United way? (Charlotte, Raleigh, Concord: real estate, construction, schools)

[Metallisteve]

Originally Posted by Stripes17

Come this fall when you start seeing the UW propaganda at work, I hope someone remembers to revitalize this thread to recall that your bullied donations are funding this womans' lavish compensation package.

You can bet your hard-earned wages that you would have otherwise wasted on UW that I will do this!!! I plan on asking some eye opening questions at the department staff meeting in which this happens. Go ahead...fire me over it. I'LL be the one with a lavish compensation next year...and for every year afterward that the jury see's fit in my lawsuit!

[Miker2069]

Originally Posted by Stripes17

I have to believe that Miker has a close relationship to this story. Not sure of the connection, but he's doing his darnedest to rebut each and every grievance of the unhappy majority. I respect his enthusiam even though we disagree on the topic.

Come this fall when you start seeing the UW propaganda at work, I hope someone remembers to revitalize this thread to recall that your bullied donations are funding this womans' lavish compensation package.

I respect your respectfulness too!

[Metallisteve]

I do have to admit, that in re-reading some posts here (namely mine), I might come across as rude to Miker. I don't want that to be the case. I can 10000% relate to his point of "who are we to judge someone's salary?" While I disagree very much so with it's application to his instance, I agree that it does apply to other positions. I'll use mine for example. As an engineer, I may tend to make a little more than the common Joe...there are folks at my place of employment many times my age with families and grandchildren and nearing retirement...yet I came in making as much, if not more, than they do. There's always the person there to question or make the comment about how much folks in my position make. I giv ethe same response: "I'm sorry I slaved 7 years in school to better myself and earn a good salary." It annoys me.

But in this specific case, when an organization is involved that is supposed to be helping lesser-fortunate individuals and organizations, the circumstances are different and need to be viewed at a macro level to get the point. When you step back and say "wow, UW has to kick and fight for every last penny to make their yearly goals, yet they pay lavishly to their CEO," there's something wrong there.

[Miker2069]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

I do have to admit, that in re-reading some posts here (namely mine), I might come across as rude to Miker. I don't want that to be the case. I can 10000% relate to his point of "who are we to judge someone's salary?" While I disagree very much so with it's application to his instance, I agree that it does apply to other positions. I'll use mine for example. As an engineer, I may tend to make a little more than the common Joe...there are folks at my place of employment many times my age with families and grandchildren and nearing retirement...yet I came in making as much, if not more, than they do. There's always the person there to question or make the comment about how much folks in my position make. I giv ethe same response: "I'm sorry I slaved 7 years in school to better myself and earn a good salary." It annoys me.

But in this specific case, when an organization is involved that is supposed to be helping lesser-fortunate individuals and organizations, the circumstances are different and need to be viewed at a macro level to get the point. When you step back and say "wow, UW has to kick and fight for every last penny to make their yearly goals, yet they pay lavishly to their CEO," there's something wrong there.

No worries, really- I have always taken this (unpopular) position in debates of this nature. I'm an engineer also, so I saw the inflation of salaries due to the internet boom in the 90s. I never found anyone who complained about 20%-100% salary increases simply because they were breathing and jumped ship to another company (albeit the majority of those new companies tanked in 3 years and all those salaries corrected thereafter).

My position has always been this, you can make us much as you want in our form of society, love it or hate it. If you can throw a ball 100+ mph you'll make more than a teacher who teaches thousands of children in his/her life time- again, love it or hate it. It is what it is. The subtle slippery slope of the other side is wealth redistribution which is a socialist concept in nature. Plus I don't ever want anyone telling me I make to much, and as a result I tend to don't make comments about what anyone else makes particularly if they make more than me- more power to 'em.

Now a totally different story would be performance of your position vs compensation. I *do* have a problem with golden parachutesf or poor managerial performance in the sense that you tank a company, your workforce has their collective retirement wiped out and a life time of savings gone. I have a big problem with that because it's chicken hearted. However I do respect that the person had the foresight to negotiate that clause in their contract. I'll never have a problem with anyone who makes 10 million in 10 years and lead an organization to raise 500 million- that's a pretty darn good ROI in my book.

[Charlotteborn]

There is an article in the Observer this morning 'Don't let anger toward agency stop your giving'. Mary C. Curtis (columnist) wants us to know that if we don't give to United Way we won't be 'punishing the organization' but hurting all the folks that really need help.

My question is why doesn't Mary give us a list of charitable organizations that are really concerned with the people they help. I will be sure to check out the CEO salary and other administrative $$$'s before I give again! I will continue to give but I will never give to United Way again!

[charlotteengr]

Originally Posted by Miker2069

So what I see here is that most people want someone who will work for little to nothing or free, but still have the credentials to run and direct an enterprise level organization, savvy enough to create and structure corporate, lead a staff of quality directors, and do all this for free. We're not talking about the volunteers at the goodwill store, or possibly that's who we all want running these corporations.

I think many volunteers at a Goodwill store could do a better job than Mrs King. She did not create United Way. Board members who pressure their employees to give raise most of the money.

I grant that Mrs King and others in UW management are smart to be able to skim large amounts of money for themselves.

I feel sorry for the charities they support. If they say anything negative about the situation they would probably be cut off.

My opinion is stop contributing to UW. Force your HR department to stop strong arm tactics to make you contribute.

[anifani821]

I have been wondering how the United Way would handle the CEO's salary debacle when it came time to start distributing the campaign literature. I thought . . . hmmm . . . wonder wh/ PR agency they use here in town. Honestly, what I thought was . . . at $150 or more an hour, I sure the heck wish I were United Way's agency of record. Of course, maybe someone donates his/her time to helping UW w/ PR . . .

So when I heard a reporter on WCNC say they had received a copy of the UW's "talking points," wh/ were delivered to all member agencies this past Friday, I wanted to see them.

According to this article, here is a summary: "stress how the United Way is efficient, the CEO is worth it and the decision was made by the board, not the member agencies, and how the economy has made the agencies more necessary than ever."

You have to just read the talking points for yourself. You can click on a link w/in this article wh/ will take you to the PDF.

United Way's "talking points" on exec's retirement 2:15 PM | Local News | News for Charlotte, North Carolina | WCNC.com | Local News

[Stripes17]

Ani, I saw that on the news last night and immediately went to the website to see the doc's. They didn't let me down! The talking points were everybit as good as the ones a used car salesman would deliver (only driven on Sundays by a little old lady going to church). They were predictable and seemed to push donor guilt more than non-profit humility. Oh well; I'll vote with my check book when they start bugging us at work in two weeks.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Stripes17

Ani, I saw that on the news last night and immediately went to the website to see the doc's. They didn't let me down! The talking points were everybit as good as the ones a used car salesman would deliver (only driven on Sundays by a little old lady going to church). They were predictable and seemed to push donor guilt more than non-profit humility. Oh well; I'll vote with my check book when they start bugging us at work in two weeks.

I wondered who else was listening to that report!!! Did you hear that remark - talking to one of the YMCA officials, I think . . . re: UW giving the Y $ 1.5 M/annually . . . and the reporter said - less than the UW CEO's retirement, Hee Hee Hee.

I do not give to UW. I give directly to any agency I wish to support. Why would I give it to UW, when by their own admission, they only pass on $.85 out of every dollar? That is not a bad rate, of course, but why diminish my donation by even that amount? Just write out the check to the agency of my choice and bypass UW.

[beanryboy]

I will no longer give to UW, I will give to the organizations I support directly.