MinuteMen More Excited About Guarding Border Than Bookkeeping ... ?
By FrauBudgie Posted in User Blogs — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Once in a while, there's news I don't really want to blog about, but in fairness needs to be presented. I saw an an article yesterday in the WashingtonTimes, which questioned whether or not the MinuteMen had been handling donations responsibly.
From the WashingtonTimes, this morning:
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps' top leaders signed a letter yesterday saying they have "complete confidence in the professional firms" hired by MCDC President Chris Simcox to oversee the organization's finances, citing criticism from within and outside the group as "utterly without merit."
The letter, posted on the Minuteman Web page (
http://www.minutemanhq.com) applauded Mr. Simcox's decision to employ "accredited and experienced professionals to assist the organization in management of our finances.""There are those both within the border security movement and actively opposed to it who, for ideological reasons or in advancement of personal ambition, wish the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps to fail," Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC) said in a statement.
"Critics are obtaining false information from known racialists, anti-Semites and a small handful of disgruntled people who have been terminated from staff or from leadership involvement with the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps over a year ago because they could not meet MCDC standards or adhere to our strict field standard operational procedures," the group said.
The letter came in response to a report yesterday in The Washington Times that a growing number of MCDC leaders and volunteers had questions concerning the whereabouts of money contributed to the organization over the past 15 months and its ties to Declaration Alliance, a Virginia-based charity headed by conservative Alan Keyes.
They said they had no idea how much money had been collected as part of its effort to stop illegal entry along the U.S.-Mexico border or on what it had been spent. Several top officials have quit or are threatening to do so. Others questioned whether MCDC volunteers received the equipment they needed for their border vigils
MCDC has not made any financial records public despite concern within the organization and requests by The Times dating back to October...
Heh. Imagine not feeling the need to cooperate with a national media outlet! The NYT's also ran a story on the developing "scandal" yesterday -- and dollars to donuts, the hoary NYT's will devote the loving detail to this story that they ignored with Hillary's campaign funding hijinks a year or so ago.
Red Hunter, here at RedState.Com also expressed some concerns, but jsteele pointed out: When the IRS can adequately explain where all of their budget goes then I'll worry about the Minutemen. <more>Well. It's a volunteer organization that has probably grown faster, and raised more money than its organizers ever dreamed of. Most folks involved with the MinuteMen want to build a fence along the border, or spot illegal aliens sneaking across. My guess is that very few actually are fired up to do double column bookkeeping. We'll find out if there's anyone who's taking advantage of that fact.
My guess is that while there has likely been some sloppy accounting, I doubt there's been much out and out swindling, but we'll see how it shakes down.
Meanwhile, while Congress has refused to fund a border fence -- the MinuteMen have gotten an okay to continue their fence along the Arizona border.
And incidentally, the new fence will help out a rancher:
Rancher Richard Hodges said the primary purpose of the barrier, which will have two parallel fences and razor wire, is to keep cattle from walking onto a Border Patrol access road that runs along his property in that area.Hodges doesn't own any cattle, but he said he does lease land to someone who owns 18 cows and 18 calves.
But he said the fence could also be used to keep illegal immigrants from crossing his property. There are two trails that cross his ranch, which covers 300 acres, he said.
"This is going to be a substantial barrier," Hodges said.
So, let's see. The MinuteMen are doing the job along the border which our government refuses to do ... and in a few months, their bookkeeping is likely to be better than the feds as well.
Adapted from RedHotCuppaPolitics http://cuppapolitics.blogspot.com
It doesn't lean left, and is more fair than most.
I was questioning whether or not an organization had any responsibility to report to the press; I was thinking about how offended the White House press corps got because nobody reported the "great Cheney Hunting massacre" to their own sorry selves.
Doesn't do to let any of the national media feel like prima donna's, even when they're not left leaning.
Connie Hair, a spokeswoman for the group, which opposes illegal immigration, said Wednesday that construction of vehicle barriers will start soon on the first fence project, headed by contractor Peter Kunz. Arizona Daily Star
WHOIS Peter Kunz?
Diener Consultants, Inc.
1725 Oregon Pike
Suite 106
Lancaster, PA 17601
US
Domain name: MINUTEMANHQ.COM
Administrative Contact:
Kunz, Peter peter@dienerconsultants.com
1725 Oregon Pike
Suite 106
Lancaster, PA 17601
US
What is Diener Consultants? Why, your source for "Innovative Marketing Solutions." And perhaps not coincidentally, the same firm that MCDC spokeswoman Connie Hair works for.
Jerry Seper goes into the whole business with MCDC, The Alan Keyes Show, and Diener Consultants in the Washington Times.
The Washington Times is hardly a liberal newspaper. If they are raising questions here, you might want to pay attention.
It does not matter that the Minutemen volunteers are activists, not accountants. They hired somebody to do all that: the Declaration Alliance. If that doesn't make you want to put your wallet back in your pocket, you need to do some Googling.
You have presented us with a link that the Minutemen are building a cattle fence for a rancher, with the implication that this is part of some 'seal the borders' effort. If I were you, I'd wait to see the fence. Last I heard, they put some posts in the ground, took some pictures for the fundraising brochures, and then announced it was too hot to proceed. It probably is too hot. So maybe you can trust. But verify. You can start by verifying that the fence contractor is a PR firm on the other side of the country. No kidding.
These people have allegedly raised over a million dollars. What they have to show for it is a lot of hype and photo ops. Liking their cause is not a reason to abandon ordinary caution when parting with money.
The WashTimes is a little more fair, but it is part of the national mainstream.
According to the article, the Declaration Alliance is a charity run by Alan Keyes, not an accounting firm.
I do agree with your assessment to trust, but verify, and that before contributing money, one should check out a little.
Do you have a link to verify that the contracter is a PR firm ... ? Would be interested in seeing it, and will present it on my blog.
Thanks
The Washington Times writes gay "marriage" like this.
I don't know what mainstream that's in, but it's not the left-leaning press mainstream.