A heartwarming lawyer story ... Thx Marge R!

> One afternoon a lawyer was riding in his limousine when he saw two men
>
> along the road-side eating grass. Disturbed, he ordered his driver to
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> stop and got out to investigate. He asked one man, "Why are you eating
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> grass?" "We don't have any money for food," the poor man replied. "We
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> have to eat grass." "Well, then, you can come with me to my house and
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> I'll feed you," the lawyer said. "But sir, I have a wife and two
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> children with me. They are over there, under that tree." "Bring them
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> along," the lawyer replied.
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> Turning to the other poor man he stated, "You may come with us, also."
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> The second man, in a pitiful voice, then said, "But sir, I also have a
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> wife and six children with me!" "Bring them all as well," the lawyer
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> answered.
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> They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as
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> large as the limousine. Once under way, one of the poor fellows turned
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> to the lawyer and said, "Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all
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> of us with you." The lawyer replied, "Glad to do it. You'll really love
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> my place. The grass is almost a foot high."
>

Stingy liberals ... thanks Judi C.!

Stingy liberals
By Jeff Jacoby




http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | There are 366 major metropolitan areas in the United States, and a comprehensive new study by the Chronicle of Philanthropy ranks them on the basis of generosity -- the percentage of income the median household in each city gives to charity. According to the Chronicle, the most generous city in America is Provo, Utah, where residents typically give away 13.9 percent of their discretionary income. Boston, by contrast, ranks No. 358: In New England's leading city, the median household donates just 2.9 percent of its income to charity.
Provo's generosity is typical for its region. Of the 10 most generous cities in America, according to the Chronicle's calculations, six are in Utah and Idaho. Boston's tight-fistedness is typical too: Of the 10 stingy cities at the bottom of the list, eight are in New England -- including Springfield (No. 363) and Worcester (No. 364).
What's the matter with Massachusetts? How can residents of the bluest state, whose political and cultural leaders make much of their compassion and frequently remind the affluent that we're all in this together, be so lacking in personal generosity? And why would charitable giving be so outstanding in places as conservative as Utah and Idaho?
The question is built on a fallacy.
Liberals, popular stereotypes notwithstanding, are not more generous and compassionate than conservatives. To an outsider it might seem plausible that Americans whose political rhetoric emphasizes "fairness" and "social justice" would be more charitably inclined than those who stress economic liberty and individual autonomy. But reams of evidence contradict that presumption, as Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks demonstrated in his landmark 2006 book, .
However durable the myth, wrote Brooks (who now heads the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank), there is no getting around the data. For years, academic research and comprehensive national studies have confirmed that Americans who lean to the left politically tend to be much less charitable than those who tilt rightward. The Chronicle of Philanthropy's new report is only the latest in a long series of studies corroborating that fact.
In 1996, for example, the wide-ranging General Social Survey asked a large sample of Americans whether "the government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality" -- a key ideological litmus test. Thirty-three percent of respondents agreed; 43 percent disagreed. The two groups differed sharply in more than their politics. The conservatives -- those who opposed government programs to reduce inequality -- were significantly more likely to donate money to charity than the liberals. And among those who did donate, conservatives gave away, on average, four times as much money per year.
Though there is a strong link between religious belief and philanthropy, it wasn't just churches the conservatives were giving to. "They gave more to every type of cause and charity: health charities, education organizations, international aid groups, and human welfare agencies," Brooks noted. They even gave more "to traditionally liberal causes, such as the environment and the arts."
None of this was what Brooks had anticipated when he began his research. "I expected to find that political liberals � would turn out to be the most privately charitable people," he says. "So when my early findings led to the opposite conclusion, I assumed I had made some sort of technical error�. In the end, I had no option but to change my views."
The Chronicle's new study, which is based on IRS records from 2008 (the most recent available), accounts for regional differences in the cost of living. It calculates charitable giving only from discretionary income -- the dollars left over after paying for taxes, housing, and food. But the economic differences are not nearly as significant as cultural differences. In parts of the country where conservative values dominate, charity tends to be high. Where liberalism holds sway, charity falls. "Red states are more generous than blue states," the Chronicle concludes. The eight states that ranked the highest in charitable giving all voted for John McCain in 2008. The seven lowest-ranking states supported Barack Obama.
Of course this doesn't mean that there aren't generous philanthropists in New England. It doesn't mean selfishness is unknown on the right. What it does mean is that where people are encouraged to think that solving society's ills is primarily a job for government, charity tends to evaporate. The politics of "compassion" isn't the same as compassionate behavior. America's generosity divide separates those who understand the difference from those who don't.

Listen when God speaks ... Thanks Tom & Carolyn

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you'

Subject: This will give you chills, I scored 100 This will give you the chills......... GOOD chills. A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study. T he Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?' After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.' As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. 'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street ..... At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will.' He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.. 'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for some thing, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.' He walked across the street and rang the bell.. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt..... He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying.. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying .. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.' His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some.. Are you an Angel?' The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.. He knew that God still answers prayers. THIS IS A SIMPLE TEST...... If you believe that God is alive and well, send this to at least ten people and the person that sent it to you!!!!!!!! This is so true. Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He's asking, to be able to hear His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world).. Phil 4:13 This is an easy test - you score 100 or zero. It's your choice. If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions... Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.' Not ashamed....Pass this on.

Charity CEO Compensation Study results-Google

Charity CEO Compensation study Results-Google
Back in 2005

As of 2005, these were the most up-to-date and trustworthy figures I could find for the executives originally listed:

•Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, was paid $468,599 in salary and benefits in fiscal 2003. (Source: BBB Wise Giving Alliance)

•Brian Gallagher, President and CEO of United Way, was paid $432,709 in salary and benefits in fiscal 2003. (Source: Charity Navigator)


•W. Todd Bassett, National Commander of the Salvation Army, was paid (along with his wife, who also works for the organization) an estimated $94,091 in salary and benefits in 2003 (including house and car). (Source: Fayetteville Observer)

Fast-forward to 2010

•As of 2010, Marsha J. Evans, was no longer employed by the American Red Cross. According to United Press International, Gail McGovern took over as CEO of the American Red Cross in 2008 at an annual salary of $500,000 plus a signing bonus of $65,000.

•Brian Gallagher is still President and CEO of United Way, and currently earns $1,037,140 a year, according to a December 2010 report from the American Institute of Philanthropy.


•W. Todd Bassett is no longer National Commander of the Salvation Army. The current National Commander, Israel L. Gaither, is paid somewhere between $79,389 and $243,248 annually for his services. (Since the Salvation Army, as a religious organization, doesn't report its expenses to the IRS, the only available figures for executive salaries are estimates, which vary greatly from source to source.)


•UNICEF's Executive Director, Anthony Lake, earns $201,351 a year, according to a 2010 communique from the organization — dramatically less than the $1,200,000 per year claimed in the message above.


•Dave Toycen, the President of World Vision Canada, earns $184,000 per year plus a "moderate vehicle allowance," according to that organization's annual report to the Canada Revenue Agency. Again, that is significantly less than what is claimed above.

Is It Fair to Compare?

Is one charity automatically more respectable than another just because its leader is paid a lower salary? Not necessarily, says Charity Navigator, a website that evaluates and compares the financial health of charitable organizations.

"While there are certainly some charities that overpay their leaders," the site's FAQ page explains, "Charity Navigator's data shows that those organizations are the minority. Among the charities we've evaluated, the average CEO salary is $150,000. ... These leaders could inevitably make much more running similarly sized for-profit firms. Furthermore, when making your decision [about where to donate] it is important to consider that it takes a certain level of professionalism to effectively run a charity and charities must offer a competitive salary if they want to attract and retain that level of leadership."


Share This Article

Sources and further reading:

Red Cross Names New Chief, Gail McGovern
UPI, 9 April 2008

Salvation Army: Executive Compensation Data
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2010

Salvation Army
Forbes.com, 24 November 2009

America's Biggest Charities
Forbes, 17 November 2010

Top 25 Compensation Packages from AIP's Charity Rating Guide
American Institute of Philanthropy, December 2010

UNICEF Response to Misleading CEO Salary Email
UNICEF Canada, 2010

World Vision Canada: Our Approach to Executive Compensation
World Vision Canada, 2010

Charity Navigator - Fundraising Organizations
Evaluates financial health of charitable organizations

Top Rated Charities
American Institute of Philanthropy

America's Most (and Least) Efficient Charities
Forbes.com, 24 November 2004

Charities' Leaders Take Home Big Checks
Fayetteville Observer, 4 April 2004

Major Charity Heads Reap Rising Pay
CBS Market Watch, 5 December 2003

Charity CEO Compensation Study
Charity Navigator, 8 August 2005


Last updated: 12/11/10

Sad & true reality & real eye opener- Thanks Bob Looney!

Subject: SAD & TRUE A REAL EYE OPENER





We're "broke" and can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.?

In the last month, we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey .

Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid or get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour Hundreds of Millions of $$$$$'s and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries!

We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans.

USA -- a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally ill without treatment etc, etc. YET...................They have a 'Benefit' for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.

Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave U.S. citizens the same support they give to other countries.

Sad isn't it? When is Congress going to wake up?

99% of people won't have the guts to forward this.




I Just Did!

Salaries of Charity CEO's... Thanks Clay!

Here is an eye opener!!



As the Christmas and charity giving season approaches, you might consider the following as you pass those bell-ringers standing by the kettles. Compare some other donation big names as well.



John Haddick`62





Keep these facts in mind when "donating". As you open your pockets for yet another natural disaster, keep these facts in mind:





Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross... Salary for year ending 06/30/03 was $651,957 plus expenses. (That's $74.42 an hour For EVERY hour of EVERY day.)





Brian Gallagher, President of the United Way receives a $375,000base salary, plus numerous expense benefits. (That's $42.80 an hour for EVERY Hour of EVERY day.)







UNICEF CEO receives $1,200,000 per year plus all expenses and a ROLLS ROYCE car where ever he goes and only cents of your dollar goes to the cause. (That's $1369.86 an hour for EVERY hour of EVERY day.)



The Salvation Army's Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization.



No further comment necessary. Please share this with everyone you can think of, know or meet!