Dirty Money And The Moral Dilemma
[guest by Dana]
Not surprisingly, the fallout from the Donald Sterling debacle continues apace. Charities that have been the recipients of Sterling’s largesse now find themselves facing a bit of a dilemma: Is it morally right to keep Sterling’s dirty money?
Well known and longtime charities like Goodwill of Southern California and the L.A. Rescue Mission have been able, in part, to meet the needs of untold numbers because of Sterling’s sizable donations.
When questioned by TMZ whether they would keep Sterling’s donations or return the money, the responses varied. It would have been interesting to see how each organization arrived at their decisions.
— A Place Called Home — a program for high-risk teens — got a $100,000 donation from Sterling, doled out in $10K yearly installments. The charity has received $30K, which it will NOT return, but it is REJECTING the $70K balance.
— Temple of the Arts — It’s keeping Sterling’s $10K donation.
— L.A. Union Rescue Mission — It’s been receiving $10K a year. They’re keeping the cash, telling TMZ, “We take money from all kinds of bad people all the time.”
— Goodwill of So. Cal. — It got a $100,000 donation from Sterling, doled out over 10 years. It has received $20K so far and it’s giving all the money back and not accepting the balance.
— American Diabetes Ass’n — Sterling donated $25K. It’s keeping the loot, telling us, “The sad reality is that without donations like Mr. Sterling’s, we can’t help the people that we do.”
This week, UCLA announced it will be returning $425,000, which was the first payment of a 3 million dollar donation and will decline the balance. The money was earmarked for kidney research.
Additionally, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance received $30,000 dollars but is unable to return it as it has already been spent.
So, is it ridiculous to return money that could have been well spent on improving the quality of life for those in need or is it a more noble thing to decline money coming from a racist?
(On a side note: As an individual, I suspect if I were the one in need, hungry or homeless or seriously ill, I would not be concerned where the money came from to help meet my needs. If I were at that point of hardship, I would not have the luxury to contemplate such moral dilemmas. My guess is that the efforts to simply survive another day lend a much different perspective.)
On the other hand, one must draw the line somewhere.
–Dana
PATTERICO SEZ: Kudos to everyone who is keeping the cash. Who cares if it came from a guy who said racist stuff in private? It’s not like the money was earned in the process of crimes or horrific acts. It was earned by a flawed man. If he has donated to good causes, then he this flawed man has done something good. These people want to give him back the money, because it’s better for a racist to have more money than it is for UCLA to have money for cancer research??
You know what? Make me a list of anyone giving money back. They get nothing from me.
Were there strings attached to the money?
Michael Ejercito (becea5) — 4/30/2014 @ 8:53 pmSilly. It’s hardly blood money.
nk (9faaca) — 4/30/2014 @ 8:53 pmI swear, many people and organizations seem to lack common sense these days.
elissa (712a2c) — 4/30/2014 @ 9:00 pmThe charity has received $30K, which it will NOT return, but it is REJECTING the $70K balance.
This is stupid, and/or not honest.
It indicates that all this thing about Donald Sterling is based on fear of the other person.
Possible fear of being boycotted.
Sammy Finkelman (0f2215) — 4/30/2014 @ 9:06 pmOn the other hand, one must draw the line somewhere.
I’d say that line is definitely well past the one created last year for Paula Deen, as one example, and, given the oddness and irony of Sterling telling his half-black/half-Latina mistress to avoid walking around with black people, while employing plenty of non-white people in his own businesses and being big on charitable contributions (albeit full of his self-indulgent, bloated ego, but at least his giving money that he could have otherwise diverted elsewhere), to be just a bit past the line imposed by Sterling himself too.
Mark (59e5be) — 4/30/2014 @ 9:13 pmyou know good for him, getting all this money back
it’s not like he wasn’t giving the money to a bunch of whores
happyfeet (8ce051) — 4/30/2014 @ 9:21 pmPaula Deen is an awesome force of hot culinary monkeysex
i love her more than beans
happyfeet (8ce051) — 4/30/2014 @ 9:23 pmNah, better not take money from the likes of Sterling, but it is perfectly appropriate to take donations from Jay-Z:
or his pal Kanye:
You know, the real philanthropists and role models.
JVW (9946b6) — 4/30/2014 @ 9:38 pmWill everything named after LBJ be renamed? I’m sure he said the N word more than Sterling did.
BradnSA (035972) — 4/30/2014 @ 10:18 pmi’m still waiting on all the offended players to either quit or return their pay, because “principles” are important and racism is bad.
yeah, i’m not holding my breath. they’re each as big a whore as his bimbo, and just as greedy.
a pox on all their houses and i thank them for having yet another reason to not support professional sports.
redc1c4 (abd49e) — 4/30/2014 @ 10:27 pmspeaking of dirty monies
economically – comma –
in the first quarter – comma
America got its ass kicked by
winter
it’s like Russia in WW2 except it has more to do with how many people bought bananas at Target plus also Chevy Aveos
happyfeet (8ce051) — 4/30/2014 @ 11:39 pmwell, last year i made $0, before taxes.
so far this year, i’m in a dead heat tie with that trend.
it’s kinda hard to stimulate the economy when you don’t have any $$ to spend because no one’s hiring.
i’d go raid the recycle bins like everyone else, but i’d be the one report LAPD actually responded to.
redc1c4 (abd49e) — 4/30/2014 @ 11:47 pmand, as noted elsewhere here, but for the increased costs of Obamacare, the 1stQ GDP would have been negative.
Recovery Summer is here!
redc1c4 (abd49e) — 4/30/2014 @ 11:48 pmthank Zeus for Obamacare!
brb I gotta go find a virgin for the sacrificings
happyfeet (8ce051) — 4/30/2014 @ 11:50 pmi think my apartment manager will do nicely
happyfeet (8ce051) — 4/30/2014 @ 11:50 pmMr feets – if you intend to sacrifice one for Obamacare, that would be the poster child for “Virgin on the Ridiculous” !
Alastor (2e7f9f) — 5/1/2014 @ 12:28 amThe charities could BURN the money rather than give it back.
Before you go on about how this will hurt their poor clients, isn’t taking money from the poor and giving it to a rich bigot worse than just burning it?
Kevin M (b357ee) — 5/1/2014 @ 12:32 amwell, since many of the beneficiaries are undoubtedly poor bigots i’d say that was likely a wash.
either way you’re giving the $$ to people who apparently shouldn’t have it.
redc1c4 (abd49e) — 5/1/2014 @ 12:36 amOff-topic: I was at my cardiologist for 6-month callback and say a sign on his reception window, which I will relay from memory:
“Please tell us immediately if your insurance was purchased through Covered California. At this time we are not accepting any ACA-based insurance policy in payment for services, and you will be responsible for all charges incurred.”
It turns out that they are doing this mainly because the various provider contracts they’ve been offered do not have an attached reimbursement schedule, nor a clear list of covered services. So they haven’t signed any.
Kevin M (b357ee) — 5/1/2014 @ 12:40 am*saw
Kevin M (b357ee) — 5/1/2014 @ 12:40 amWith that said …
At what point in US history did the US lose sight of realities and common sense ?
An Evil Deed done in a Good Name *remains* an Evil Deed !
A Good Deed done in an Evil Name *remains* a Good Deed !
Perhaps an example or two might help …
The selling of Indulgences by the Catholic Church over the centuries – Evil Deed done in Good Name – still an Evil Deed …
Just about any deed done by members of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, (with the execrable Mr Phelps) – Evil Deeds done in Good Name … and they remained Evil Deeds …
Now that Sterling is officially an Evil Name, his donation of significant funds to any good cause is a Good Deed done in an Evil Name – yet it remains a Good Deed …
And insisting that any such donation be returned (or not be accepted) is an Evil Deed done in a Good Name – which is still an Evil Deed …
(If you doubt that, ask anyone suffering from significant kidney disease whose life could be improved or even saved by kidney research …)
How is it better for Mr Sterling to be able to put his funds to his own uses, rather than them being used for good purposes ?
Alastor (2e7f9f) — 5/1/2014 @ 12:43 ammy understanding, as a Texan, is that what doesn’t kill you, in fact, makes you stronger
let’s all sleep on that
happyfeet (8ce051) — 5/1/2014 @ 1:27 amI thought it was the Haggis.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/1/2014 @ 1:42 amAnd, yeah, what doesn’t kill you does in fact make you stronger.
If you doubt me, see the preceding Haggis.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/1/2014 @ 1:46 amhttp://www.valdezalaska.org/events/valdez-fly-in-and-air-show
Tis the season, boys and girls. Some highlights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuE2cW8NMx8
Holy f*** begins around the 1 minute 35 mark.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/1/2014 @ 2:05 amWell let’s be perfectly clear, most of these charities are apolitical, they do good work, the NAACP’s receipt is glaring because of their hypocrisy,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/1/2014 @ 3:40 amheck of a job, Lurch;
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/04/iranian-regime-john-kerrys-israel-apartheid-flap-should-prompt-reflection/
narciso (3fec35) — 5/1/2014 @ 3:50 amThere’s an old joke about a prostitute in a small town, who announces in church one Sunday that she has repented, and offers a $5,000 donation to the church (in cash, naturally). The preacher explains that while he is happy for her salvation, the church cannot accept tainted money, given the manner in which she earned it. At which point, one of the men stands up in the back and hollers: “Aw, go ahead and take it, pastor. It’s our money, anyway!”
PatHMV (2fe7e8) — 5/1/2014 @ 5:36 amdifferent strokes for different folks,
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/05/kevin_johnsons_laughable_lecture_on_morality.html
narciso (3fec35) — 5/1/2014 @ 5:41 amI’m kind of busy this morning. Can someone kindly point me to the Voxplain 2 minuts on modern dirty money etiquette?
elissa (712a2c) — 5/1/2014 @ 5:44 amWhat’s the phrase… Hmmm. I kn…!! no, that’s not it…. Hmmm… Hmmm. Oh, YEAH:
==================
FUCKING RETARDED
==================
That’s the ticket!!
The man’s a RACIST. This applies no taint on HIS MONEY.
It’s not like the money comes from selling heroin to Kindergarten graduates, or selling Nigerian women into whorehouses in Bangladesh or something.
“Money, not morality, is the principle commerce of civilized nations.”
Smock Puppet, "Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses." (225d0d) — 5/1/2014 @ 5:51 amThe same is true of business and charity.
Alastor, Alastor, Alastor…. Pfeh!! Mere “Logic”.
This is not the strong suit for libtards.
Smock Puppet, "Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses." (225d0d) — 5/1/2014 @ 5:54 amIt seems apparent to me that Mr Sterling had four different standards for racial judgements:
It’s hard to fault him at all on the first two, and the last is understandable as well (though he expressed it poorly). It’s really the third where he had the problem, and if he didn’t like black or Hispanic people renting his apartments, he should have gotten out of the slumlord business.
The Dana who sees the nuances (3e4784) — 5/1/2014 @ 6:39 amIf there isn’t a quid pro quo, keep the money. If you don’t like it, stick it.
“We do not support Mr Sterling nor the sentiments expressed in his statements. The money he donated will be used to cure/heal/help people in dire need and as such, will be used to do good in a world that needs more of it.”
From personal experience, news stories are rarely what they seem. Especially tar and feathers stuff. We see the icing and not the crap cupcake underneath.
I present for your thought process two interesting (to me) observations. 1) Everyone has known about this man for years due to his Actions (slumlord, housing discrimination anyone?); and 2) some of the very people screaming the loudest (Oprah, Magic) are also bidding for the team.
Since its been known that Magic has wanted the Clippers for awhile and this same young lady is a groupie and involved in the Dodgers acquisition (by Magic), seems a little odd that a private conversation happened to be recorded AND released, no?
Sterling’s a scumbag racist (or racialist at the least), so shun him, shame him, mock him. If he DOES wrong (i.e. illegal, housing discrimination), fine him, jail him. Otherwise, none of your business, especially if done in his personal life.
So long as he treats people with the respect they deserve (so be deserving) and his public actions/speech are not racist, ignore him. If he speaks publicly or acts illegally the remedies are outlined above. Otherwise, Nunya.
TXWhiteHouse (85f23d) — 5/1/2014 @ 6:47 amNever rat on a bud to the cops.
That is, unless there is a clear personal advantage.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/1/2014 @ 6:54 am20. The Federal government is quite happy with the idea Mr. Sterling dies with all of his money.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/1/2014 @ 6:56 amToday, May Day, tens of thousands of Russian citizens are parading around the Kremlin in a show of patriotic pride.
If tens of thousands are doing something really stupid, that is a powerful incentive for the lemmings among us.
Are you a lemming?
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/1/2014 @ 6:59 amOt, since this seems to be the way her contributions are regarded:
http://dailycaller.com/2014/04/30/the-sarah-palin-primary/?advD=1248,657753
narciso (3fec35) — 5/1/2014 @ 7:00 amelissa @29, I believe the IRS has a new page up about that.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/1/2014 @ 7:01 amNo!
And I am very confident of that assessment. Because I asked around. I even took a vote.
And 10,000 lemmings can’t be wrong.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/1/2014 @ 7:05 amPATTERICO SEZ: Kudos to everyone who is keeping the cash. Who cares if it came from a guy who said racist stuff in private? It’s not like the money was earned in the process of crimes or horrific acts. It was earned by a flawed man. If he has donated to good causes, then he this flawed man has done something good. These people want to give him back the money, because it’s better for a racist to have more money than it is for UCLA to have money for cancer research??
You know what? Make me a list of anyone giving money back. They get nothing from me.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/1/2014 @ 7:12 amTo hungry wolves, the spectacle of lemmings on parade is but an invitation to feast.
ropelight (fe7af2) — 5/1/2014 @ 7:30 amand if he didn’t like black or Hispanic people renting his apartments, he should have gotten out of the slumlord business.
In actuality, he apparently avoided buying and managing properties in certain sections of LA and reportedly restricted his apartment operations to neighborhoods that can be described as predominantly non-black, non-Latino. IOW, the classic, notorious slumlord does just the opposite of that.
He does own a highrise apartment building in mid-town LA where most of the neighborhood’s better-income residents tend to be of Korean descent. That property involves one case against him where he was sued for discriminating against applicants or tenants who were black or Latino.
I know his wife has been described as on occasion pretending to be a housing inspector and trying to see what was going on in apartment units owned by her and her husband. I cringe when I think of how flaky and pathetic such situations must have been, on both sides of the equation.
Human nature in general can be very disturbing.
Mark (59e5be) — 5/1/2014 @ 7:44 am@41 (Mark) Thanks. Proved my point about “news” stories. Most of the background I was aware of did not reveal WHERE the properties were. Just that he paid big fines and was a BAD MAN. As you describe it, I might have done the same thing as Sterling (no, NOT the statements).
High-income, upper class mostly Korean building… nice quiet tenants, pay on time, keep it that way, check. Stay out of bad neighborhoods, check.
Reminds me of the reaction after the Liberty City & Overtown riots in Miami (I used to live right alongside the projects in Miami and worked there). Quite a few of the markets and black-owned businesses were burned/burned. And the businesses didn’t come back, moved to “nicer” neighborhoods.
TXWhiteHouse (85f23d) — 5/1/2014 @ 8:00 amLOL, should have read burned/looted. Although burned and burned again wasn’t far off.
TXWhiteHouse (85f23d) — 5/1/2014 @ 8:01 amIt’s sad (and typical) that UCLA is refusing his money for kidney resarch.
Kidney disease targets black Americans, who were, after all, the worst victims of this man’s racism in the first place.
http://createdthings.blogspot.com/2014/05/babies-bathwater-potato-potahto.html
Jeff Hall (4e23a4) — 5/1/2014 @ 9:25 amGreetings:
Kudos to the L.A. Union Rescue Mission for its “Never deny the obvious” approach. Or, as Jesus might have said, “Let he who is without sin donate the first dollar.”
11B40 (6abb5c) — 5/1/2014 @ 9:43 am31. Comment by The Dana who sees the nuances (3e4784) — 5/1/2014 @ 6:39 am
He paid them exactly what they worth – what the competitive rate was – not more and not less.
The April 28-May 4, 2014 issue of Bloomberg Business week has an article or illustrated chart, on pages 56-57, ranking how all 122 franchies, in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League baseball according to their success.
They count up the number of wins per team per season, counting and adding playoff wins at a value of 10% of the season (16.2 wins in baseball) with wild card wons getting half credit, and championships counting as half of a season (81 games in major league baseball)
Then they divide that by the average payroll per team per season which reslts in a number between -1.59 and +2.61. Some teams spend more than an average team per weighted wins, and some spend less.
The payroll amounts camne from the best available published sources.
For the NHL and NBA they used the 2008-09 through 2012-13 seasons, for baseball and football they used the 2009 through 2013 seasons. (in all cases that is, they went up to the last season already completed.)
The team with the best payroll record is the Chicago Blackhawks, which comes out as minus 1.59 times what an average team spent. They had 5 playoff trips and 2 Stanley cups. They were 13th in spending, but they got a lot out of it. Average weighted wins was 136.4 per year and average payroll was $58 million.
The team with the worst payroll record is the Chicago Cubs which comes out 2.61 worse than the league average. Average weighted wins is 71.2 and the average payroll was $119.8m.
The Los Angeles Clippers are just about exactly in the middle – they spent proportionally exactly as much as the league average per success. They come out as spending 0.02% more. The Montreal Canadians hit it exactly on the dot.
Here is a link to the online version of the article:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-24/smartest-spenders-in-sports-2014
Sammy Finkelman (0f2215) — 5/1/2014 @ 9:45 amI wonder if those returning the money did so based on a fear that perhaps if they didn’t make a public stand and return it, other big money donors would object and therefore withhold their own donations. That’s why I mentioned in the post that it would have been interesting to hear the arguments for returning it. I suspect the pressure to give back was great and also played right into self-righteous do gooder mind sets.
Thankfully people will still be able to get a hot meal at the mission. Those at-risk teens, however, possibly won’t have a place to call home…
Dana (fd5891) — 5/1/2014 @ 11:45 amRACIST BASTARDS!! How dare they!?!?
Smock Puppet, "Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses." (225d0d) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:03 amLOL, maybe Sterling can rent them a place in one of his “slums”.
Smock Puppet, "Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses." (225d0d) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:06 am