Do You Know Where Your Donation Goes?

I came across an interesting article in the Daytona Beach news Journal this AM & thought some of you might be interested. I did a copy & paste so that the article in my post would be as accurate as I could get it. It is as follows.

May 06, 2008

Family First bill deserves veto

Amid the clamor of Florida's 2008 legislative session, a bill slipped through nearly unnoticed -- yet within the next 18 months, every person who registers a vehicle in this state will know about it. At least, they'll know enough to wonder "What's 'Family First?' "

That's because, starting in October if Gov. Charlie Crist doesn't veto the bill, everyone who registers a car or renews its registration in Florida will be asked whether you want to donate a dollar to the Tampa-based organization -- though you won't be told what the organization does, or what the money will be used for.

The bill doesn't go into much detail either, referring to Family First merely as "a nonprofit corporation." In reality, the group is a conservative-leaning organization, also known as the Florida Family Council, that says it's "dedicated to strengthening the family," through radio spots, e-mails and Web sites. While not overtly sectarian, the group approaches the issue of family preservation with a clear religious bent. And while it's not to be confused with the more openly political, Orlando-based Florida Family Policy Council, Family First has weighed in on political issues in its time, including drafting a letter in 1998 chastising the Disney Corporation for offering benefits to gay and lesbian partners of its employees.

The practice of fundraising for such groups through official state documents is constitutionally "iffy," says Larry Helm Spalding of the Florida American Civil Liberties Union, but more importantly, "it's just really bad public policy." And if the Legislature says yes to right-leaning family groups, how can it say no to groups like -- for example -- the ACLU?

"It's important for the government to be the government and nothing else," Mark Merrill, president of Family First, told conservative journal Human Events in 1998. To be fair, Merrill was speaking of government "intrusion" into the realm of the family -- but his statement certainly applies to government when it's acting as a fundraiser for nonprofit groups. Crist should follow that logic -- and veto this bill.

Now donating a buck or two won't hurt most people. But that's not the issue. When you go grocery shopping to Publix or Winn Dixie & you see a bunch of kids, you know where your money is going. Same thing with orgs that you see at traffic light, kids doing car washes, even political candidates. But this one is a double edged sword aimed at you & your wallet. Not only don't they reveal what your money will be going to, there may be Constitutional issues involved. Talk @ NO truth in advertising or full disclosure. One also has to wonder just how this bill, "slipped through," & just who slipped it through. Perhaps an email to Gov. Crist telling him to slam dunk this type of snake oil hucksterism might be a really good idea. I don't mind donating a dollar or two, maybe more to what I consider a worthy cause. But I'm no different than most people in the fact that I want to know where my money is going & not having to worry @ Constitutional issues. What we DON'T need is yet another underhanded scam to worry about. We have enough to worry @ in these times. JATFUR.

RichK