Insiders told me last night, and I told YOU, Razorbabies, that the itshay was about to it-hay the an-fay regarding the whole Karen Handel as SGK V-P thing.

Starting now.

http://www.americablog.com/2012/02/anti-pl…

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"We have no desire to be part of something unrelated to our cause."

Unfortunately, Ms. McBryde, the national org of which you're an affiliate has MADE you part of their "unrelated" right-wing fundamentalist religionist cause.

If your supporters and would-be supporters were unaware of it before, now they know without doubt where SGK stands.

As pointed out elsewhere, SGK overnight just shot its history of trust and integrity -- which turns out not to have been all it was spun to be (see above link).

Not just one opinion. It's all I heard last night from well-placed insiders. It's all over the blogs and the news today.

SGK trust and integrity. Shot.

I'm sure other affiliates like yours will jump into defensive hair-splitting reassuring begging and pleading mode, but honestly -- it's like Newt telling you he really, really means his vows this time. Trust him.

Of course, in Arkansas, it remains to be seen how many pink-clad women -- and the men and children who love them -- WON'T join the 30K-plus crowds thronging your Race for the Cure next time, and will find less anti-women organizations into which to funnel their time and money without compromising THEIR integrity.

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This story makes me happy that I made a memorial contribution last year in memory of someone who died of breast cancer to UAMS, and not to the Komen group. They surely will never get another cent from me.

Mary Elizabeth Williams has a good article about this mess right now at Salon: http://www.salon.com/2012/02/01/komen_for_….

As she notes, "[T]his is an organization that has repeatedly come under fire for its extravagant promotion of itself as an organization dedicated to a 'cure,' when only a small portion of its expenses go to, you know, curing cancer. Komen itself cops to portioning just 24 percent of its funds to research – and 20 percent to fundraising and administration."

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Well I'm done with the Komen charity; and you're right, norma, the charity's pettiness toward PP is more about their new VP's anti-choice beliefs than anything PP has done wrong.

Can't believe that in 2012 women are still being forced to fight for radical things like birth control/the right to control their bodies...thanks to the American Taliban (aka right-wing religious zealots).

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Good for Sherrye McBryde! I hope she figures out how to unhook from Komen and hook up with a group that's actually putting their money towards curing breast cancer. Unfortunately, it appears that too many national do-gooders are actually in the business of feathering their own nests. I can't imagine the stupidity Koman has so quickly displayed to Americans. Do they really think there are enough Non-Mitt Romneys wingnuts that will send them money? Do they think the bulk of their contributions comes from Conservatives who go around covering up breasts on bronze statues?

I'm so sick of adding people & groups to my Shit List. I walked passed a Halliburton truck today and thought about slashing the tires...I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THESE THOUGHTS! Can't wipe my ass with Koch Angel Soft toilet paper any more, no more Brawny, been skipping Burger King for the way they treated OWS folks...and on and on. This Uniter-Divider shit has got to go!

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@Norma: exactly. To paraphrase the americablog article, here's a case study in how to destroy an amazing brand in 24 hours.

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Mrs. F --

Amazing! Not an hour ago I found myself thinking of you -- and here you are! It's like some call-my-name-and-I'll-be-there you've-got-a-friend moment!

There's another heartbreaking -- or not -- aspect to the SGK debacle. One which Ms. McBryde now faces as the executive director of the Arkansas affiliate.

Another ED in another state all but cried last night as we discussed her dilemma at length.

Basically, she's forced to admit that she works for and publicly represents an organization that purports to be dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer, only now is exposed as a right-wing anti-woman political organization hiding behind a sham "noble cause."

75% of the monies raised by SGK do NOT go towards breast cancer research, but toward administration (salaries) and fund-raising (events, publications, marketing, etc.).

SGK stands exposed as an anti-abortion right-wing political organization in disguise, doing everything it can to force its (religious) agenda on women.

Planned Parenthood, by contrast, is not. It offers objective medical and health information to women, and their choice of what course(s) they personally choose to pursue. It is pro-women, non-religious, non-political.

My friend proudly accepted her position years go, unaware of the behind-the-scenes agenda that is now all too obvious around the country. She must do her best to present her organization and employer in the best possible light -- though that's now become an exercise in duplicitous marketing rather than serving the ostensible Mission Statement.

"I feel like a fraud," she said, close to tears. "I can't keep doing this. If I stay on, people will think I agree with what they did. They will think I'm anti-choice. Anti-women. But I need the job. It's horrible. I've actually thought about relocating. This is less than 24 hours, you realize. It's like they pulled the rug out from under me."

I can only imagine Ms. McBryde feels the same.

Or maybe she doesn't. Maybe she's anti-choice too and fine with her organization (and those allied with it, including local and national corporate sponsors) being determined to shut down Planned Parenthood and punish women.

Maybe Ms. McBryde feels justified that only 25 cents of every dollar she raises from well-intentioned but duped donors actually goes toward breast cancer research while 75% goes toward marketing an anti-woman right-wing political agenda which, as long as she remains, she represents.

Time, one supposes, shall tell.

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Norma, the Lard works in mysterious ways. Did you also just have a craving for pepperoni pizza??

I, too, was thinking of friends and acquaintances associated with the local SGK affiliate and wondering how they felt. I'd be pretty demoralized. It would be easier for me to rationalize SGK's skewed financial priorities if I knew at least a portion of those donor funds were going to provide health care for less fortunate women. Now, not so much.

I would imagine your schedule is as busy as a visiting head of state's when you touch down briefly in La Rock, but we really should have lunch. My treat.

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Shocked that at least some of the AR Komen money has not gone to PPH in the past. I appreciate McBryde trying to stay above the fray. But, if the AR raised Komen money going into the big Komen pot still doesn't go to help PPH - then its still the same rotten mess it was at the beginning of the day.

SGK made up the stupid "investigation" policy, they can change it just the same.

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I believe the CT SGK affiliate decide to keep their locally raised money for their state's PPH.

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This is another teaching point. I've, for years checked charities and non-for-profits as to how much raised goes to the cause. If this is true, that the sgk sends 25% to the cause, that would be reason enough to stop all funding from my end. Of course, cutting off PP is more than shoving the knife into this beast. I'll do my own fact checking to verify sgk aggregious spending and the right wing narrow minded shanghai. Let's learn from this, show compassion to our community in need and help heal literally and figuratively.

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Bank of America is under federal investigation, but Komen hasn't cut ties with them.

I appreciate the letter from Ms. McBryde, but I really can't stand to see anything pink right now. It is going to be very hard for me to watch the NFL in October. Some state and federal buildings change their lights to pink in October too. BLLLLEEECH.

Besides, why save our breasts if we females just get arrested for not wearing a shirt in public? NIPPLE EQUALITY NOW.

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The 25% figure is not uncommon in non-profits, Yapper. Sad but true.

The topic was one of my earliest posts on this blog, three years or so ago. I recall Mr. Brantley confirming it in a post from his own experience and knowledge.

My point then as now: research your giving so you know how much goes to the actual Mission versus how much toward salaries and fund-raising, travel, national dues and incidentals.

The Rock is hardly alone in this. Many "wonderful" non-profits are little more than social organizations where people pay / donate to A-List fund-raising events that get their pictures in local society magazines alongside upscale ads, with which products they're forever after subliminally associated in readers' minds.

They feel good because they believe they're contributing to a worthy cause. Actually, they're paying people's salaries, paying for expenses connected with those fund-raising events, covering costs of travel to conventions, giving a percentage to the national organization, and incidentally what's left over goes to the Mission and the individuals it ostensibly serves. Leftovers.

Plus all or a portion of supporters' "donations" are tax write-offs.

(The ones who protest these facts loudest are the most guilty of them.)

As a rule, however, non-profits do not go to extremes like the SGK Race-for-the-Cure group to conceal and deny their actual political agenda -- which in this case means furthering their right-wing anti-women goals of defunding Planned Parenthood and eliminating abortion.

The deception, denial and underlying misogyny of their well-financed minority fundamentalist theocracy is what's proved so immediately devastating now that it's public knowledge.

SGK may try to reverse their decision. They may try to take it back or explain or justify or distract from it.

But the trust has been irrevocably damaged.

In a cosmic irony, their hidden faith-based agenda has broken faith with their formerly unsuspecting constituents: their supporters, their clients and families who now know all.

Shed no tear for Karen Handel and her minions. Be happy the truth won out.

Two points:

1) Breast cancer research will continue.

2) There are more honest, less contaminated and deceptive organizations deserving of your volunteer time and money.

Unless you enjoy paying hypocrites to misplace their ethics, neglect their Mission and shoot themselves in the foot.

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Mrs. F -

Permit me to confess a delicate sensation of subcutaneous prickling whilst politely pursuing clarification.

Am I to understand the rules have changed? Ladies are now permitted to "crave"?

Wanton enough to associate with or discuss topics of direct or ancillary proximity to "pizza?"

Allow the word "pepperoni" to pass their lips, much less deliberately insert the object between them for gustatory debasement?

Surely no ladies of my acquaintance.

Nor, one would have presumed, among your own.

Lunch remains a possibility, though perhaps tea and finger sandwiches might be more ladylike given your recent intimations.

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From tonight's Salon: Why the Right Hates Planned Parenthood

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/01/why_the_ri…

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I call BS on the Nancy Brinker youtube video trying to explain away SGK elimination of funding for breast screen at PPH.

" Nancy G. Brinker, who founded and leads the organization, said that the decision was made as part of a broad effort to use donations more efficiently."

NPR made that generalization. But, according to a video with Brinker I saw no evidence that the money previously used for PPH was reaching more breast exams than the 170,000 that PPH said it afforded. For something to be more efficient it has to have the same or better results for, in this case, less money.

"Susan G. Komen will always fight for and serve the people who need us the most. We won't rest until every woman — rich, poor, insured or uninsured — can face a life without breast cancer," said Brinker

Again, no indication in her video that the money previously used for PPH is reaching the same target population in some other manner. Therefore, to say they continue to serve the poor and uninsured is a lie.

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We would like to correct something that is mentioned in several of the comments. The Komen Foundation and its affiliates are required to keep administrative costs at 25% or below. Locally we are at about 21%. That means that we actually give to mission almost 80 cents of every dollar. Of this money, 75% is kept in Arkansas to fund services, education, screening and treatment. The 25% that is sent to our national office, is spent only for research grants to find new treataments and to working to find a cure for breast cancer. None goes to national overhead.

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.

"Susan G. Komen's Founder Is Major GOP Donor, Ex-Bush Ambassador"

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/komen-…

Also, her hubby owned the chains Chili's, Maggiano's, and Macaroni Grill.

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Thanks for the clarification AKF. In spite of that your brand is irreparably harmed. Things are not going well in your home office either---resignations and such.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/…

Bryan Fischer of some family radio network was doing a little happy dance over the withdrawal of PP funding in which he admits the xtianist have been working for years to achieve this goal. His jubilation is covered in this segment on DemocracyNow.

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/2/after…

The xtianists, who are a minority of the larger Christian community, mistakenly believe they are traveling downhill with a tailwind in their quest to establish a
theocratic nation. Whether the issue is women's rights, unions, the environment, whatever, people are waking up and standing up.

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Still more fallout -- it-shay ill-stay itting-hay e-thay an-fay.

Karen Handel and her anti-choice anti-women's health care backers have been looking for an excuse to defund Planned Parenthood ever since she was installed as SKG V-P. They INVENTED the "investigation" as justification.

That's their agenda. That's the kind of people they are. That's -- unbelievably but true -- what the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure stands for.

Thank you, Arkansas Komen Foundation, for your reassurances.

But as long as that's your name, as long as you're associated with the organization, that's what you stand for too.

America knows, now.

All SGK affiliates operate under the same right-wing anti-women's health care, anti-choice umbrella.

http://www.americablog.com/2012/02/top-rac…

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This blog post has a list of places where you can put your money where 100% will go to research. He has suggestions for things you can actually do for cancer victims. He eviscerates the idea that you are being charitable when you go shopping and buy something with the pink logo---especially since many of the products that are partnered with the pink are known to increase breast cancer risks in one way or another.

http://www.ginandtacos.com/2012/02/02/race…

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BTW, Arkansas Komen Foundation, if you'd like to see what SGK health care officials with REAL ethics and integrity do . . . though they need their jobs too . . . and for more behind-the-scenes insights into this catastrophe (is that too strong a word for poor women who've would have lost pap smears and other health care needs, thanks to SGK pulling annual support for Planned Parenthood, were it not for the massive public donations in reaction to this ugly right-wing religious anti-choice bullying?) . . . here it is.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/…

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According to Komen’s financial statements, only 17% of the funds go to research; while $47,998,139 was spent on fund raising, less than half of that ($23,251,563) was spent on treatment.

http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content…

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Here's what that SGK Race for the Cure top official thinks about same-sex Americans, Razorbabies -- and their loved ones, children and families.

What an organization. Did a lot of good, once upon a time, didn't it? Now?

Race for the Cruel.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/…

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Looks like we are going to have to launch a letter writing campaign to J.C.Penneys, Norma. I don't happen to shop there, but they don't know that. Some xtianist group is miffed because they have hire Ellen as a spokeswoman and she's gay.

http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2…

Here's their home page. Click "contact us" in the lower right hand corner and tell them what you think.

http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/default.aspx?&…

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More ugly stuff comes out when you lift the pink curtain.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/01/1…

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Thank you, Outlier, for that link.

Here is another.

"The Komen Foundation, creator of the 110-city Race for the Cure, is tied up in private interests that run counter to its charity-driven mission."

http://www.alternet.org/story/14014/

This organization, including those who work for them nationally and locally, looks uglier by the minute, now that the truth is out.

What a betrayal!

Since there are any number of ways to donate to non-political non-right-wing non-anti-women health care organizations, no one can ever again look at throngs of pink-clad participants in "Races for the Cure" without thinking: there go a mob of hateful lying hypocritical misogynist right-wing religious bigots.

New York's Mayor Bloomberg today personally donated $250,000 to Planned Parenthood . . .

. . . instead of giving it to hateful lying hypocritical misogynist right-wing religious bigots. THAT's what donations to SGK support, for all America to see.

Race for the Cruel. Lobbying for Big Corporate interests and right-wing theocratic politicians (and fighting to HIDE their machinations all these years because they know they'd be run out of town if they were honest) ON THE LIVES OF AMERICAN WOMEN (AND MEN) BATTLING BREAST CANCER.

Desperate to keep ripping off MILLION$ from innocent people of good will. Determined to continue filling their pockets by yelling, "Look over there at all the GOOD we do!"

No, SGK. YOU look.

Look at all the good OTHER organizations with similar missions do without doing all the BAD you do. SO bad you have to lie about it.

Never forget, Razorbabies: The Nazis gave the world the Volkswagen in 1933. Forget the six million lives. Look at all the good they did.

The article linked above was written ten years ago. The SGK organization was founded in 1982. Business as usual for 30 years.

Finally caught and exposed, one can only watch appalled as SGK reps weasel across all media.

Despicable.

Unconscionable.

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The financial statements for Komen National at the link listed in the comment above were misread. Total program expenses totaled $333,734,419 - this included research, public health education, screening and treatment. Total fundraising and administrative totaled $75,243,408. That means fundraising and overhead are 18% of the expenses. 82% went to mission.

http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content…

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