Economy

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Fri Jun 27, 2014, 07:01 AM Jun 2014

Red Cross: How we spent Hurricane Sandy money is a ‘trade secret’

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/26/red-cross-how-we-spent-hurricane-sandy-money-is-a-trade-secret/

Red Cross: How we spent Hurricane Sandy money is a ‘trade secret’
By Justin Elliott, ProPublica
Thursday, June 26, 2014 15:09 EDT

Just how badly does the American Red Cross want to keep secret how it raised and spent over $300 million after Hurricane Sandy?

The charity has hired a fancy law firm to fight a public request we filed with New York state, arguing that information about its Sandy activities is a “trade secret.”

The Red Cross’ “trade secret” argument has persuaded the state to redact some material, though it’s not clear yet how much since the documents haven’t yet been released.

As we’ve reported, the Red Cross releases few details about how it spends money after big disasters. That makes it difficult to figure out whether donor dollars are well spent.

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Red Cross: How we spent Hurricane Sandy money is a ‘trade secret’ (Original Post) unhappycamper Jun 2014 OP

Well, some of the money raised is going to that law firm Sienna86 Jun 2014 #1

I stopped donating some years back dixiegrrrrl Jun 2014 #2

Word has it that American RC was taken over by neocons before Katrina, snot Jun 2014 #3

Like many DU'ers stated on the GD discussion about the Red Cross, this truedelphi Jun 2014 #4

Sienna86

(2,149 posts)

1. Well, some of the money raised is going to that law firm

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:38 AM

Jun 2014

Need to check if Red Cross provides information to Charity Navigator...

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

2. I stopped donating some years back

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 09:32 AM

Jun 2014

because of stories the REd Cross was operating as a profit making organization.
There were news stories that it was selling the blood from donors.

Now, it sounds as if the general tenor of greed and lawlessness has spread to it, also.

God knows the South and the Gulf have plenty need of local agencies that need donations.

snot

(10,520 posts)

3. Word has it that American RC was taken over by neocons before Katrina,

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Sun Jun 29, 2014, 03:38 AM

Jun 2014

and has not been the same since.

Basically, it's been crony-ized.

Last I heard, International Red Cross was still effective.

truedelphi

(32,324 posts)

4. Like many DU'ers stated on the GD discussion about the Red Cross, this

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Mon Jun 30, 2014, 08:12 PM

Jun 2014

Bad behavior goes all the way back to WWII, when American soldiers fresh out of battle were expected to pay a nickel for the coffee and donuts. (As if GI's had change in their pockets, after being engaged in mortar attacks for weeks on end.)

I am not sure how a charity organization can ask for privacy concerning its spending. But if any org can do that and get away with it, it is the RC. It seems like every media outlet pushes them on us, as the second word some catastrophe hits, we are told to text such and such in order to send the RC $ 10.

How much does the RC kick back to TV station execs for those public announcements is another thing we will never know. (Which I imagine are free for the RC?

Reply to this discussion