their own minds) cover for all the sh*t they do. Imus has merely taken to a new level.
And imagine: his OUTRAGE at the WSJ for looking into this after he has not STOPPED talking about this for a minute in the last 5 years. He is insufferable.
Forcing sick & dying to kids to shovel crap and pull weeds at his vacation home while his crackpot wife tests out her home remedies on them? Imus is a self-important ass clown. Stern has had his number for years.
Bingo.
You can disagree if you like, but the fact is, "there had been no finding of any wrongdoing." Period.
Howard Stern is alot of things, but he is good at exposing pompous show biz types and Imus is exactly that.
I was raised the same way (except I had to get up at 5AM) and I turned out ok.
How is he putting his money where his mouth is. He paid $1 million to get a $20 million dollar vacation home. The article in the WSJ says that only 100 kids go there in a year. Paul Newmans Hole in the wall Gang, has 10 times the number of kids going through. Why is Imus's ranch so expensive? Look at Architectural Digest at what his amster bedroom looks like. He and his family vacation there for free and never reimburse the charity.
He has a broadcast studio there that was paid for our of charity funds. Do you not see any problem with this? Couldn't he just stroke a check for $27k to each kids family to pay for hospital expense and a trip to Disney?
Not yet, anyway.
I'm old school: the benefits of charity work aren't to be bestowed on the benefactor. Imus is a limousine liberal philanthropy pimp.
LOL - good one DR!
Yep--I remember when Stern nailed him on the ranch 3 or so years back. I thought he was on the money.
Listen to the way he brags about his other expensive homes. Why doesn't he have a few sick kids mow the lawn and use them as a tax write-off too? And don't get me started on that wackjob wife of his.
The article and the investigation both sound like total BS to me. I'm no big Imus fan by any means, but the left has been after this guy for several years due to the politically incorrect humor on his show; e.g., taking shots at gays, blacks, Ted Kennedy, etc.
The real charges seem to be that Imus spends too much money per child and that he and his family live on the ranch for free. As far as the first goes, his is not the only children's charity like this and Imus made the parameters very clear from the beginning.
As far as second charge goes, yes, he and his wife do manage this working cattle ranch for part of year, supervising kids and employees.
This whole thing is an exercise in harassment.
You do realize that the kids also sleep in this residence. That is part of the expense, their rooms are right down the hall from the Imus bedroom. Give the kids a break, for some of them this beats disneyland all to pieces. They are treated like kids, and not sick kids. Denco
ping
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