James L. Paris's Blog, page 170

Are Your Non-Profit Donations Going To Millionaires?

One of the nation's most popular charities, The Wounded Warrior Project, is now in damage control after several news reports about exorbitant executive salaries, bonuses, and millions of dollars in travel expenses. The board of directors of the organization met earlier this month and fired both the CEO and COO. CBS News reported that the organization was spending a whopping 40 to 50 percent of donations on overhead, while other similar organizations were spending in the range of 10 to 15 percent. 

One of the issues raised for public discussion were the salaries of top executives. According to the most recent IRS 990 available, Nardizzi received annual compensation of $496,415 and Giordano $424,329. I believe these salaries are outrageous, but surprisingly enough, within the world of non-profits you will find many worse examples. You might start feeling like a chump if you have been making donations to a charity that is paying its top executives an annual salary of ten times what you earn in a year. Charity Watch publishes a list of top non-profit salaries. The list includes some jaw-dropping pay packages like the CEO of St. Jude's Children's Hospital at $1.3 million, the CEO of The American Heart Association at $1.4 million, and the $1.1 million for the CEO of United Way Worldwide. 

If you want to be a smart donor, the two top sites for digging into the finances of a charity are Charity Watch and Charity Navigator.  Enormous salaries are usually justified in one of two ways. The first argument you will hear is that it is only a tiny percentage of the overall operating budget. Others will defend bloated pay packages by suggesting that a compensation committee has done an analysis and concluded that the salary is similar to what the executive would earn in the 'for-profit' world. These are both highly specious arguments (and frankly, from what I have seen, many of these highly compensated non-profit CEOs would not last long in the for-profit arena).

Do your own research and you will quickly discover that at organizations where top executives are receiving enormous salaries you will find a cadre of vice presidents, assistant vice presidents, area directors, and other such positions just a step or two down the compensation ladder. You will also on many occasions find relatives (such as a spouse) taking a second big salary back to the same household. 

If you are interested in checking out a Christian charity, you can use the two organizations above and additionally look to a rating service that focuses on faith based organizations like The Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability. 

If you want to quickly check out how much a charity is paying its top executives, just do a simple Google search using the charity's name and 'IRS 990.' 

The article above from The Street.com is one that I have brought up on my radio show on a couple of occasions. I have honestly been surprised at the reaction I get on both sides of the issue. Most people are genuinely shocked at the salaries outed in this article, but a not so small minority have been very angry at me. What business is it of mine? Why don't I just keep my big mouth shut? Why should I care if I am not giving money to that organization?  Firstly, all of these organizations are operating as non-profits - meaning they don't pay taxes. Additionally, individuals that donate money to them are receiving a tax deduction. For both of these reasons all Americans are being scammed by the net loss of taxes paid to the treasury so that people at the top can become non-profit millionaires.

For me it is all about being a good steward of the money that God has entrusted to me. Honestly, over the years my best charitable investments have been things like buying a neighborhood kid a bicycle, giving a grocery store gift card to someone in need, buying a homeless person a meal, and the like. Yes, the Paris household gives to organizations as well, but as you might imagine, those paying the their top executives enormous salaries don't get a dime of our money.

Jesus had it right when he turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple. Yep, our Lord did this (and it is a great example of righteous and justifiable anger -nothing sinful here). "So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables." John 2:15

What level of a salary for a non-profit executive is too much? Please use the comments section below to share your own opinion. 

Helping you make the most of God���s money!

James L. Paris
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com 
Follow Me on Twitter Twitter.com/jameslparis
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After Years of Obama���s ���Indefinite Welfare,��� States Reinstitute Work Requirements for Recipients

Mississippi is the latest state to reinstitute minimum work requirements for those who wish to qualify for their food stamp program. Beginning today, residents must work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week in order to remain eligible for food stamps. The Magnolia State is among dozens this year that have turned back the clock on liberal welfare eligibility requirements, and have made working a mandatory criterion for those seeking assistance. In the wake of the global recession, President Obama engineered a waiver, through the Department of Agriculture, that essentially eliminated any work-for-welfare requirements, and basically provided people with the opportunity to receive welfare indefinitely.

The trend away from the Obama changes began with Kansas, back in 2013, when the state uncovered widespread fraud and abuse in its food stamp program. Since then, over 20,000 Kansas residents have moved off of food stamps, and their income has risen almost 130 percent.

In Maine, that state tightened up its food stamp eligibility requirements largely on the basis of what was eventually uncovered when a state employee happened to recognize the name of one of Maine���s lottery winners ��� a subsequent investigation revealed that 4,000 state residents receiving welfare had won over $22 million in the lottery. The real culprit, it turns out, is that Maine had no asset test for determining welfare eligibility, something which has since changed under Governor Paul LePage. 44 states now have some type of work requirement for food stamp eligibility, with half of those states making the change just this year.

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Group Sends Abortion-Inducing Drugs to Pregnant Women Infected with the Zika Virus

Women on Web, a Canadian pro-abortion group that operates out of the Netherlands, is working hard to make available dangerous abortion-inducing to pregnant women in South America infected with the Zika virus. Although not typically deadly, the virus has been linked to birth defects in children born to infected women. The mosquito-borne virus is considered the culprit in the rise of microcephaly-afflicted babies born throughout South America over the last year. Microcephaly is a neurological disorder that usually manifests itself in the form of babies born with abnormally small heads and associated brain damage.

Although abortion is generally illegal throughout South America, that has not stopped the diligent folks at Women on Web from trying to get abortion medications to women fearful of the prospect of giving birth to babies with birth defects. In order to be mailed a package of abortion drugs from Women on Web, an interested recipient must complete an online consultation form. Once completed, the group mails out packages of misoprostol and mifepristone, which can be used to cause abortions.

For its part, Brazilian authorities have been very aggressive in intercepting and otherwise confiscating the packages sent by the group. According to Women on Web, 95 percent of the packages they���ve sent to women in that country have been seized by authorities.

Besides the obvious fact that the group is aggressively encouraging abortions, there are other, troubling issues, as well. For one thing, birth defects like microcephaly cannot be diagnosed until a pregnancy reaches at least 20 weeks, while the abortion drugs can be used no later than nine weeks. This means that infected women could well be aborting perfectly healthy unborn babies. Another problem is that the abortion drugs are not meant to be used by a woman without supervision. They are actually very dangerous drugs that have been responsible for numerous deaths (and that is, of course, aside from the unborn babies) and thousands of injuries over the last 12 months, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

By  Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Get Up to 50% Off of Plane Tickets by Flying as a Mystery Shopper

We���ve talked before about the opportunities available as a mystery shopper, which typically involve working as an undercover shopper for the benefit of a retail establishment so that the customer experience can be evaluated and improved upon by that business. Those who work as mystery shoppers tend to enjoy the experience, because it is a low-stress way to make money that involves what is, for so many, their favorite pastime ��� shopping!

That said, did you know that there are now opportunities to work as a mystery shopper inside of the travel industry? A company out of Canada, Evaluate It by SQM, is a mystery shopping company that has, as a big part of its offerings, travel-related mystery shopping assignments, which can be a whole lot of fun. As a Canadian company, many of the jobs that come available through Evaluate It are based in Canada, but not all; Evaluate It has opportunities, as well, at a major US airline.

When mystery shopping on behalf of an airline, you���re not usually looking at free tickets (now THAT would be nice), but up to 50% off of the price of your tickets in exchange for doing the same sort of evaluation you would if you were shopping undercover at the department store down the street. There are some restrictions of which to be mindful - for one thing, if you���re planning to travel with others, like family members or friends, their tickets will have to be purchased separately. Also, there is no opportunity to earn frequent flier miles when doing this, but that���s probably a small sacrifice when you���re getting a 50% discount off of your air fare.

To get started, you will want to register directly at Evaluate It by Clicking Here. If you���re interested in mystery shopping, more generally, and would like to avail yourself of a wide variety of opportunities to do it, then you might take a look at Paid Shopping Providers, a members-only service that can point you in the direction of nearly 200 hiring companies looking for mystery shoppers. Paid Shopping Providers, which is actually recommended by Jim Paris, can save you a lot of time and energy in ferreting out productive, confidential, mystery shopping assignments, Click Here.

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Pope Francis Uses Easter Address to Scold Those Concerned About Migration

Pope Francis, whose progressive notions have previously seen their expression in formal, papal addresses, used his Easter message to once again weigh in on the migration crisis that has plagued much of Western Europe. The pontiff raised the subject in his Christmas message, but this time saw fit to pointedly admonish those who would stand in the way of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa seeking a better life on the European Continent.

In his urbi et orbi (���to the city and the world���) address from the Vatican, Pope Francis declared that, ���The Easter message of the risen Christ, a message of life for all humanity, echoes down the ages and invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees ��� including many children ��� fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice.���

In taking a swipe at those who have resisted the mass migration taking place across Europe, the pope said that, ���All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance.���

The pope���s knock on those who���ve expressed everything from fear to great anger over migrants swamping their nations is pointedly different from recent remarks made by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who said it is ���outrageous��� to characterize those concerned about migration and its impact as racist. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The pope also said in his address that while terrorism is ���a blind and brutal violence,��� that it should be defeated through the use of ���weapons of love.���

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Georgia Governor Announces He Will Veto Religious Liberty Bill

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has done what many expected he would do after a long battle over the state���s controversial ���religious liberty��� bill, HB 757, vetoing it in the face of growing opposition to the measure by some of the biggest names in American business.

Deal, in a press conference held earlier today at the state Capitol, said the bill does not reflect appropriately on a state comprised of ���warm, friendly and loving people.��� Said Deal, ���Our people work side by side without regard to the color of our skin, or the religion we adhere to. We are working to make life better for our families and our communities. That is the character of Georgia. I intend to do my part to keep it that way. For that reason, I will veto HB 757.���

It is expected that the veto will sour relations between the governor and many state conservatives who had been putting great emphasis on the effort to pass the measure. Although Deal���s initiatives since taking office have been decidedly conservative in makeup, the veto is clearly an abrupt reversal of that trend, and will unquestionably alienate the evangelical wing of the Republican Party in Georgia, which is substantial. Many proponents saw the final version of HB 757 as very modest in its tone, and something that should have found favor with the governor on that basis. The measure sought to protect clergy in the event they should decide against performing marriage ceremonies ���in violation of their legal right to free exercise of religion,��� and would have also protected ���property owners which are religious institutions against infringement of religious freedom.���

However, the governor, who had campaigned largely on a pro-business platform, faced calls to veto the bill from some of America���s largest corporations. Disney, Apple, Time Warner, and Intel were among many asking the governor to reject the legislation, and the National Football League said only recently that should the bill become law, it would jeopardize the league���s interest in seeing Atlanta host a Super Bowl in the near term.

For their part, leading conservatives in the Georgia legislature have already said they will seek to override the veto, and, failing that, plan to renew their efforts at passing a similar measure sometime next year.

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Report Declares Michael Sam Drafted by Rams Because of Quid Pro Quo Arrangement with NFL

According to a report over at 590TheFan.com by Howard Balzer, the then-St. Louis Rams agreed to draft Michael Sam, the NFL���s first openly-gay football player, in exchange for the league���s agreement not to tap the franchise to appear that year on HBO���s Hard Knocks reality show, which details the goings-on inside of a selected NFL team���s training camp. While Hard Knocks is popular with viewers, it is roundly disliked by NFL teams for the intrusions that come with being the subject of an ongoing TV show while having to prepare for the upcoming football season. Each year, teams regularly turn down the ���opportunity��� to appear as the centerpiece of that season���s show, often putting the league in the position of having to choose a reluctant participant, instead.

Reportedly, the league, seeking to avoid the firestorm it feared would have ensued at the hands of LGBT activist groups had Sam not been drafted by any team in 2014, promised the Rams team that it would not be saddled with an appearance that year on Hard Knocks if they agreed to draft the Missouri defensive end. The report further details that the league found the Rams, at the time of St. Louis but now of Los Angeles, a particularly good franchise with which to strike this bargain because of the geographical proximity of St. Louis to Columbia, MO, where Sam played at the University of Missouri, as well as the league���s belief in Rams coach Jeff Fisher���s ability to deal with whatever distractions would likely arise in the wake of the controversial pick.

For his part, Fisher says the report is ���absolutely absurd.��� As for Sam, he was cut by the team before the 2014 regular season. Although he subsequently spent brief periods on the rosters of the Dallas Cowboys and Canadian Football League���s Montreal Alouettes, he is presently out of the game.

Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Brussels Attacks Remind Us That We Must ALL Get Serious About Regular Self-Defense Training

So, once again, we are reminded that people going about their business, in the most (ostensibly) peaceful of surroundings, can find themselves under direct assault by terrorists bent on doing harm to all those living in the Western world.

Add to the threats from terrorism���all those that come at the hands of ���regular��� criminal predators, and you have a citizenry that is genuinely under assault. I have written previously about the growing number of law enforcement officials who are declaring that regular citizens must learn to protect themselves, because the number and nature of threats today are just too overwhelming for police agencies to handle. This is the reality of the world in which we live today, and it will not soon change.

Much of this talk from police leadership centers on the importance of citizens remaining armed, but, as important as that is, it is also essential that people are well-acquainted with the techniques and tactics associated with unarmed self-defense. The plain fact is that even a usually well-prepared person may not always have a gun on his person when he needs one.

On that note, I am always on the lookout for quality training materials that can be easily accessed by people who are looking for an opportunity to become better prepared at defending themselves, but who have neither the time, nor perhaps the interest, to enroll in a formal training program at an outside facility. Today, after thoroughly reviewing one in particular, I am prepared to introduce it to you with my heartiest recommendation. It is called MaxKravMaga.com, and it is the official online training program of Krav Maga Global and its founder, Eyal Yanilov.

What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is a system of self-defense that was created for the benefit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It is comprised of a wide variety of techniques with origins in other formal systems and concepts of self-defense. One of the characteristics I particularly like about Krav Maga is its realistic approach to self-defense; one of its core themes is combat expediency, which is, perhaps, the most important feature (or should be) in street self-defense. Combat expediency refers, in part, to the utility derived from techniques that are simple and unglamorous, recognizing that many of the more ���dramatic��� kinds of martial moves���like high-flying kicks���have virtually no practical application in a real-life self-defense situation.

MaxKravMaga.com

Simply put, MaxKravMaga.com is one of the best, and may be the very best, online self-defense training program I have ever seen. It is the brainchild of Eyal Yanilov, the founder of Krav Maga Global who studied under the tutelage of Krav Maga���s legendary founder, Imi Lichtenfeld. As the founder of Krav Maga Global, Yanilov provides oversight to more than 1,500 Krav Maga instructors around the world. The detail of the instruction, along with the top-notch quality of the videos themselves, the clean, crisp organization of the materials, and the excellence of the platform on which they���re situated, make MaxKravMaga.com a true winner in the realm of remote-based self-defense instruction.

One of the biggest complaints I have had, historically, with online-based training programs is the lack of attention to detail with regard to technique illustration. Every technique taught here is meticulously broken down so that the viewer can see, from a movement���s start to finish, how each relevant part of the body should be positioned. This is often an issue in the area of footwork and foot position as they pertain to striking techniques. You will often find training videos that demonstrate punches, for example, do an unfortunate job of detailing the proper foot position associated with the strikes��� best execution - poor foot position can lead to a range of problems, including a momentary loss of balance (which can prove disastrous in a quickly-unfolding self-defense situation) as well as a loss of full striking power. That is not a problem here; a great deal of attention is paid to proper stance, foot position, and overall body configuration as they pertain to the execution of all techniques.

Something else worth noting is that just about any self-defense scenario that one can envision having to face is addressed in the materials. This is not a supposedly ���comprehensive��� training program that, in reality, concerns itself with just a relative handful of threat scenarios. MaxKravMaga.com presents the student with a vast array of anticipated, dangerous self-defense situations, and illustrates, in great detail, how each can be safely (for the victim) negotiated.

MaxKravMaga.com is Meant for Serious Students of Self-Defense

If I have any words of caution for a person interested in this program, it is only these: this is not for you if you are not serious about becoming highly-proficient in unarmed combat. The quality of this material, the amount of material, including the breadth of strategies and tactics covered, is suitable for that person who sees himself/herself as an ongoing student of self-defense training. If you have no more than a passing interest in this subject���although, in these ever-dangerous days, I���m not sure why that would be the case���then it may not be for you. However, even if that is so, surely you have a loved one or a good friend who is acutely interested in this topic, and I would encourage you to point him or her in the direction of Max Krav Maga.com.

Also, it is important to understand that this program is intended to be something at which you regularly train. Speaking as an I.S.S.A. Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning, let me say that I do NOT support the idea that a person can do no more than watch videos like these, as well-made as they are, and acquire functional skills. This material must be actively trained by you, and, ideally, by a like-minded training partner. Ideally, you will keep a device handy when you head to the garage or spare room to train, so that you can review the material as you practice it.

Like I said, this is serious stuff.

So What Do You Get with MaxKravMaga.com?

Lots. Here is just a brief rundown of what is contained in the MaxKravMaga.com program, because a full detailing would take up several more pages:

10 comprehensive, highly-detailed video training modules

The official KMG syllabus for every proficiency level

Technique analysis and discussion with fellow members

Members-only forums

Access to every future upgrade and content addition

Q&A with program architect and Krav Maga legend Eyal Yanilov

You ALSO receive four terrific bonus videos, as well:

Combat Mindset and Mental Conditioning

Eyal Yanilov���s Masterclass Seminar

Anti-Carjacking and Road Rage Defense

Using Firearms as Non-Lethal-Weapons

As for the techniques illustrated in the material, there are far too many to itemize here, but they include:

Strikes, including hooks and uppercuts

Spinning attacks, strikes, and kicks

Takedowns using wrist leverage

Switch kicks

Defenses against chokes

Defenses against armed attacks

The truth is that I am probably doing a disservice to the program by listing any of these, because there are so many more beyond what I���ve indicated. Still, I want you to get an idea of the range of techniques taught by program founder Eyal Yanilov in these terrific instructional videos.

In total, your membership in MaxKravMaga.com provides you with access to:

272 VIDEOS

647 TECHNIQUES

23 HOURS OF FOOTAGE

There���s other cool stuff, as well, including the opportunity to earn 30 free days of membership for each time someone you solicit enrolls in the program!

An additional feature that I want to mention is the generous refund policy. As great as this program is, if you enroll in MaxKravMaga.com and then decide that it is not really for you, then you can get a no-hassle refund for up to 60 days after you first sign up. Speaking candidly, if you see yourself as a devoted self-defense student who wants to be able to train remotely and on your schedule, I cannot imagine that you would want to quit and get your money back. However, I also understand ���life events��� sometimes arise that force even the dedicated student to change course. Anyway, regardless of the reason, you can receive a refund anytime during the first two months of membership, which seems pretty great to me.

This is serious training for a serious world; it���s really that simple. If you would like to learn more, or just enroll in MaxKravMaga.com directly, Click Here.

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Your Tax Dollars Pay for Continued Mismanagement and Corruption at the Veterans Administration

The chief of the Veterans Benefits Administration has been suspended by the Department of Veterans Affairs because it was determined he knowingly permitted two lower-ranking officials to ���game��� the hiring system to their own advantage.

Sloan Gibson, the Deputy Secretary of the VA, is suspending VBA boss Danny Pummill for 15 days for his part in a so-called ���relocation scam.��� Specifically, Pummill allowed two senior underlings, Kimberly Graves and Diana Rubens, to exert pressure on managers under them to accept job transfers that would permit the two women to assume the vacant positions, giving each the opportunity to enjoy fewer responsibilities while still keeping their higher compensation. Graves earns $173,949 as head of the St. Paul, Minnesota benefits office, while Rubens earns $181,497 as director of the Philadelphia regional office.

As for punishment of Graves and Rubens, it was, in the end, limited to a reprimand and pay cut of 10 percent for each. Originally, the decision was made to bounce them from their positions, but administrative judges made the decision to overturn those demotions in part on the basis that those in oversight positions above them���like Pummill���had not been disciplined. In other words, because everyone had yet to be disciplined, basically no one can be disciplined���or something like that.

Your tax dollars at work.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

������No One Over 50 Allowed���to Work; Age Bias Claims Continue to Soar

A recent article over at The New York Times by Elizabeth Olson sheds light on the reality that age bias in the workplace is a significant hurdle to overcome for an aging population that, ironically enough, sees itself expecting to work longer than any from previous generations.

Olson details the experiences of Julianne Taaffe, 60, and Kathryn Moon, 65, who retired as instructors from Ohio State University short of reaching eligibility for their full benefits because of what they claim was a hostile work environment toward older teachers like themselves.

The dustup began several years ago when the pair saw an email from their boss at the time, addressed to a colleague at another university, which said, in part, that Ms. Taaffe and her teaching associates were ���an extraordinarily change-averse population of people almost all of whom are over 50, contemplating retirement (or not), and it���s like herding hippos.��� According to Ms. Taaffe, the email basically confirmed a change in workplace culture and climate she and her fellow teachers had been seeing for some time, characterized in part by the regular promotion of younger and less experienced instructors at the expense of older ones.

Although her department landed a new boss, not only did conditions not improve, according to Taaffe, but they actually worsened. When Taaffe met with department director Robert A. Eckhart for her annual performance review, his first question was, ���How long have you been around here, anyway?��� His follow-up act was to lower her overall performance rating (from the previous year), even though he���d never seen her actually teach, allegedly telling Taaffe that the previous year���s rating was too high and that her teaching was not that good (again, even though he had not actually seen Taaffe teach, according to her).

Both Taaffe and Moon are now going after Ohio State on the basis of age discrimination. Overall, there is no lack of age discrimination complaints these days as more ���seasoned��� citizens continue to swim like crazy against the adverse economic tide that threatens to consume so many Americans. According to a 2013 survey by AARP, 92 percent of respondents said they saw age bias as either ���very��� or ���somewhat��� commonplace, and, in 2015, there were over 21,000 age discrimination complaints filed with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large