Comcast, Verizon Step Up Big For Haiti... Verizon expedites cash delivery process... Wireless carriers did a great job last week fund raising for Haiti relief, drumming up millions of dollars in user donations in very short order via SMS. Normally, there's a ninety day window in between the user donation and the relief getting delivered, as user billing cycles must complete, payment must be verified, and then handled by an intermediary. Stepping up to the plate, Verizon Wireless has issued a statement saying they've immediately transferred $2,987,560 to the American Red Cross to expedite the aid process. Sprint meanwhile tells the New York Times they're immediately forwarding 80% of their received donations, while AT&T is examining the possibility. Meanwhile, Comcast says they're pledging one million dollars in support to the Red Cross and to the American Red Cross and to Télécoms Sans Frontières (Telecom without Borders), a nonprofit agency that brings telecom services to crisis areas.
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1 edit | Digicel, google Digicel, a regional wireless carrier in the Caribbean has also been giving free minutes in Haiti. They also gave 5 million bucks.
»online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-201···eadlines
Google also gave a million bucks and all GV calls to Haiti are free for 2 weeks. | |
| | | I am glad they are doing this. I am glad these companies are doing this. My fiances cousins were in Haiti when the quake hit and The whole country is a mess.
They had to hitch a ride in a news helicopter to get home because the airport is mess between the aid planes coming in and everything.
The only problem i have is that its been shown that not all money donated to the red cross goes to the intended recepients.
Much better organisations that directly help the people in haiti. | |
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approval from:
jonnyz 
baineschile
| Re: I am glad they are doing this. Uhh reality check guys, Haiti was a huge mess before the earthquake hit. Like a previous poster said, the majority of these charities are a huge scam. Everyone is cashing in on this big time, not just with money but with fresh PR. It's sickening. Outside of those who have family actually in Haiti, did you even care it existed as one of the poorest nations on Earth for the past 100 years? No? Didn't think so. Neither did these companies.
Besides, there are so many things wrong with our own little part of the world, it is insanity that the media is so focused on Haiti right now. Go help the veteran hobo or the student with hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt outside your house first before you start singing the praises of throwing money into the raging fire that is Haiti. | |
| | | | | Re: I am glad they are doing this. I'm glad to hear someone say this as well!
Don't get me wrong and I get all the "it's in the best interest of the country to help"...
BUT - This country has so many of own problems!! Fix your own house before helping your neighbors. Where was all this $$ when all of these great american industries were collapsing? Does it only get donated if it's a tax write off?? | |
| | | | | The difference between them in shambles and us in shambles however is we can easily change our situation, we have Welfare for lazy non working people, and Bankruptcy for people who can not pay there bills and Homeless shelters for homeless. In Haiti they do not have the same chances and opportunities as we do so I see no problem with helping them. We get hit by a big earthquake big deal most of us have options and hotels there freken shacking up in the street. | |
| | | | | | Re: I am glad they are doing this. Good response and well said. It is our duty to help the very less fortunate. It is what makes this country great. We're way better off than the poor folks down there. | |
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| | Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
3 edits | said by realitychek :
Uhh reality check guys, Haiti was a huge mess before the earthquake hit. Like a previous poster said, the majority of these charities are a huge scam. Everyone is cashing in on this big time, not just with money but with fresh PR. It's sickening. Outside of those who have family actually in Haiti, did you even care it existed as one of the poorest nations on Earth for the past 100 years? No? Didn't think so. Neither did these companies.
Besides, there are so many things wrong with our own little part of the world, it is insanity that the media is so focused on Haiti right now. Go help the veteran hobo or the student with hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt outside your house first before you start singing the praises of throwing money into the raging fire that is Haiti.
Hear, Hear!!
Sadly, Haitian warlords will likely pocket a nice chunk of the donations and the rest will be looted by their friends. They will of course show "the money going to good work" on a few staged areas for the media so the bleeding hearts will keep donating.
Americans, your fellow countrymen, need your help NOW. Not Haiti. Help America first. How about VZ and Comcast making a fund to pay off educational loans, funds to help good people that lost their jobs afford to have health insurance for their loved ones and so forth. Once America is perfect we can look abroad but for now, there are plenty of causes on our own home soil in the need of generous donations.
Lastly, need us not forget the 10,000's of Vets that came home from Iraq and Afghanistan to bankruptcy and have need for major medical help --- between their own issues from the war and that of many who didn't return to their families the way they left leading to divorce and so forth.
America needs to help Americans FIRST, period. | |
| | | | | | | | | Re: I am glad they are doing this. you all make me sick, this isnt about being american or being haitian, this is about human beings that dying becuase there is no running water, no food, no shelter, no medical care. Keep your money if you want to, but I would wish you would keep your mouths shut so we dont have to listen to this. | |
| | | | | | | Re: I am glad they are doing this. said by sickening :
you all make me sick, this isnt about being american or being haitian, this is about human beings that dying becuase there is no running water, no food, no shelter, no medical care. Keep your money if you want to, but I would wish you would keep your mouths shut so we dont have to listen to this.
I agree. People are harsh. It was a disaster. I hope tragedy strikes them or one of their family members and need help someday. | |
| | | | |  r81984Fair and BalancedPremium
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX
·AT&T U-Verse
 ·AT&T DSL Service
 ·row44
2 edits | said by sickening :
you all make me sick, this isnt about being american or being haitian, this is about human beings that dying becuase there is no running water, no food, no shelter, no medical care. Keep your money if you want to, but I would wish you would keep your mouths shut so we dont have to listen to this.
So they have priority over Americans that are dying, have no running water, no food, no shelter, and no medical care.
You make me sick that you would ignore suffering Americans over people who choose to live in a place with no standard of living. Humans survived a long time on this planet without all of those things and you should not get all worried about a country that did not have those things in the first place.
In Haiti you can live successfully without those things, that is not the case in the US.
Help America first!!!!
Also think of it this way. If you give one haitian $10,000, nothing will change for them when the money runs out. If you give one poor American $10,000 they actually have the opportunity to move and turn their life around and become self sufficient.
Did you even read the newspapers. These people are stealing and killing each other like savages. It is worse than the ghetto people in new orleans after katrina. Do you really want to support people that act like that?
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Republicans: less fiscally conservative than that other party. | |
| | | | | | | | Re: I am glad they are doing this. said by r81984: . people who choose to live in a place with no standard of living. Wow. So they choose to live there? Interesting.
said by r81984: It is worse than the ghetto people in new orleans after Katrina Lol. Are you a Beck/Palin/Limbaugh fan?
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I'll do it later. | |
| | | | | | | r81984Fair and BalancedPremium
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T DSL Service
·row44
| Re: I am glad they are doing this. said by LeftOfSanity:said by r81984: . people who choose to live in a place with no standard of living. Wow. So they choose to live there? Interesting. said by r81984: It is worse than the ghetto people in new orleans after Katrina Lol. Are you a Beck/Palin/Limbaugh fan? If no one wanted to live there then they would not have kids. They choose to live there.
I don't listen to Beck/Palin/Limbaugh so I have no idea what you mean by that. I don't support drug addicts losers like them.
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Republicans: less fiscally conservative than that other party. | |
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| | | |  tiger72SexaT duorPPremium
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1
·T-Mobile US
| said by sickening :
you all make me sick, this isnt about being american or being haitian, this is about human beings that dying becuase there is no running water, no food, no shelter, no medical care. Keep your money if you want to, but I would wish you would keep your mouths shut so we dont have to listen to this.
That's just the thing. A LOT of Haitian's didn't have that BEFORE the earthquake either. Yet no one seemed to give 2 shits then. Other than mission trips, I have heard of absolutely 0 support for Haiti until the earthquake.
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"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara | |
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| |  sivranBack to Opera againPremium
join:2003-09-15
Arlington, TX
kudos:1 | It's a lot easier to help someone else clean up their house than to clean up your own.
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In dadkins' memory, Think outside the Fox... | |
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| |  At&t
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| | Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
| Re: At&t Instead of Verizon collecting money from customers that they continually fraudulently (probably not a word) charge fees to, they should take the dirty money from the 1.99 data charge and donate it to Haiti. No matter how you look at it, Verizon isn't donating any of their own money. | |
| | | | | Re: At&t Ya funny that they instantly waived the TXT fee for the $10 donations but they cant fix the mistery $1.99 Charge! | |
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 lolwhatYou're getting warmerPremium
join:2001-06-11
PonziWorld
 ·Callcentric
| Ugh, Red Cross One of the biggest scams on the planet. If you plan to donate, please give to one of the organizations who were in Haiti long before the earthquake. Those orgs typically pass upwards of 90% of donations to, you know, the people who need them - unlike the Red Cross, United Way and other big names, which sometimes take an effective 75% commission.
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The Greater Depression: Coming soon to a country near you!
F*** the Republicrats. | |
| | Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
| Re: Ugh, Red Cross As a side not of my previous post, instead of thanking the CEOs of these major companies, they should be thanking the will of the American people. People like Ivan Seidenberg, Randall Stephenson do not represent the spirit of America, rather the spirit of corrupt capitalism. Big business wins regardless. | |
| | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 | Re: Ugh, Red Cross Hey, at least they aren't being total idiots and holding the money for 90 days. That's out of the ordinary in a good way. | |
| | |  jester121Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
·voip.ms
| said by JonBoySC:As a side not of my previous post, instead of thanking the CEOs of these major companies, they should be thanking the will of the American people. People like Ivan Seidenberg, Randall Stephenson do not represent the spirit of America, rather the spirit of corrupt capitalism. Big business wins regardless. So Seidenberg and Stephenson aren't American people?
The "corrupt capitalists," as you call them, of this country are the reason there are hundreds of millions of dollars flowing to the relief efforts in Haiti. You have a job, don't you? | |
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| | | Thank you for making that point. Most people aren't aware of the complete B.S. tactics that these large "charities" choose to employ. What others me most I think, is that with in large corporations (Microsoft , Google, EA, etc...), the occasional e-mail circulates encouraging donations to outfits like these. Fortunately, they usually do allow for donations (taken from your paycheck) to to most charities. But who knows how much really makes it to them.
It is refreshing to see that there are a few of these big outfits willing to send their own cash for relief. Though to them, a million bucks is a drop in the bucket and a tax deduction most likely geared for a little P.R. . That kind of cash will go far there. I also agree with the earlier comment from 'lolwhat' that people should try to give directly to the earliest responding relief and recovery organizations. Don't feed the scam. 
AT&T...! Get off the couch on this!! | |
| | Reviews:
 ·WOW Internet and..
| very true about the RedCross. I posted that with the first story about this here on DSLR. RC took billions from Katrina and will do it again with Haiti. They're the only org. that charges you to donate blood to one of your loved ones too!
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www.two-pugs.com www.twopugsbrand.com | |
| |  cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5
·Frontier FiOS
| said by lolwhat:One of the biggest scams on the planet. If you plan to donate, please give to one of the organizations who were in Haiti long before the earthquake. Those orgs typically pass upwards of 90% of donations to, you know, the people who need them - unlike the Red Cross, United Way and other big names, which sometimes take an effective 75% commission. You can just make that presumption for all donations. You have to consider what the charity is, what charitable services they provide, as well as their size. Charities, like businesses, don't scale linearly. According to records, UW non-program expenses are about 11%. Red Cross is about 10% which are both on par for the national average of around 10%. In the case of Red Cross, that 10% administrative costs not only covers international aid, but also domestic disaster relieve, community health and safety, and biomedical services. More services across a much greater area and a $3b budget isn't real comparable to say Doctors Without Borders that assist far fewer people with a much smaller budget and a more focused purpose.
It's good to know where your money is going to. But to say that they are taking an effective 75% is at best distorting the truth and at worst a flat out lie. | |
|
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 | T-Mobile is donating equipment Calling on T-Mobile to and from Haiti is free for the month, and T-Mo is working on rebuilding some infrastructure in the country in the wake of the earthquake. That's pretty cool. | |
| | | Call me whatever you want... This is ridiculous. We've got huge companies and the government ripping off American Citizens for all they can through outrageous practices, taxes, and fees all while crying that they are headed towards bankruptcy and massive deficits. Meanwhile American citizens are living with wages that are dropping, prices that are increasing, and are loosing their homes, and property at an alarming rate and Veterans of the military are living on the street at increasing numbers. Yet the government and all these companies donating money overseas can't be bothered to actually help the American Citizens here in their own country. I say screw haiti, help those here in our own country before sending all this aid and free help over to some country that has absolutely no value to us whatsoever. I'm so sick of America putting every other country first before America itself. Would haiti be sending help to us if we had a natural disaster? How about China? Japan? Indonesia? India? Nope, probably not, or at the most probably a few million as a token. Why should we be helping others, when supposedly we can't even afford to help out ourselves.
Where's the SMS donation number for helping out the Veterans that helped our country, but are made to live on the street? Where's the SMS donation number for helping those who are out of jobs thanks to companies "helping out" overseas countries by sending our jobs there? You get the idea....
Now I'm sure I'll be blasted with comments letting me know how horrible I am and how I'm a racist or whatever somehow; but you all can't deny that it's the truth. | |
| |  Z80APremium
join:2009-11-23
·Cox HSI
1 edit | Re: Call me whatever you want... Because the donations are about PR. These companies don't actually give two squirts of piss about Haiti.
Meanwhile The Great Satan is always first in line to help everyone so that 3 years later they can go back to bitching about American Imperialism and burning the American flag. No good deed goes unpunished. | |
| | | cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5 Reviews:
·Frontier FiOS
| Re: Call me whatever you want... said by Z80A:Because the donations are about PR. These companies don't actually give two squirts of piss about Haiti. They are companies. They don't feel emotions. They don't feel good or bad if they do or don't donate. Their singular purposes in the world is to make money for their owners and investors. If they can do that by generating some PR, and in the process also help out someone in another country that could use all sorts of types of assistance, what's wrong with that? | |
| | | | Z80APremium
join:2009-11-23 | Re: Call me whatever you want... They should be honest about it. If anyone is "stepping up" it is Comcast and Verizon's subscribers who gave them the money in the first place and will soon be throttled with yet another price hike. | |
| | | | | cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5 Reviews:
·Frontier FiOS
| Re: Call me whatever you want... said by Z80A:If anyone is "stepping up" it is Comcast and Verizon's subscribers who gave them the money in the first place In the short term, the telcos are the ones giving the money. It's essentially an advance of the funds. As pointed ou in the summary, they are advancing most of the funds prior to actually receiving them. They'll get the money back in 90 days, but they are doing away with some of the processing time in order to get the money in use sooner then what a traditional txt donation may make it.
Similar things are being done in other areas too. Hundreds of orphans that had cases being processed to be adopted by families in the Netherlands and here in the States are getting cases fast tracked and getting temporary custody without all the regular paperwork being filed first. It still needs to be done, but they realized that the resources that were going to these kids that in all likelyhood would be approved anyways could go towards the hundreds if not thousands of kids that have found themselves now orphans. | |
| | | | | | Z80APremium
join:2009-11-23 | Re: Call me whatever you want... Unless they can run a printing press, issued new debt yesterday or sold new shares, the money came from subscribers. | |
| | | | | | | | | Re: Call me whatever you want... said by Z80A:Unless they can run a printing press, issued new debt yesterday or sold new shares, the money came from subscribers. But once you give something to someone, it is no longer yours, it's theirs. | |
| | | | | | | | Z80APremium
join:2009-11-23 | Re: Call me whatever you want... No. Subscribers expect excellent service and when resources are wasted, those subscribers don't get what they're paying for. IOW, it's not "their's" until every problem subscribers see has been solved. | |
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| | | said by GMFreak8:This is ridiculous. We've got huge companies and the government ripping off American Citizens for all they can through outrageous practices, taxes, and fees all while crying that they are headed towards bankruptcy and massive deficits. Meanwhile American citizens are living with wages that are dropping, prices that are increasing, and are loosing their homes, and property at an alarming rate and Veterans of the military are living on the street at increasing numbers. Yet the government and all these companies donating money overseas can't be bothered to actually help the American Citizens here in their own country. I say screw haiti, help those here in our own country before sending all this aid and free help over to some country that has absolutely no value to us whatsoever. I'm so sick of America putting every other country first before America itself. Would haiti be sending help to us if we had a natural disaster? How about China? Japan? Indonesia? India? Nope, probably not, or at the most probably a few million as a token. Why should we be helping others, when supposedly we can't even afford to help out ourselves. Where's the SMS donation number for helping out the Veterans that helped our country, but are made to live on the street? Where's the SMS donation number for helping those who are out of jobs thanks to companies "helping out" overseas countries by sending our jobs there? You get the idea.... Now I'm sure I'll be blasted with comments letting me know how horrible I am and how I'm a racist or whatever somehow; but you all can't deny that it's the truth. The people of Haiti have no choice. The people in this country on the other hand 90 percent of them it is there own fault there homeless. A lot of ex military I know a lot of them homeless lost there homes because they became drug addicts and drunks. The unemployed are taking there unemployment payments not even looking for jobs and when there cut off they claim theirs no jobs yet there only job searching was on the back of there unemployment check. And I think it is ridiculous we support woman who never worked a day in there lives having kids they can not afford to support more then we support our working. | |
| | | | | Re: Call me whatever you want... said by ffink20001:The people of Haiti have no choice. The people in this country on the other hand 90 percent of them it is there own fault there homeless. A lot of ex military I know a lot of them homeless lost there homes because they became drug addicts and drunks. The unemployed are taking there unemployment payments not even looking for jobs and when there cut off they claim theirs no jobs yet there only job searching was on the back of there unemployment check. And I think it is ridiculous we support woman who never worked a day in there lives having kids they can not afford to support more then we support our working. With the stresses of combat and military service in general, I don't blame them. The military is treated like shit not only by enemy forces but also our own Government at times. | |
| | | Reviews:
·Time Warner Cable
·RoadRunner Cable
| The people of Haiti have every choice, just as we have a choice - Who's to say they cannot move?
Who are YOU to judge and say that "every american that is unemployed doesn't deserve this" What about the ones that ARE? Excuse me, but you do NOT have the voice for all of the American people. And quite frankly, the general "people" of this great country are in quite a crisis. You seem to forget, our economy is doing terrible -- We are a major world power, which means when our economy does bad, does affect the rest of the world. And sending millions of dollars to Haiti when we could be repairing homes, paying off debts, assisting in repaying loans.... Times are hard, and just because you don't feel them, doesn't mean the rest of us don't. | |
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1 edit | Re: Call me whatever you want... said by LightS:The people of Haiti have every choice, just as we have a choice - Who's to say they cannot move? Where exactly will they go? Our Government doesn't want them:
»www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01···g-north/
The best thing to do right now is to help them fix their own country. | |
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| | American leadership. As many hatian leaders and internatonal observers have said, this crisis is being met with the best response the world has to offer, with strong leadership from us based agencies, organizations, and other entities. Nice to hear after 8 years of folks going cold on us. We have the money resources and capacity to do the most good, not only immediately, but over time. Dunno if anyone else feels this way, but I'm glad we are not on everyone's s***list and glad that we can throw our might behind a worthy cause for once.
- A
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LETS GO METS! | |
| | Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
1 edit | Re: American leadership. What I meant by that was that they aren't donating anything that is theirs. These guys are the ones being thanked for what the American people are doing. Att has already stated that they won't refund any sms charges that were incurred by the Haiti donation. Verizon has been stealing money from people for a while with their 1.99 data fee. And you can bet your ass that they wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't something in it for them. Lobbying, tax breaks, profiting. No they don't represent what I feel is Americas spirit, rather they are being portrayed as heroes undeservedly so.
And yes I have a job. What's your point? | |
| | |  cwy1980Premium
join:2004-08-10
Monmouth Junction, NJ | Re: American leadership. Hmmm well if we are all so unhappy with the devious practices of the telecom's, why are we all still with them? If you don't like a service you can always go without. The world did turn without cell phones or the internet in the past....
For me, I could care less about arguing over some $1.99/mo mystery fee. That 1.99 is less than the cost of a Big Mac and won't break the bank. Is it questionable? Yeah it sure is....but....is it so outrageous that I am compelled to take action on it? Nope... I have to pick and choose worthwhile battles. Right now, it's not one of them.
As for how the telecom's are handling the Haiti relief efforts...well good for them for being more prompt with the money they've collected via SMS. I think that the subscribers who donated the money did so taking a risk of sorts as that donation will become somewhat diluted. For most everyone, they lack a skill that would allow them to provide direct and immediate action for relief (search and rescue, disaster management, medical training, etc) therefore money is all they can give or take action with and that is a noble gesture.
Myself, I am hoping that some good comes out of this mess. Yeah, Haiti is often forgotten about except when something bad is happening and that is tragic. Perhaps this extra focus will maybe help things a bit. Probably an idealistic thought but there is nothing wrong with hope.
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Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy | |
|
Z80APremium
join:2009-11-23 | New Line Item coming next quarter American Red Cross Donation Recovery Fee | |
| beaups
join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH | Collusion Again! Since all the major wireless telcos are doing the same thing (expediting the donation payments), then clearly the CEO's are in bed with one another and the DOJ needs to reopen the collusion inquiry!
Seriously, it's amazing how when the carriers all follow one another with something we don't like, it's immediately regarded as collusion and we go whining to the Government. Yet, when they follow one another for something we like (donations, lowered voice prices) it's no problem.
Also, it was very refreshing to see this article written without a negative slant. | |
| | budone
join:2002-09-07
Coopersville, MI | Re: Collusion Again! I wonder with the wireless companies ultimately 'giving' the money to Haiti relief, do the companies get the charitable tax break??? | |
| | | beaups
join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH | Re: Collusion Again! doubt that, they "may" be able to claim some sort of facilitation cost but the IRS typically frowns on two entities taking the same tax deduction (the donor and the carrier) | |
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|  jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA | said by beaups:Since all the major wireless telcos are doing the same thing (expediting the donation payments), then clearly the CEO's are in bed with one another and the DOJ needs to reopen the collusion inquiry! Seriously, it's amazing how when the carriers all follow one another with something we don't like, it's immediately regarded as collusion and we go whining to the Government. Yet, when they follow one another for something we like (donations, lowered voice prices) it's no problem. Also, it was very refreshing to see this article written without a negative slant. These conglomerates operate in an oligopoly, which tends to foster collusion and an anti-competitive environment for the consumer. This is not the same thing, although it does show that with such a limited number of true competitors, the big players tend to follow each other in just about all aspects of their business. | |
| | cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5 Reviews:
·Frontier FiOS
| said by beaups:Seriously, it's amazing how when the carriers all follow one another with something we don't like, it's immediately regarded as collusion and we go whining to the Government. Yet, when they follow one another for something we like (donations, lowered voice prices) it's no problem. Perhaps you should look up the definition of collusion to better understand the differences. By definition, if you are open about doing something it's not collusion. | |
|
skurfa
join:2006-03-10
Yorktown, VA | Corporate Donation Amazing to me how jaded we have become........ Yes, corporations exist to make money for their investors, but are we forgetting that they are still run by humans? Someone at VZW and Sprint had to make the decision to forward the money early and I think there was likely some element of giving a shit about the world around them that helped form that decision. Of course good PR is on their minds too, it has to be, but it is NOT the only factor I think VZW is a big evil company that I won't give one red (pun intended) cent to, but they are also in a position to do the most good when things like this occur and I will say, yes, they are doing something good. I own a business myself and i make these same kind of charitable and community service decisions everyday. It's damn to tough to say no to a good cause when the budget forces me to do so.
Just my two cents worth
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Fairtax.org, It's time. | |
| | | Haiti relief Nice to see at&t stepping up as well. NOT!! | |
|  Augustus IIIIf Only Rome Could See Us Now....
join:2001-01-25
Gainesville, GA | how nice haiti has been like this for 100 years.
where were you hypocrites back then? i know! you were at the previous self validation and affirmation event. just like you will be at the next one. its like throwing money away... might as well make a bonfire and burn it in your own yard, if you have one.
if comcast raises my rates again im dropping them like a haitian building! there is no free money. they will recoup these "donations" from their customers | |
| | r81984Fair and BalancedPremium
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX | Re: how nice I agree, this is bullshit.
I didn't see anyone trying to help haiti last year.
We need to pay off the US debt before we can give money away.
--
Republicans: less fiscally conservative than that other party. | |
| | | | | Re: how nice said by r81984:I agree, this is bullshit. I didn't see anyone trying to help haiti last year. Wyclef Jean did with Yele Haiti. That's who I donated to. He is from there so I know his heart is in it. | |
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| zipjay
join:2003-03-11
South Williamson, KY | ask 10,000 americans before the earthquake where haiti is on a map or what part of the world it is in.. you can pretty much bet noone would give a correct answer or you would get "Haiti is a country? i've never heard of it" | |
|
 morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | AT&T AT&T is examining the possibility | |
| | | | Re: AT&T again, att never the innovator, always the follower.
and a bunch of f'n scumbags. | |
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See 6 replies to this post | |
 NOYBSt. John 3.16Premium
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR
kudos:1 | Verizon FiOS-TV Humanitarian Aid Donation Widget Maybe Verizon could add a humanitarian aid donation widget to their FiOS TV service. | |
|  Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
kudos:3
·Northern Neck Wi..
| If it makes you feel good ... Just SMS your $10 to the Red Cross, don't worry about all the BS . You gave from your heart. Live with knowing you did something ... rather than nothing.
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ | |
| | | | Re: If it makes you feel good ... If you are in such a giving mood for the sake of feeling better about yourself, I could use a 10 dollar donation. | |
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MordhemLove it, Hate it.
join:2003-07-10
Baltimore, MD | At least there not pledging to roll out fiber, but seriousl Not to sound ignorant, because I understand that these people are in need of allot of support & help but since this has happened I have had a very interesting question.
Currently in our country we have people living on parking benches, people losing their houses every day & much more all of this in the riches country in the world. This all happening in our own country. I even have a experience of my own. About seven mouths ago I have became medically disabled from a near death experience. Unknown to me I had a bad infection in my body & I had just came back to Baltimore from South Carolina. So my father figured I was just wore out from the trip when I did not wake the next morning but later at night my wife came & told my family that they should check on my because I was making a weird snoring sound & that my door was locked and I was not answering when she knocked, so they kept trying to get me to come to the door. But when that would not work my father had to climb to roof to get in my room & he said I was on my bed in the corning & I was struggling to breath so they carried me down stairs and my brother kept me support until the ambulance came & rushed me to the the ICU, luckily for me my brother is a firefighter paramedic .
Apparently I was in a coma for 5 days & they told my mother to prepare for the worse that I was not going to make it. Some how though I Lived threw it but I was left with severe nerve damage that has left my right my leg & back in to the worse pain I have ever felt in my life and also my foot is also paralyzed the condition known as foot drop. So I woke up from the coma on day 5 of being in the ICU & on the 6th day the hospital released me because I had no insurance with out even figuring out what caused it. They did not say they released me because I had no insurance but it was apparent, I almost died and now they just wanted to rush me out the hospital since I woke up. So now I'm also forced to fight my government for disability & this experience has truly humbled me, because I started to think about all the thousands of other people who are left in a worst position then I'm in, Since if I did not have my mother & my family here to help me I would be homeless because my country would rather fight my claims even though my claims are backed up medically by all the doctors that I see every day then rather then help me. They don't sympathize with there own country mates at all. If not for having my family by my side my 1 year old child would be starving death. The thanks my family is getting is right now we are struggling to keep the power on now, but we might be saved by this tax season. Thanks to my local state government they decided to deregulate our municipal power company to help lower prices and to create competition. I mean our power company lobbied for it so you know it just had to work right? No instead it created a hidden monopoly that allows you to pick other companys to provide your power but of course all the prices are fixed. So well you know about those decreased prices, they never happened ether instead prices shot up over 200% yep, wow look at all those benefits we got. Thanks maryland we all wanted a 200% price jack, its actually now cheaper to use gas to heat your house, here in Maryland.
Its been 8 mounts since that day & I called disability a few days ago to check the status of my claim & they told me they have yet to even look at my case. While bored I came accost some other sickening cases of our country fighting disability claims that I would never have thought be possible considering the contribution & sacrifice that these men & woman give yet You have solders fighting our government for disability even after they just got done fighting with their lives on the line for our country. To me I find It appalling that our country will screw over us anyway they can. But they also have help from the millions of brain washed citizens that cry about taxes & everything else also, because of course in their head their taxes are what runs this country & everyone in that uses a resource of the goverment is just person looking for a hand out, yet truthfully, its in way illegal but if it should remain then all people should have something to show for it. its surprising how our government has been able to brain wash people in to allowing them selves to be taxed & wanting nothing in return for it.... .
"In the united states, "the first federal income tax was imposed in 1862 to meet Civil War expenditures."1 This was later held to be unconstitutional by the supreme court, but the tax was restored in 1913 through a constitutional amendment. During world war two (1943), the u.s. began their present-day withholding method of tax collection. federal income tax began as a means of financing wars and it continues to be just that today"
So my point is, it amazes me that our country has still many problems with it & we could careless for our own people, so much so its actually sickening yet if you have some 3rd world country have a natural disaster then we must stop everything and help as much as we can. What also comes to mind is that people who come to this country are allocated money for grants and more to help them start their own company yet if your a citizen its screw you. Its weird how our country is. Sorry if this offends anyone, but its only the truth & it some times hurts to hear.
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"Thats Daddy Comcast to you Ma'bell." "I love TV but god dam don't burn my house down" "Comcast subscribers have been giving local new channels high ratings watching Verizon set peoples houses on fire" "Now Thats TV" | |
| | | | Re: At least there not pledging to roll out fiber, but seriousl Don't forget however during 9-11 a lot of of poorer countries Donated money to help us as well. True the only ones that were publisised were the donations from the rich Saudi prince's but a lot of poor countries donated as well. What happened to you was unforgivable but at least you actually had a hospital to go to. In Haiti they don't have shit. You have a family to help you out there they don't have that.
I don't know about the hospital you go to but here whenever we get a bill any bill for any amount it comes with an insert that says if you can not afford to pay all or some of your financial obligations to the hospital call this number and ask about the bed fund(Or something like that) where they eliminate all or part of your bill. I guess a lot of hospitals don't want you to know about it.
I hate the fact however that if you were some bum who never worked a day in his life and decided to have 3 kids they would give you foodstamps,Section 8, and state medical and heat and Hot water assistance to reward you for laziness, But because your were somebody who contributed to society the government doesn't want to help u.. My rant is over. | |
| | | | | Re: At least there not pledging to roll out fiber, but seriousl Wow.
Just wow.
well said! | |
|
 toddbs98
join:2000-07-08
North Little Rock, AR | How much have the French and Canadian Telcoms gave? Since France and Canada has done so much bashing of US relief efforts in Haiti it would be nice to know how much their communication companies have given in donations so far.
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Patriots always speak of dying for their country never killing for it. Bertrand Russell
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| | | ..what happened to the US? Christ, what's happened to this country? A natural disaster occurs, several companies step up to the plate to make donations or provide free services, and they're crucified for it?
In all honesty, it's not up to these companies to get the US out of its financial difficulties - they already employ Americans, pay taxes, rent, lease and own properties, provide services, buy inventory, etc. If there's any other requirement for a business to employ, I don't know of it. Americans have the resources to change their own conditions if they want it bad enough. It takes hard work and common sense, but there are resources available for those who can't make it. Yes, there should be more for Veterans, for the truly handicapped, for students, etc - but the infrastructure is in place. It's amazing - the same people who condemn the Government Bailout are condemning companies for contributing to Haiti, using the argument that the money should be going to the US. Irony alert...
These companies (as well as a host of others) have decided for whatever reason to donate money or services to the victims of a natural disaster. Maybe it'll help get some roofs over the heads of people who've lost their houses, maybe it'll help to rebuild a hospital, maybe it'll help to get clean water to these people, maybe it'll at least help to identify and bury the casualties who are still laying in the streets.
The argument that 'where were you before the earthquake' - that's when Haitians and their government are responsible for their own condition. That's when they have to step up to the plate themselves and try to improve their country, their infrastructure, their living conditions.
However, when a natural catastrophe occurs, how can one not give a helping hand to those who are affected? The human condition requires those of us who can help to offer some kind of assistance.
I'm amazed that, at the beginning of a new year, after a Christmas/Hanukkah/Ramadan/Kwaanza/Festivus where people treated each other with cheer and made resolutions to live as better humans in the coming year, that such coldheartedness has immediately reappeared. This isn't the America I was raised in. MY America cared more about humanity than the chilling examples expressed in this thread.
It doesn't matter where they live or what living conditions they had before such a disaster but, as Americans, what can we do to help. Does it always have to be about our own self-interest?
What ever happened to 'Do the right thing'? That's what my parents taught me. | |
| | | Thank you for posting this Americans are by nature a very generous people. What we read here are some posts by bitter people that represent an extreme minority.
It's a disaster, folks. Lots of people dead. Lots of people suffering. Time to put politics aside and help out inocent victims.
The business community is stepping up. That's the private sector lending a helping hand. That's responsible capitalism. | |
| | r81984Fair and BalancedPremium
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX Reviews:
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·row44
| Re: Thank you for posting this said by bostonkarl1:Americans are by nature a very generous people. What we read here are some posts by bitter people that represent an extreme minority. It's a disaster, folks. Lots of people dead. Lots of people suffering. Time to put politics aside and help out inocent victims. The business community is stepping up. That's the private sector lending a helping hand. That's responsible capitalism. What about helping our own country first? We are in huge debt and have alot of Americans suffering right here at home.
Once we help ourselves then we can start to help others.
Actually helping haiti is a complete waste of money. There is no benefit from doing it. No one does business there. If you help americans that could mean more business and more customers for you.
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Republicans: less fiscally conservative than that other party. | |
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1 edit | Re: Thank you for posting this @ r81984. I fully agree that we need to apply our attention to domestic issues, but simply stating that there is no reason to assist and reimburse a suffering, dying, completely helpless country simply because there is no business there? That's a completely and arbitrarily harsh and unrequited thing to say. You have a valid point, but you miss the fact -- They can't do much for their own country..
America may have quite the elongated slew of issues, but a natural disaster that affects an entire country deserves SOME assistance and I for one think that helping is a good thing, but I urge for the government to realize... our problems are not all gone... | |
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| Re: Thank you for posting this Whilst I fully agree about that, you have to look at it from more than an economical point of view here. I mean honestly, I have no desire to help, as I fully agree with what you say... but I simply think that they shouldn't be ignored simply because they're poor.
Oh, and I was actually taught that when I got my lifeguard certification. Weird, haha | |
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