Comments on: The problem with the Red Cross, cont. http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/11/14/the-problem-with-the-red-cross-cont/ A slice of lime in the soda Wed, 22 May 2013 01:01:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: FifthDecade http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/11/14/the-problem-with-the-red-cross-cont/comment-page-1/#comment-44656 FifthDecade Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:29:26 +0000 https://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/?p=19450#comment-44656 You seem to have it 'in' for the Red Cross. Have you gone bonkers? Suggesting people do not donate will only make matters worse. Suggesting they divert that money to other charities will only focus attention on them, and those people who believe that not only should charity begin at home, but should stay there and exist solely as a tax reduction vehicle will then do to the other charities what they have already done to the Red Cross. In Europe we do things differently and see charities as being necessary for relief in third world countries more than at home because looking after the security and safety of citizens is the job of the government, not volunteers. It's a joke that the US doesn't have a properly funded domestic relief system and needs to rely on the Red Cross - which you then lambast because you personally were slightly inconvenienced and couldn't get power for a few days. Shame on you! You seem to have it ‘in’ for the Red Cross. Have you gone bonkers? Suggesting people do not donate will only make matters worse. Suggesting they divert that money to other charities will only focus attention on them, and those people who believe that not only should charity begin at home, but should stay there and exist solely as a tax reduction vehicle will then do to the other charities what they have already done to the Red Cross.

In Europe we do things differently and see charities as being necessary for relief in third world countries more than at home because looking after the security and safety of citizens is the job of the government, not volunteers. It’s a joke that the US doesn’t have a properly funded domestic relief system and needs to rely on the Red Cross – which you then lambast because you personally were slightly inconvenienced and couldn’t get power for a few days. Shame on you!

]]> By: y2kurtus http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/11/14/the-problem-with-the-red-cross-cont/comment-page-1/#comment-44637 y2kurtus Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:03:33 +0000 https://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/?p=19450#comment-44637 Felix in so many of your posts you use numbers and metrics. Can we find any to use to judge the Red Cross? My opening position would be that they are far more effective than the federal governments at disaster relief both on a dollar for dollar measurement and on a man hours development. A larger issue is to step back and look at how well rather than how poorly we have done at preparing for and surviving catastrophic weather events. In 1850 Sandy could very well have killed 10,000 people. It's ok to strive for 100% restoration of power, water, heat, and transportation 7 days after a hurricane scores a direct hit on a massively populated area... but that's not any more realistic than drilling +52,000 oil wells (2008 US total) without royally screwing a couple up. Felix in so many of your posts you use numbers and metrics. Can we find any to use to judge the Red Cross?

My opening position would be that they are far more effective than the federal governments at disaster relief both on a dollar for dollar measurement and on a man hours development.

A larger issue is to step back and look at how well rather than how poorly we have done at preparing for and surviving catastrophic weather events. In 1850 Sandy could very well have killed 10,000 people.

It’s ok to strive for 100% restoration of power, water, heat, and transportation 7 days after a hurricane scores a direct hit on a massively populated area… but that’s not any more realistic than drilling +52,000 oil wells (2008 US total) without royally screwing a couple up.

]]> By: samadamsthedog http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/11/14/the-problem-with-the-red-cross-cont/comment-page-1/#comment-44635 samadamsthedog Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:23:12 +0000 https://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/?p=19450#comment-44635 Comparing the Red Cross to the quick response volunteers is like comparing an army of occupation to a rapid-response force. There is room for both. But still, you are mostly spot on. Staten Island has some of the highest land in the city. The Red Cross could have deployed in the interior and been ready to move down to the coast. In fact, they could have deployed on high ground in any borough and been prepared to do the same. Comparing the Red Cross to the quick response volunteers is like comparing an army of occupation to a rapid-response force. There is room for both. But still, you are mostly spot on. Staten Island has some of the highest land in the city. The Red Cross could have deployed in the interior and been ready to move down to the coast. In fact, they could have deployed on high ground in any borough and been prepared to do the same.

]]> By: dWj http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/11/14/the-problem-with-the-red-cross-cont/comment-page-1/#comment-44634 dWj Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:19:08 +0000 https://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/?p=19450#comment-44634 I don't know how much the Red Cross is like the Winter Olympics, but I do wonder whether someone with a Harvard MBA and a new surfeit of free time might find interest in putting together a case study and trying to improve the organization based on recent experience. I don’t know how much the Red Cross is like the Winter Olympics, but I do wonder whether someone with a Harvard MBA and a new surfeit of free time might find interest in putting together a case study and trying to improve the organization based on recent experience.

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