[Watchdogs] Charitable donations

[Merle L. Moden]

Bill:

The "round up" approach mentioned by you and Milton has a lot of merit.  
I prefer the opt-in method.  Where do I sign up?

Merle


Bill Christensen wrote:
> The problem from the charities' point of view is that unless someone 
> comes around and shakes a donations hat in people's face, lots of 
> people won't donate.  If there's an organized effort to collect many 
> more will.  PEC can serve the community by being one of those 
> organized efforts, freeing the charities to do what they do best and 
> not have to worry as much about where the money is coming from.
>
> What I'm proposing is that PEC set something up where it IS freely 
> given.  For instance, the opportunity is there to easily opt out by 
> checking a box on your bill, perhaps, or the opportunity to opt IN is 
> there by suggesting people round up to the next dollar with the excess 
> average of 50 cents per month per invoice going to the donations 
> fund.  (At 200,000 members, that could be in the range of $100,000 per 
> month, $1.2 million per year).
>
> Then we as members choose where that money should go, through a vote. 
> Perhaps we let the Directors choose the slate of charities we vote for 
> - or perhaps it's done by a citizen committee or something - that part 
> of the proposal is open for suggestions.  How much money is 
> distributed is determined each year by how much the members 
> voluntarily contribute through their payments to the fund.
>
> PEC looks good, and covers the cooperative mandate of being invested 
> in the community.  The members are not strained, as the money comes 
> from those who choose to give, in amounts around $6 per year. Everyone 
> wins.  No coercion needed.
>
>
>
> At 6:58 PM -0500 4/24/09, Merle L. Moden wrote:
>> Bill:
>>
>> I agree that supporting the worthy programs in our communities is the 
>> right thing to do.  The practice of the PEC Board of Directors making 
>> "donations" on our behalf is another matter.  They are not donations 
>> if not freely given.
>>
>> Let me cite three examples: (1) a thief sticks a gun in your ribs and 
>> requests a "donation" to the Armed Thieves Benevolent Fund; (2) an 
>> employer (PEC?) makes it a firing offense if one refuses to "donate" 
>> to the employer's charities; and, (3)  a Board of Directors (PEC?) 
>> under the guise of selling electricity uses excess revenues from 
>> members to make donations to its favorite organizations and 
>> charities.  The only differences among these three examples is the 
>> degree of coercion used to extract the "donations."
>>
>> There are numerous methods available to provide those so inclined to 
>> make freely-given donations.  It should be each members' choice to 
>> donate or not to donate.
>>
>> Merle
>>
>> Bill Christensen wrote:
>>> Perhaps the best way out of this whole question of PEC making 
>>> charitable donations is to do like Working Assets Long Distance 
>>> phone company:  The set up a fund and each year the members who have 
>>> chipped in vote on where the money goes.   It could be part of the 
>>> annual election/meeting.
>>>
>>> It might even be possible and practical for PEC members to be able 
>>> to opt out of donating anything.  Employees should also be able to 
>>> opt out without fear of recrimination of any kind.
>>>
>>> I don't think any of us have major problems with any of the 
>>> educational groups that have received PEC donations, and lord knows 
>>> that in the current economy they could all use a little extra boost. 
>>> Institutional giving in the form of donations to worthy programs 
>>> within our own community is a pretty well accepted norm, and without 
>>> it many valuable programs would probably have to close their doors.
>>>
>>>
>>> At 2:13 PM -0500 4/24/09, Milton Hawkins wrote:
>>>> Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
>>>>     boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0178_01C9C4E6.EC848600"
>>>> Content-Language: en-us
>>>>
>>>> Friends,
>>>>
>>>> With respect to the announcement (see the American-Statesman story 
>>>> in the "Original Message" portion of this message) that PEC has 
>>>> committed $10,000 to buy seeds, and the comment in the message just 
>>>> below,
>>>>
>>>> From: watchdogs-bounces at pec4u.org 
>>>> [mailto:watchdogs-bounces at pec4u.org] On Behalf Of Linda Kaye Rogers
>>>> Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 12:06 PM
>>>> To: pec4u Watchdogs
>>>> Subject: [Watchdogs] seed funding
>>>>
>>>> Milton, this is also news to me.  I do not recall any discussion of 
>>>> this.  However, I do recall that the previous donation was to the 
>>>> LBJ Library, not the Wildflower center.   Linda Kaye
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> let me say that our directors did indeed donate $25,000 of our 
>>>> money to help fund a project of the LBJ Foundation (see, e.g., Jodi 
>>>> Lehman, "PEC Donates over $1 Million in One Year," Johnson City 
>>>> Record Courier, March 5, 2009).  And our directors did indeed 
>>>> donate some of our money (I recall $2,500, but am not certain) to 
>>>> the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, or to fund some program 
>>>> there, as I said, and as this PEC press release makes clear:
>>>>
>>>> *************************************************
>>>> November 18, 2008
>>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>>>
>>>>  [. . . ]  The Board also agreed to a partnership with the 
>>>> University of Texas' Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center that will 
>>>> provide PEC with research and educational opportunities in a 
>>>> variety of fields, such as energy conservation, solar energy and 
>>>> sustainable development. PEC also will sponsor the Luminations 
>>>> event held Dec. 12-14 at the Wildflower Center in Austin.
>>>>
>>>> *******************************************************
>>>> My inquiry to PEC for details about the Board's action (or lack 
>>>> thereof) in the seed money transaction was transferred to Melissa 
>>>> Westmoreland, the Open Records person at PEC, and I have yet to 
>>>> hear how we've added agriculture to our power transmission 
>>>> business. I'll report what I hear, or perhaps someone who knows the 
>>>> answer can inform the rest of us.  (I'm not against seeds, or 
>>>> flowers along highways, but I'd prefer to make my own decisions 
>>>> about donations to worthwhile projects.  It's our money, after all, 
>>>> that's being given away here!)
>>>>
>>>> Milton
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: watchdogs-bounces at pec4u.org 
>>>> [mailto:watchdogs-bounces at pec4u.org] On Behalf Of Milton Hawkins
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 2:12 PM
>>>> To: 'PEC Watchdogs'
>>>> Cc: Mike Vollmer; James Williams
>>>> Subject: [Watchdogs] Electric co-ops [PEC and Bluebonnet @ $10, 000 
>>>> each], LCRA pledge $22, 500 [to Buy Seeds] [Janet Wilson, Austin 
>>>> American-Statesman]
>>>>
>>>> [NOTE: "Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Inc. and Pedernales 
>>>> Electric Cooperative Inc. each are donating $10,000 to the Austin 
>>>> American-Statesman's Lady Bird's Legacy, a campaign to raise money 
>>>> to buy wildflower seeds to spread along highways and communities 
>>>> throughout Central Texas."
>>>>
>>>> I recall that some months ago the matter of supporting the Lady 
>>>> Bird Wildflower Center (or some program there) came before the 
>>>> Board, and James Williams warned that the $2,500 being discussed 
>>>> then, as a one-time donation, would likely turn into a continuing 
>>>> distribution of the cooperative's funds.  I recall that the request 
>>>> for $2,500 was approved, with Williams voting against, I think.  I 
>>>> do not recall any discussion or vote on a $10,000 donation to the 
>>>> AAS's Lady Bird's Legacy, and I think I've made every official 
>>>> Board meeting in months.
>>>>
>>>> Anyone recall this vote or have the Minutes for a meeting where 
>>>> this was approved?  (I'm sure it must have been approved; I'd just 
>>>> like to see the vote, and the discussion.)
>>>>
>>>> Milton]
>>>>
>>>> LADY BIRD'S LEGACY
>>>>
>>>> Electric co-ops, LCRA pledge $22,500
>>>>
>>>> Earth Day gifts will buy miles of wildflower seeds.
>>>>
>>>> By Janet Wilson
>>>> AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
>>>> Wednesday, April 22, 2009
>>>>
>>>> Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Inc. and Pedernales Electric 
>>>> Cooperative Inc. each are donating $10,000 to the Austin 
>>>> American-Statesman's Lady Bird's Legacy, a campaign to raise money 
>>>> to buy wildflower seeds to spread along highways and communities 
>>>> throughout Central Texas.
>>>>
>>>> The campaign, launched last year, is an effort to keep alive Mrs.
>>>> Johnson's dream of beautifying America. It will continue through 
>>>> 2012, when she would have turned 100 - a centennial gift to the 
>>>> late first lady and the Central Texas area she loved.
>>>>
>>>> "We are excited about our new partners," American-Statesman 
>>>> publisher Michael Vivio said. "With each new partner joining our 
>>>> effort, we further the journey we began last fall. This is truly a 
>>>> fitting salute to Earth Day. Their commitment underscores the 
>>>> importance of native plants, particularly wildflowers, to us all."
>>>>
>>>> Since Lady Bird's Legacy began, readers have donated or pledged 
>>>> $55,500 to buy seeds. That includes $22,500 last year plus about 
>>>> $33,000 raised since April 1 from businesses, individuals and a 
>>>> foundation. The goal this month is $40,000.
>>>>
>>>> "Bluebonnet's sponsorship of the Lady Bird's Legacy program, along 
>>>> with Pedernales, is a great opportunity to celebrate the rich 
>>>> history and recognize the contributions of LBJ and Lady Bird 
>>>> Johnson," said Mark Rose, chief executive officer and general 
>>>> manager for Bluebonnet, which is headquartered in Bastrop. "Both 
>>>> President and Mrs. Johnson cared deeply for the Central Texas 
>>>> communities and citizens that our organizations have served for 70 
>>>> years. Bluebonnet and Pedernales share a common heritage, and it is 
>>>> appropriate that we partner with the Statesman to honor the 
>>>> legacies of the Johnsons, especially in the areas of education, 
>>>> beautification and environmental awareness."
>>>>
>>>> Pedernales General Manager Juan Garza agreed.
>>>>
>>>> "Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson have a strong history with our 
>>>> cooperative and are widely recognized for developing important 
>>>> programs to help sustain our environment," said Garza, whose co-op 
>>>> is headquartered in Johnson City, which the president's family 
>>>> helped settle. "We are proud to support the Lady Bird Johnson 
>>>> legacy program that beautifies our service area, educates our 
>>>> children and raises consciousness about protecting and enhancing 
>>>> our environment."
>>>>
>>>> The cooperatives have pledged $2,500 a year through 2012. The Lower 
>>>> Colorado River Authority also has joined the campaign, committing 
>>>> $2,500 for 2009.
>>>>
>>>> "The work done by Lady Bird Johnson helped increase public 
>>>> understanding of the value of our natural resources, including 
>>>> water," said Robert Cullick, spokesman for LCRA, a conservation and 
>>>> reclamation district.
>>>> "The legacy project renews public appreciation for wildflowers, a 
>>>> native part of Central Texas life that thrives on available 
>>>> rainfall. In this extended drought, this appreciation is more 
>>>> important than ever."
>>>>
>>>> The American-Statesman launched Lady Bird's Legacy after learning 
>>>> that, because of increased maintenance costs, the Texas Department 
>>>> of Transportation's statewide wildflower seeding budget had 
>>>> experience substantial cuts.
>>>>
>>>> All donations are tax-deductible and will be used to buy seeds. 
>>>> Most of the proposed state highway seedings, which will be done by 
>>>> TxDOT, will occur this fall. It costs about $2,400 a mile to spread 
>>>> a mix of bluebonnet, plains coreopsis, Lance-leaved coreopsis and 
>>>> Indian blanket wildflower seeds along roads with 30-foot rights of 
>>>> way. Seeds for a highway intersection cost about $2,800 to $3,000.
>>>>
>>>> Donations also buy seeds in smaller amounts for community plantings 
>>>> and special Lady Bird's Legacy seed packets, which are sent to 
>>>> donors and Central Texas fourth-graders, who learn about 
>>>> wildflowers and how to plant their own gardens.
>>>>
>>>> <mailto:jwilson at statesman.com>jwilson at statesman.com; 445-3668
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Watchdogs mailing list
>>>> Watchdogs at pec4u.org
>>>> http://pec4u.org/mailman/listinfo/watchdogs
>>>> NEW INSTRUCTIONS: To remove yourself from this list, please send an 
>>>> email to watchdogs-request at pec4u.org with UNSUBSCRIBE in the 
>>>> SUBJECT line. Or go to http://pec4u.org/mailman/listinfo/watchdogs
>>>> and follow the instructions at the bottom of the page.
>
>