December 09, 2006

Your spare change can yield big returns

Crist fundraisers stage events, parties to raise big bucks.


TALLAHASSEE - Here are some things you can do with $500,000 this holiday season:
  • Pay the salaries of about 10 public school teachers for one year.

  • Buy four years of college tuition at a state school for more than 30 students.

  • Sponsor nearly 21,000 African children via the Christian Children's Fund, providing them with food, clothing and education needs for a month.

  • Or you could become an official "Vice Chairman" of the Governor-elect Charlie Crist "2007 Florida Inaugural Leadership Committee" and receive various memorabilia such as "Limited Edition 2007 Florida Inaugural Engraved Gold Cuff Links."
Seeking money to pay for a series of parties surrounding Crist's inauguration, fundraisers are asking donors to pony up anywhere from $10,000 to be a "friend" of the inaugural committee to $500,000 to be named a "vice chairman."

Ledger article: 'Friends' to pay for Crist inauguration

Would you spend tens of thousands of dollars--up to half a million--for an "honorary" title, a silk tie, or cuff links?

I didn't think you would. Nobody else throws around that kind of money and expects nothing in return, either.

Read this Sun-Sentinel editorial: Fundraising


Update, 7:00 p.m.: Crist cancels inaugural ball following criticism

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great piece. I would buy the college tuition for students. Education is pretty important. I can't believe a fundraiser can be so outrageously expensive. What's the point of fundraising when you can just use the cost to pay for whatever it is you want to help out.

Aikäne said...

See the update, 7:00 p.m.: "Crist cancels lavish inaugural ball"

After too much criticism, Charlie said he's using his eraser... scaling back to Jeb's level...

“Upon reflection, it doesn’t feel right to me when there are people having trouble paying their insurance bills and making ends meet,” Crist told a St. Petersburg Times reporter. “When I was a child, my grandfather told me every pencil has an eraser for a reason. It’s a good lesson, I’m not perfect.’’

True, true. Appearances do matter. We're still watching you, though, Charlie.