justkillingtime

I was shopping in a thrift store today, or at least that is what it calls itself. Hardbound books cost $3; paperbacks cost $1.

It seems this store not only operates for profit rather than charity, but is also sells merchandise that people donate to the Salvation Army. The people who are contracted to operate the Salvation Army’s charity thrift stores are allowed to divert certain things that are donated to the Salvation Army to other thrift stores.

I met an employee in the store I was in today who said he was an Iraq war vet and when he came home he was just one step away from being homeless. So he went through the Salvation Army’s job training program, but when graduated from the program and got a job he had to give half of his paycheck to the Salvation Army for a certain period of time (I didn’t ask for the details to know how long this time was). The man said he couldn’t wait to pay off his training because giving up half was killing him.

God never asked for more than 10%, and even the federal government is willing to settle for just 39.6%.

So the next time somebody needs help, think twice before you insist that private charity is all that is needed.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

Have you ever seen, or checked into, the salaries of the CEO's of various 'charities' earn? The head of the S.A. is in the very low 5 figures. The head of the Red Cross is in excess of $600,000 + expenses per annum. One is sustained strictly by donation, the other is 'helped' by large corporations, foundations and somewhat by the US Government. They each assist in calamitous events. Whom do you support? When I was in the USMC there was an officer sitting adjacent to the paymaster 'demanding' 'donations' to the Red Cross. I must admit this only occurred during boot camp. I never experienced it so overtly after boot camp. This was in the very early '50s, I can't say if it still occurs.

justkillingtime

About 15-20 years ago the head of the local United Way was kicked out after the public learned they were making something like a hundred grand a year. And a few months ago I saw a news report online about the absurd salaries paid out by so-called charities. To be tax exempt all charities (including churches) should not be allowed to pay anyone more than a percentage of what the president of the United States gets paid.

I have a weakness for books so I regularly haunt the local thrift stores. But I am less charitable than I used to be.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

Damn, JKT. I find myself agreeing with you more often than not. What is happening? :lol: :lol: :lol:

VladimirPee

The US Government will also train you at West Point. The cost is far greater than the Salvation Army. You must give 5 years of your life at low wages and then possibly be sent to a war zone.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

What you don't seem to understand, or comprehend, is that all Plebes (students) at the U.S. Military Academy enroll there willingly. They are fully aware of what that entails. They serve their mandatory enlistments as a means of repaying the Government for their excellent education. Some continue in the military, willingly, for the remainder of their adult life. Others opt out after their mandatory 5 years and become productive citizens in business and industry. So what is your problem?

VladimirPee

I have no problem with them attending West Point. And those who chose to attend the Salvation Army school also made a choice.

justkillingtime

It kills me when people expect us to believe how the military is a low-pay occupation. How can it be so low pay if so many millions volunteer to serve?

justkillingtime

Contrary to what you damned “conservatives” believe, desperation negates choice. You must have missed the point about this man going to the Salvation Army because his alternative was living on the streets. Furthermore, this man was in your vaunted military. So why in hell was the government going to let him end up living on the streets after he had put his life in harm’s way to protect and defend that government?

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

If you don't believe the pay is low in the military then why do so many of the Enlisted members families qualify for food stamps?

VladimirPee

Not sure why he ended up nearly homeless. I am sure there are facts we do not know.

justkillingtime

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2000/oct/16/figures_vary_on/?print

“Washington — The disappointing specter of U.S. military personnel on food stamps has been with us for many years, and now we have the Department of Defense and the General Accounting Office disagreeing on the numbers by a wide margin.

“The DoD claims that it would cost an astounding $40 billion in military pay raises to eliminate the problem, but this is based upon military families with nine to 12 children. Clearly, something is wrong when figures differ and when a figure to remedy the situation is predicated upon such an unusually high family size. It's time for the DoD and the GAO to bring in outside accounting assistance.

“A 1995 DoD study found that some 11,900 junior enlisted members received food stamps. This total makes up about 0.8 percent of the 1.5 million members of the United States military. Ken Bacon, a spokesman for the Pentagon said, ‘Pay is not high for the people entering into the force. If you're a young soldier ... and have a large family, you could ... qualify for food stamps. This has been true for a long period of time. It's not something that's just become true in the last year or so.’"

And E1 with less than 2 years of service makes $18,194 a year. You would have to have 3 people in a household for this amount of income to put them below the poverty line. And this does not count base housing, cheaper consumer goods at the commissary and healthcare.

justkillingtime

What difference does it make why he was almost homeless? The issue is why the government abandoned him.

Schuler Loc: Santa Fe NM

Charity in the good 'ol US of A'???--heh-heh-heh--check out how GOODWILL really works and who gets paid what-

justkillingtime

I recently purchased a book through Amazon. The return address on the shipping label was Goodwill Industries/Easter Seals. So not everything that gets donated to the Goodwill makes it to a Goodwill thrift store.

And what’s with internet vendors shipping something via UPS or Fed-Ex and then UPS/Fed-Ex putting in the mail? Both this book and some strawberry plants I ordered last winter were shipped using a private carrier- tracking numbers and all- but they both arrived at my home courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service.