Saw something that irritated me today...

I was bored today and checking out the Campaign Money website to see what various celebrities contributed in this election cycle. Some of them absolutely stunned me.
Lets just take the Vote For Change tour. Half of the artists should be ashamed of themselves. Eddie Vedder contributed a whopping $208 (wanted to get over the $200 mark so it would show up, hell of a gesture there Eddie)dollars and it wasn't even to Kerry. His Pearl Jam bandmate Stone Gossard is very active and generous. He gave $2,000 to Dean in the primary and $2,000 to Kerry in the recent election. And while Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks should be applauded because she gave $2,000 to Kerry, Natalie Maines didn't even open her purse. Sheryl Crow gave $250 to Pat Leahy but none to Kerry. Bruce Springsteen couldn't be bothered to part with a dime at any point primary or general election. What an Assclown. Dave Matthews appears to be okay though its difficult to tell if any of the donations are from him or another Dave/David Matthews.


Eddie Vedder

http://www.campaignmoney.com/finance.asp?type=in&cycle=04&criteria=vedder

Stone Gossard

http://www.campaignmoney.com/finance.asp?type=in&cycle=04&criteria=gossard

Natalie Maines

http://www.campaignmoney.com/finance.asp?type=in&cycle=04&criteria=maines

Sheryl Crow

http://www.campaignmoney.com/finance.asp?pg=17&type=in&criteria=crow&prevpage=19&cycle=04

Bruce Springsteen

http://www.campaignmoney.com/finance.asp?type=in&cycle=04&criteria=springsteen

Dave Matthews

http://www.campaignmoney.com/finance.asp?pg=10&type=in&criteria=matthews&prevpage=7&cycle=04


Are that many of these artists total hypocrits? Asking me to give my money (which they have a hell of alot more of it than I do) while they give nothing? This website should be pretty much all inclusive because any amount over $200 has to be reported by law. WTF is up with these people? I'd love if someone with some time on their hands could look into this because this really pisses me off.

They feel that giving their time and talent was enough. There are other ways to donate besides money.

unpaid, i.e. they donated their time and talent.

While not the same as cash, you should be asking how much they would have made for those appearances under normal circumstances and figure that as their actual donation. I'd say based on what they normally earn for an appearance, it's a pretty significant donation.

How much does Springsteen (as an example) usually make for a night's appearance? I'd guess it's in the tens of thousands of dollars. So if you consider each free appearance as a donation of what he could have earned doing the same appearance for a fee, he donated well in excess of what he could have had he done cash donations.

While not the same as cash, you should be asking how much they would have made for those appearances under normal circumstances and figure that as their actual donation. I'd say based on what they normally earn for an appearance, it's a pretty significant donation.

I'm assuming they were responsible for their own touring expenses, too. If they had backup bands, who paid them? What about roadies and transportation for the artists, their band, equipment? Etc., etc., etc.

We all know this is public info...is it possible they donated in a more anonymous manner? I know if I were famous and wanted to give, I would certainly try to stay under the stalker radar.

especially Bruce Springsteen.

but it still sticks in my craw that they didn't see the need to donate to the actual campaign. I see everything that you guys are saying, and its very true but I still feel that each person on that tour should have kicked in their $2,000 too. Lets face it, $2,000 to them is nothing. I guess for me its as much the principle of it as anything else. Just my .02 though.

should have foregone your normal way of earning income, given up any job you had and spent over a month doing nothing but donating time which would have netted you six figure earnings.

So how much potential income did you sacrifice over the course of that tour?

I wonder if he donated his time at all those appearances, or if he was getting paid out of the campaign fund?

you don't know if they donated under a different name or in a different way.

...or maybe they are cheapskates. But we don't know!