If you have solid tips, news or documents on potential ethical violations or abuses of power, we want to know. Send us your suggestions. 
Unfortunately I believe that we are limited in what we can focus on. I think that if we proceed with the partisan sideshow of prosecuting Bush admin. officials, healthcare will get lost in the brouhaha.
The Washington Post's permanent investigative unit was set up in 1982 under Bob Woodward.
Charities Shortchange Veterans
The American Institute of Philanthropy rated 29 veterans charities, and failed a dozen for spending too little money on the wounded troops. One group shared just 1 cent for every dollar it raised.
The Post's Philip Rucker reported on that study, but went farther by examining tax filings from the groups, discovering, for example, that one paid its founder and his wife a combined $540,000 in compensation and benefits last year. He also learned that the 12 charities that had been rated as failing in the report had collected at least $266 million in the past fiscal year.
By The Editors |
December 13, 2007; 10:25 AM ET
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Posted by: Mike | December 14, 2007 10:49 AM
Before critizing some of the veteran charities, one needs to read the criteria that this report is developed from, see the AIP's own comments at http://www.charitywatch.org/criteria.html
Since the American Legion is not on the list does this mean they prefer not to provide the information, what are they hiding. Some Veteran organizations have a large Service Officer program and while these employees are shown as overhead on their books, the Service Officer spends hours upon hours per day serving veterans with their needed benefits with the VA. How is this cost evaluated by this watchdog group, probably not. Do they even consider the number of volunteer hours that their members contribute back to their own community. As a member of the VFW, I contribute many hours a year serving fellow veterans, the youth, and my community. Our Post sends boxes monthly to an Adopted Unit in Iraq, has supported Holiday Parties for two units so the family members can have a dinner free with their soldiers both at home and the ones that we consider to be the Hidden Hero's, the young left behind while the parent is deployed. There are to many silent activities going on within some of these organization to so arbitrarily show that they haven't spent the dollars. Some, however needs to be exposed, those with the F rating shame on you.
Posted by: Robert | December 17, 2007 2:09 PM
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After reading the article concerning charities shortchanging veterans, many of whom I have contributed in past, I have decided to return their contribution request envelopes with a copy of their standing in list provided by the American Institute of Philanthropy. Maybe if enough of us would do this these charities might get the message.