United Way situation in Charlotte, N.C. ....

[catsmeow]

More people read this board (and comment) than they do on my blog, and while I wrote about this issue on my blog, I am hoping to get some feelings about the situation as it compares to Amarillo. So, I'm going to link you to what I've already said, which also links you to the stories and feedback in Charlotte, if you are interested.

In a nutshell, though, the people of the Charlotte area are all in a tiz over the news that the UW executive director there was paid $1.2 million last year. That anger lead to the woman being fired (why, I' don't know; it was the board that approved the salary).

Anyway, I make the point in my blog that local news outlets (larger ones) would never touch such a scandalous story here. In fact, the publisher of the Charlotte paper resigned her U.W. board member position because of the conflict of interest.

Would that happen here? Nope!

The people in Charlotte are angry and saying they will withdraw support from the U.W., right in time for the new campaign to begin.

This all leaves me wondering about a discussion about Amarillo, your feelings about the politics and the leaders being all wrapped up in our nonprofits, and how you choose to give your money so you know it's spent wisely.

Kind of convoluted of me, huh?

I hope you can get through the muck to see what I'm saying and try to respond! :-)

catsmeowjw.blogspot.com/2008/08/observer-story-brings-up-two-important.html

[west-texan]

I find it usually friendlier to just go ahead and paste most or all of the text here on the board...and then I give the link to where I got the information.

I prefer to to just read text first...then I will follow the link.

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Way too much conflict of interest in Amarillo.

Les Simpson at the AGN should stick to journalism...

rather than trying to cover up for our local leaders....

and he definitely needs to quit trying to make news himself...by being on boards.

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Also...the AEDC has too much conflict of interest....

With a Ware family employee on the board....trying to look out for the interest of the largest family owned business left in Amarillo...which is Amarillo National Bank.
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You'll get more reading and better comments if you just go ahead and paste your material over here...rather than making people click a link to read.

[catsmeow]

I thought people didn't like to read a lot of text, and if they were really interested, they'd go to it. ...

But, OK, have it your way. :-)

The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer has run a story that reminds me of two points near and dear to my heart. First: News organizations should cover all the news, not just what advertisers and local political (a.k.a., financial) leaders deem important. Second: If you're going to serve on the board of a nonprofit organization, do so with passion and knowledge.

The Amarillo Globe-News (and the local TV outlets) would never run a story like this one www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/158210.html.

It's too tied to the United Way and the politics involved in Amarillo. Notice all the comments that story received. (Yes, folks, the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina ran a story that shines a horribly negative light on the local United Way. I can't imagine that happening here.)

In fact, check this out: www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/158200.html. That's right! The Observer's publisher was on the United Way board of directors and chose to resign because of the awkwardness (a.k.a. conflict of interest). I can't see that happening here.

One thing that interests me about this particular story is that the board — the same board that approved the $1.2 million salary of the UW's executive director, fired that e.d.

Granted, I don't know all the story, but isn't it the board's fault in the first place for approving that salary??

During my time working at Family Support Services, I learned a great deal of unsettling and disheartening things about how nonprofit boards tend to operate (and how larger local media outlets squash uncomfortable stories). Basically, it appears to me that many who serve on boards do so for the kudos and the pretty additions to their resumes. It's NOT all about "community service."

However, I do know and understand that some people get into causes because of what they believe in, because they have a passion for whatever the cause is; I'm not criticizing those folks. The people with the passion have my complete respect. I'm talking about the "others."

The others ... unfortunately, too many ... just take up empty space. (Heck, many don't bother to even show up for monthly meetings!)

And they help make ignorant and even stupid decisions that are not in the best interest of "community service."

I don't think they intend to do damage. The problem, to me, is that too many people seem to get on boards and don't bother to learn the ins and outs of the agencies they serve. They fail to know the right questions to ask. They don't bother to know much about the programs of the agency. They might not even realize the impact of their decision-making. Instead, they just show up to meetings, take and make empty votes and go on back to work. This is dangerous, especially if the agency happens to have an unethical and/or poor executive director.

While boards are necessary, and even vital to nonprofit organizations, the people who make up those boards must be passionate and educated about the workings of the agency, as well as its employees. If you are going to serve on a board, do it ... but please, do it right, not blindly or because you feel pressured to do so.

The attitude of Mac Everett www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/158210.html is exactly what agencies don't need.

Unfortunately, I've become cynical about this issue ... and I'm afraid Everett is a fairly good representative of board members everywhere ... even here in Amarillo.

In fact, I firmly believe so.

The Charlotte Observer's readership and residents, however, are getting educated and informed about what's happening with their money and their community's important resources.

That's where the real kudos belong. (And I'll forever be grateful to the Amarillo Independent for covering the story no other media in Amarillo would.)

Related information:
Charlotte Discussion Forum. www.charlotteobserver.com/forums/?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3ae6c8a297-bda3-4986-9497-eea243ec323eForum%3af0e22598-8925-40b3-a3bc-777990365eecDiscussion%3a497ba321-fbb0-486d-87cf-2e6ffded9ccf&plckCategoryCurrentPage=0
Newspaper Columnist. www.charlotteobserver.com/196/story/151403.html
More reaction. www.charlotteobserver.com/100/story/161850.html

(Ha! That reminds me. I think the AGN is the only newspaper in America that doesn't have a forum. And why did Publisher Les Simpson get rid of it? You can ask, but he won't tell.)

[west-texan]

I think it's fairly common for the top people at public non-profits to be over-paid.

I'd also like know what Buzz David is being paid at the Amarillo Call Center Development Corporation.

Very interesting how just recently the AEDC removed the information telling where their board member work...off the website.

And when the board was chosen...the AGN didn't even publish that information.

Simpson will never question or investigate anything that our local leaders do...

Which means Les Simpson is really just a PR person for the powers-to-be in Amarillo...and not a journalist.