Why Fish?

Jaime Abeytia hit up this topic HERE.  He went into some details on the vote and his thoughts on recusal, so it's a good background for the bits and pieces I'm not covering here.

Project ARRIBA finally got what they wanted - they've been released from the burden of having to fish since they are now being brought their fish on a platter.  You remember the old saying - "bring a man a fish and he'll eat for a day.  Teach him to fish and he'll be a republican.."  Something like that, right?

The problem here is that there used to be a caveat to the giving away of your tax dollars against your will to a nonprofit organization that discriminates against certain people when spending that money.  That caveat said that the the group would have to raise an almost equal amount of money on their own before being sponsored by your tax dollars.  This was done to make sure that the group could always stand on their own through good times and bad.  And by "good times and bad" I mean - when there's tax dollars to give to them and when there is not. 

Lucky for them they're no longer required to do the hardest thing any nonprofit hast to do - convince people to consciously give them money. This means delivering the results they promised individual donors when they made "the ask."  Individual donors are a lot harder to convince than a bunch of elected dopes charged with pissing away other people's money. 

Now Project ARRIBA can put the guilt of their existence on city council for eternity. If council doesn't give them money, they'll die - and what council member could live with that?  Once or twice a year they'll gather at city hall - give a bullshit presentation filled with lies that nobody will question (really - have you ever seen anyone question their claims?), collect their check and go back to the office and piss away the dollars on paying unneeded staff to produce the next powerpoint presentation for the next begging session in front of council.

Here's the kicker - here's the game - here's the play...

You see, Project ARRIBA has a candidate forum.  They stuff it full of people.  Candidates really feel like they have to do whatever ARRIBA says because they appear to have quite a following.  And candidates believe that crap because they're candidates - and that means they are inherently stupid.   Nobody has realized that guys like Dan Haggerty have told them to piss off for years and it hasn't hurt him one bit.  It's a game they play well and if you want your nonprofit to rip-off taxpayers, just hold a candidate forum and make sure a lot of people show up.

Council has turned itself into a hostage and I guarantee ARRIBA will be back this year or next asking for more of your tax dollars so they can discriminately give it out to pretty much anyone but you. 

Bottom line - our elected government should not be giving YOUR money to nonprofits of any kind.  Especially if you don't approve of what that nonprofit does - or you have one that you'd rather see your money go to.  They need to get back to the business of the business of the people (slow down and read that agian - it makes sense, trust me).

Comments

[Gossip Girl]

How about a member of council put on the agenda a proposed charter amendment to disallow any payments to any non-profits when the budget can't be balanced with those payments in there without raising taxes. That amendment should also include the funding of the fundemental duties of government, safety and health of the citizens that must be acheived in the budget. Have the citizens vote on it so if it passes then during the hard times, like now, the spineless council members will automatically have political cover from giving tax money away to pet programs when the fire, police, roads, transportation, water/sewage, etc are not fully funded. The people will have spoken so perhaps council would abide by the will of the people, hopefully!

[Gossip Girl]

While I am at it, put another charter amendment on the ballot that will prevent council from taking out any Certificate of Obligation unless the coundil votes that a financial state of emergency or emergent need is present to justify the issuance of a CO. This will put the council members on the record that the purpose of the CO is absolutely necessary to the good order of the running of the city, not covered in the budget, and is of an emergent need or the citizens will suffer detrimental consequences if this action is not taken. This will stop the wine and cheese faction of the council to put us in debt for their ideas of the tangible things a progressive community should have.

[Carl Starr]

I think the other grants they get require AA and Poverty waviers ie I dont think Arriba discrimantes.

Government gives money to nonprofits all the time even without matching...why pick on Arriba for being political when it is the Supreme Court who opened up lobbyists whores to all Corporations...in other words re political greasing why is corporate greed influence on politics more holy than nonprofit influence for humanity or God?