It should be paid back with interest, and the interest should be calculated to return the amount they promised the club was going to earn. Then everyone involved should be tried on fraud charges. I don't want Air America taken off the air, as long as they there with their pathetic and pathetically small audience they aren't hurting anyone but I don't want my tax dollars subsidizing moonbattery. Some of our commenting moonbats could put their money where their ample mouths are and donate a little to the leftist cause. If they had any or the sense and ambition to make any, that is.

In the end, the blogosphere cost Air America a half a million dollars.
WRONG!
in the end, the Bloggers might cost that Drobny character more time in a five-by-nine then Ken Lay."

and you right: Maloney's "Assault of the Kossaks" in his comments is hilarious. It's like "Yowser, ScrappleFace could mock this!"

final note: I've bee whacking Air Idiot's business plan from the getgo...not like Tea ever looked.

I tells ya', youse guys get no respect. CNN misspelled [WhizbangBlog.com] your name. It's a conspiracy. ;)

I am sorry that the left hasn't been denigrating you. If you send me a sort of templete, I will be happy to write a nasty comment questioning your heritage, your intelligence, and your politics. I need guidance, how many words must I misspell, should I always confuse there and their? Should my ranting include ALL CAPS or just a CAP here and THERE (their?)? And how many scare quotes should I include per paragraph (should I use paragraphs?). Should I compare you to fascists or Nazis? Am I to conclude you are a tool (flying monkey) of Karl Rove? Any guidance on this issue would be appreciated, err apriciated.

Just trying to be helpful.

Oh, by the way, if you think I am going to dumpster dive over at Kos or DU just to get a template to insult you, you have another think coming. Look forward to guidance on my snarky tirade.

You intend to insult us how? By telling how wrong we are to care that the liberal trash at Air America did this? By defending their attempt at theft? Are you going to tell us how cruel we are for trying to get something about it? I can't wait, this should be just chock full of moonbat nuttiness.

Bullwinkle, you misunderstand me, I think Paul is feeling left out and I wanted to be helpful. I REALLY want AAR to shrivel up and die. (ooh, ooh, CAPS).

David, I think he's merely offering a template suggestion...   ;-)

David,

As long as you mention Rove, Hitler, abortion and a chimp you probably won't be wrong.

P

For an added bonus stolen elections, and Iraq are nice too.

Don't forget Halliburton, The Downing Street Memo, PNAC, Abu Ghraib, or Osama's relatives. Might as well cover all the bases. And if you can figure some way to make it sound good, or even if you can't, work in some mention of the TANG documents.

What I want to know:

How long had Gloria Wise been in business before the loan?

Was this the only "charity" that laundered money to AAR?

Is anybody else fantasizing about Franken and Rhodes getting stuck in jail and only having each to talk to?

Yeah, and Kerry didn't fall on those skiis, some stupid guy pushed him over, "made him" fall. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Barbara O'Brien from Maha Blog is an interesting character. She and Betsy Newmark from "Betsy's Page" were recently featured in a WAPO piece on women bloggers.

I first recall running across MahaBlog during Rathergate. Ms O'Brien said, based on her extensive expertise, the Tang documents were, infact, not forgeries and went to elaborate lengths to prove it.

"We Paid it Back Before We Didn't Pay it Back"

You so s-n-a-r-k-y !

GREAT TITLE WizB!! That's why I love your blog so much. Keep at it!

RE: B Moe's inquiry (July 31, 2005 02:53 PM)

How long had Gloria Wise been in business before the loan?

From the Gloria Wise online history, here are some relevant edited excerpts:

Under the leadership of Gloria Wise, a renowned social worker and community leader, the committee helped create educational cultural and recreational programs for the youth of Co-op City.

Riverbay Youth Activities Committee (YAC) was born late '70s.

Before Gloria Wise died in June of '93 from cancer, she transferred the directorship of YAC to longtime colleague and renowned Co-op City community leader Charles Rosen. Rosen renamed the agency after Gloria Wise in 1993 and began an affiliation with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Shortly after the affiliation with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America began, the club, in 1993, expanded its service area to include the neighboring northeast Bronx communities of Williamsbridge, Edenwald and Baychester.

The very young began to fall under the service umbrella of the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club in 1995 as it merged with the Goose Bay Nursery.

The Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club began serving the full spectrum of society in the northeast Bronx in 1999 as they incorporated the Co-op City Senior Services Program into their expanding network of services.

In 2000, the Handicapped Adults Association of Co-op City merged with the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club.

The Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club proved its preparedness for the new millennium when, with the support of the Riverbay Corporation and philanthropic foundations, it opened the Gloria Wise Clubhouse at 950 Baychester Avenue in the spring of 2000.

So it began as a community program headed by a local, social service advocate who passed on the directorship to Mr. Rosen just prior to her death. Mr. Rosen immediately teamed up with the national B&GCA and began expanding reach and scope. Mergers ensued as did its public funding. It started as YAC and grew into a merged social services web (for Co-op City, Williamsbridge, Edenwald and Baychester) under the B&GCA umbrella to incorporate Goose Bay Nursery, Co-op City Senior Services Program, and Handicapped Adults Association of Co-op City. Technically, its business under Rosen and the new name began in '93, but its foundations were laid many years prior in the '70s.

It reads like it began as an honest and legitimate endeavor from local patrons that ultimately became a political tool... or that is what the questionable "loan(s)" would indicate.

Your concern that this may not be the only charity that sent money to AAR (or a political action committee) is not unique. Is the NY DOI recruiting a team of auditors to review the books on their entire public subsidy channels? That might be overkill - but then again it might be entirely reasonable given our desire for transparency in government. What other "investments" are these community programs financing, and what restrictions have been placed on funds meant for direct aid to the needy rather than speculation by directors? And are the contributors, public or private, aware of the destination of such speculation, if any?

I should think this would raise the eyebrows of many on both the philanthropic receiving as well as giving end of the process. It sure is a nice reminder either way. This questionable act on the part of Rosen and AAR (whomever the ownership) will have ripples and that would be the silver lining in this cloud.

I tells ya', youse guys get no respect. CNN misspelled [WhizbangBlog.com] your name. It's a conspiracy. ;)

Aren't we so glad the MSM has all those layers of editors so that they never make mistakes......

The Kos Kids speak:

Maha, in her diary, goes through the “evidence” and says that she isn’t trying to determine whether the “allegations are true or false, but is looking at the sourcing. She decides that “uninformed sources” by a small obscure “newspaper” means as she says, that it is a story that “appears to be phony”

The Kos Kidz then chime in:

1) Since it's a PREVIOUS owner it doesn't have anything to do with AA. Without any facts to back it up of course.
2) Evan Montvel Cohen, a previous owner who used to be a Republican from Guam was a "republican operative", and swindled AA.
3) It's a plot by Karl Rove.
4) It's meant as a distraction from Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh's drug investigation, or something else not yet identified.
5) They assume AA paid the money back. (Of course AA has admitted they haven't.

Then they congratulate Maha for the high quality of investigative work, which of course conservatives “wouldn’t bother to do” and for giving them all the FACTS. Now they know the real truth and can go out and dispute the allegations with rightwingers and the media.

Read it and laugh.

Sorry that should be anonymous "imformed sources". Paragraph 1

Oh, I forgot the funniest one.

6. Rightwingers are smearing AAR, making up a "scandal" becase they are scared. They see that AAR is gaining traction so they are counter attacking AAR to try to destroy it.

After reading the Kos link what I now what to know is who outed Evan Cohen as a "known Republican operative" and can we do anything about this breach of securtity.

I'm thinking it was Carville.

Sorry, touring Northern New Mexico, this was writen to help Paul get his share of the Moonbattiness, this is just a drill:

Paul you loathsome, inconpetant piece of crap. Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderbery wine. You just don’t get it, you are an embarrasment to America you traitorous BASTURD. The TANG of it is you are trying to bring down the very voice of reason when it is finally starting to SUCKCEDE. If you think your pathetic ATTEMPT to take the eyes of good AMERICANS everywhere from the IMPENDING impeachment of The McCHIMPEROR for covering up for that lieing weasel KARL ROVE, you can just flush your sorry head down the CRAPPER. YOU worthles slugs stoal two elections, but that didn’t make you happy. Now you are spreading your wothles lies about a truly GREAT American institution that is going TO CRUSH your Abu Ghrab loving talk radio. We all know Bushitlerhaliburton is a liar and a traitor as proven by the Downing Stret Memos. We know who you filthy pieces of dog crap are and when the REVOLUTION comes you are going to pay for all your work as a subverter of the AMERICAN WORKER. DIE YOU WORTHLESS WANKER.

How did I do? Do you feel included now? BY the way I need to take a long shower now.

I'm afraid you're mistaken if you think AA flip-flopped. They said they "agreed" to pay it off and then they said they are still "committed" to paying it off. It would have been different if the first comment was that they did pay it off. SO they were gonna pay it off then and they're gonna pay it off now.

BTW, after a year-and-a-quarter, AA has the 5th highest rated radio station in Portland. Even better, though, is that Brit Hume's son killed himself.

Gad, I just can't hold a mirror to a nasty, ignorant moonbat.

RE: Jim Jones' repugnance (July 31, 2005 10:16 PM)

What's with the concluding bile? Sampling too much Kool-Aid?

And don't think your diversion will stymie those interested in exposing dubious action. Air America Radio will lose support should the NY DOI (or US DOJ) discover a laundering operation, and Wizbang among many others will see that it makes headlines.

Flap your wings and flail away.

Aren't you guys the political wing of Ann Coulter and Michael Weiner? I didn't think you got offended so easily.

And I wasn't trying to create a diversion. I don't usually traverse blogs and have never posted to one. So I was just giving you a piece of news you weren't gonna see in the Washington Times while I had an opportunity.

I'm a regular Franken Blog commenter that has been saying this since the story came out:

Even though Cohen appears fully responsible (along with some colluding corrupt idiots at the non-profit) AAR's board of directors likely has "dirty hands" for not performing the necessary due diligence to ascertain where their "investors'" money was coming from.

They should rightly be raked over the coals for their lack of institutional control, and an investigation into other sources of investment may be warranted (if only to confirm that there are no other similar deals - on or off the books).

The things that I've complained about are

1. The constant hyperbole - on a few blogs, comparisons have been made to Ken Lay and Enron, and that's not even in the top 5 of silliest comparisons.

2. The attempts to advance the imagery that AAR "stole from poor kids". If the money is returned and the kids received all required services, that's a bit difficult to substantiate - even if the money was returned only under duress, which has also yet to be substantiated ... in fact, I have yet to see any evidence (or even conjecture) that AAR defaulted on the loan in any way.

3. The attempts to make it seem like the on-air talent had any knowledge or culpability. Grow up.

Everyone knows the blog game - there will be cheap shots and non-sequiturs, and folks on the right can feel free to be gleeful about this situation if it makes them feel good. I would humbly request that the glee is accompanied with an honest attempt to put the magnitude of the episode into its proper perspective.

Hat tip from Hugh Hewitt

From Form 990 - Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax
Tax Period 7/01/02 to 6/30/03 [signed/filed 5/14/04]
Part V List of Officers, Directors, Trustees, and Key Employees
(A) Charles Rosen
(B) Executive Director (23 hours/week)
(C) Compensation $147,996.00
(D) Benefit plans/Def.Comp. $15,000.00
(E) Expense account $0.00

Mr. Rosen was the only officer receiving documented compensation. It totalled $162,996.00 for 23 hours of work per week (self-reported) in the Bronx, New York, for the 12 month period reported. Does this seem like reasonable compensation for administering a charity part-time? Seems high but maybe that's the going rate in the Bronx.

RE: Jim Jones' post (July 31, 2005 11:41 PM)

Aren't you guys the political wing of Ann Coulter and Michael Weiner? I didn't think you got offended so easily.

Well, this isn't Howard Dean's backyard, if that's what you mean, but there are barriers that everyone should recognize. How is the news of Brit Hume's son "even better"? What does it have to do with anything? And why the apparent glee in something as tragic as that? It's just so charming that in your first post to a blog that you would break into the art by presenting something so obscene. Next time you have an "opportunity" to disclose that which the WaTimes won't, according to you, maybe you could rub two neurons together and reconsider.

Mr. Rosen was the only officer receiving documented compensation. It totalled $162,996.00 for 23 hours of work per week (self-reported) in the Bronx, New York, for the 12 month period reported. Does this seem like reasonable compensation for administering a charity part-time? Seems high but maybe that's the going rate in the Bronx.

As a former administrator for a large human services firm, I would say that the compensation package is excessive. When I left my agency in 2002, our CEO made roughly $280K (including bennies and deferred compensations) - but that was a full-time gig, and the company did $75 Million in revenue annually. This Bronx-based non-profit supposedly does only $10M/year, and only a full-time Executive Director would be likely to receive the compensation that Rosen received for a company that size.

The "piece of news" I had the "opportunity" to tell you wasn't the Hume's son thing. It was the AA rating. The Hume's son part was just meant to be a smartass comment.

And no, this isn't Howard Dean's backyard. This is Ann Coulter's - where crazy lies and awful rhetoric are the norm. No?

2. The attempts to advance the imagery that AAR "stole from poor kids". If the money is returned and the kids received all required services, that's a bit difficult to substantiate - even if the money was returned only under duress, which has also yet to be substantiated ... in fact, I have yet to see any evidence (or even conjecture) that AAR defaulted on the loan in any way.

This is almost too stupid to reply to, almost. AAR did take money earmaked for poor kids, and earmarked for them in the year it was given, not at some future date. It will never be used for those kids in anything close to the time frame it was intended for, it can't be, the Boy's and Girl's Club had to close it's doors. They are obviously returning the money under duress, they had the opportunity to return it before the Club had to close it's doors and failed to do so. Some things are so clearly implied the reporters don't feel the need to spell them out, but even a supporter of AAR would have a hard time convincing me they are mentally retarded enough to believe for a minute that nobody asked AAR to please return the money before the lack of funds forced the Club's closure. It will also prevent any such programs from taking place until someone steps in and creates a new club to operate the programs. Even if that happens the kids who would have and should have benefitted from the program will have had it delayed significantly. Some of the kids may no longer be kids by the time a new club is established and gains the confidence of those willing to donate. They DID steal from kids, to promote a ideology that is so incredibly corrupt that it's supporters readily accept it's dishonesty and even go out of their way to defend it, Vesti being one fine example.

I am sorry, but I can't let this go. Jim Jones, you are a disgusting, revolting human being devoid of intelligence and compassion. Just what does the suicide of a dipolar young man have to do with AAR. I have to deal with this stuff on a daily basis and it is not pretty. It knows no politics, it happens to the sweetest families and leaves loving parents in tatters.

But guess what, as vile, disgusting, loathsome as you are, I would never wish this on you, you compassionless troll.

Posted by: bullwinkle at August 1, 2005 01:20 AM

It's unclear to me why you are so enthusiastic to throw this entire organization under the bus, other than the fact that they put out radio shows that say things you don't care to hear. What I said about the incident will likely resonate with people who have an interest in truly looking at things from a critical perspective, rather than trying to use every incident to maximize what they perceive as political gain at the expense of facts.

If the exact same thing happened and it was "Ted's House of Aluminum Siding" that accepted the loan, you would read the item, say "sheesh, glad they got rid of that Cohen guy, and this Rosen seemed to have run his non-profit into the ground" and go about your day. But since it's AAR, the story must be indicative of some liberal malignancy that poisons the entire organization. It's just your imagination at work.

Sorry, but Rush stealing oxycontin was not a red flag to me that his entire company was corrupt, and I've never tried to portray it that way. You should consider dialing back your rhetoric.

$800k and counting. Read it and weep vesti.

http://www.nysun.com/article/17846

I wasn't aware of Rush stealing anything, I;'d sure like to see the link for that story, not that I care much for Rush. What I am aware of is a bunch of liberal scum dishonestly ranting daily on the radio about evil conservatives shortchanging children while they are the ones guilty of doing it. Keep on defending them, we love to see you squirm while you try to justify acts that prove what a dishonest ideology you support.

Posted by: bullwinkle at August 1, 2005 08:12 AM
Posted by: bullwinkle at August 1, 2005 08:18 AM

What an odd, strange little man. Enjoy his comments, folks. I'll be on the lookout for more of his brilliant observations like "read it and weep" ... it's not a ballgame for 10-year-olds, chief, and we're not competing.

And to answer your question, Rush "stole" just like AAR "stole" - neither did. Just my little way of pointing out how precise words need to be in honest debate. The fact that you immediately jumped on my lack of specificity with regard to Rush and demanded a link while enthusiastically accusing AAR without substantiation speaks volumes.

Enjoy your day. We're not out to get you.

I'd have to say that AAR admitting they owe the money and now saying they're going to pay it back in installments pretty much substantiates the story. Maybe not for someone on the left, but it does for anyone with more than two brain cells to rub together. I'll remain open-minded about it, if you have access to anything where AAR denies any of this please let me in on it. So far their own releases have said nothing about of denying a damn thing, only spinning it as an attempt at justification.

A transfer of funds from an organization that helps kids to AAR is perfectly ok with you eh Vesti. At least you have your priorities strait. AAR rules. Ghetto kids suck. I will carefully preserve your words to pass on to them this September. They will no doubt love you and progressives everywhere.

I'm sorry you guys are so upset about this whole thing. Perhaps if you'd read my earlier posts you would see that I think that the clearly responsible parties (Cohen/Rosen) should be punished, and AAR should be subject to an investigation and public castigation for their lack of institutional control.

How you guys spin that into it being "perfectly OK" to me is amazing. Funny and sad, but amazing.

I listen to the Franken show and enjoy it. But, to paraphrase John Bolton, "if the rest of AAR were to disappear tomorrow, I wouldn't miss it." And if Al's show were to go away, I'd shrug my shoulders and move on (I can always listen to the Opie and Anthony replay during that time slot, anyway). I've got no emotional interest in defending AAR's business practices - I just find it amusing how lathery you guys all get when you smell blood in the water.

And now I'm gone. Have fun smacking my carcass around and claiming a "kill".

Thanks Vesti another great post for my bulletin board. This is not a "kill" this is a "why they really don't care about you". By the way, I put no commetary of my own on the board, just people like you with your small minded posts. My poor undereducated, dipolar kids get it, why don't you?

The good news is that my kids are suceeding, I have several students going on to grad school in engineering, physics and music (they are related). Fortunately my board of directors hasn't seen fit to divert funds to AAR.

I love how you guys are condeming the entire AAR organization. Unless you can prove otherwise, it was only the top level brass involved in this.

And please, David, get over my comment about Hume's kid. I'm sure you've laughed heartily at much worse things that your radio troglodytes force-fed you.

First of all the non-profit hasn't totally had to close. The management was taken over by others, and they have had to scramble for financing. Just a FYI.

That does not excuse AAR from what it did. Not borrowing money from a non-profit organization should have been a no brainer.

Were their management and financial practices so poor that only this Cohen knew that they were borrowing money from a NON-PROFIT organization? The fact that he said that they had raised 30 million dollars at start up and had only raised a fraction of that should have thrown up red flags all over the place. Generally when this type of thing happens there is an in-depth audit and investigation. We don't know if that happened, but if it did they certainly didn't own up to it or start repaying the "loan".

When the new owners bought AAR there should have been an audit as well. It's hard for me to believe that there weren't red flags for them. I tend to believe-and this is only my opinion-that the "new owners" knew all about it and that is why they enacted the sell and buy with almost the same partners under a new name.

Even if Cohen is the only one responsible AAR is also guilty because there should have been checks and balances in their business practices.

However, we'll only know the full story after the investigation is over and then only if they publicize it.

Jim Jones-Your comment is despicable.

Contrary to your belief, I have never heard a conservative or a conservative pundit laugh or make a smart comment in a joking manner about someone’s child dying (or in this case committing suicide). This is a tragedy, not a laughing matter.

And if they had no one with even a modicum of decency agrees with it by laughing or making a smart comment.

However, I have noticed people at Kos and DU do so frequently. Could this be why you think it's no big deal?

No Jim, I can't get over it. I have seen nothing on conservative, moderate, or liberal blogs that match your tasteless, thoughtless, and cruel comment. We don't laugh at the third and fourth generation of Kennedy's and their troubles, because frankly they aren't funny. I haven't had laughs over any suicide, don't think you are normal and "we all do it". We don't only compassionless, thoughtless, intellectually barrren toads like you have your hearty laughs at this kind of thing.

My first encounter with suicide from depression was when I was 14. A good friend of the family (an 18 year) was not allowed to go on a long trip with my Explorer Post. While we were away he shot himself in the head and died.

Pretty funny huh Jim, 18 year, gun, dead. HAHAHAHA. You are a morally reprehensible jerk.

15 Year later on of my best fiends in high school killed himself (again clinical depression), I will never forgive him Bet I got you rolling on the ground, huh Jim.

Do you want some more laughs, jimmy? I can give you some fairly grusome suicides which I am sure you will find ammusing.

It's not my fault you surround yourself with the wrong people.

Seriously, you people advocate death (Coulter: bomb NTY; Weiner: get AIDS and die; Beck: kill Moore; O'Reilly: cut Kinsley's head off). That's worse than me talking about someone that is already dead. Unless you completely denounce those people, you have 0 room to criticize me.

This AAR 'scandal' is all about tax dollars going to push an agenda. But where was the outrage when the Bush administration paid Armstrong, McManus, and Gallagher to do the same? Where was that expose from you guys? Was that beast Michelle Malkin covering it like crazy?

I don't read Coulter, I despise O'reilly, and I don't know who Beck and Weiner are. But it is nice that you have identified the sewer you run in (though I suspect on the left side). The funny thing is you are supposed to be so much better, at least in your fantasies, but you end up being a snake just like them.

Actually, Congress approves so much money to various agencies for advertising. What Armstrong did was unethical and he was certainly excoriated on the libertarian blogs I read. I have no idea about McManus. Gallagher was right up front with where the money came from. Shoulld the feds not inform the citizens what is available to them? If you want the advertising budget dead contact your senators and congressman, they are the ones that allocate the funds.

By the way, little man, you brought up Michelle Malkin, so I did a search on her site and found this:

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/002030.htm

You know you could do this yourself, most sites have a SEARCH function. Lets hold hands and do this together, double u, double-u, double-u, dot, michellemalkon, dot, com. NOW press thee nter button, did we do this sucessfully? Oh sorry, big word alert, did you do good? Can you do this, goooooood. Go a little ways down, you will find a search this site. Can you find this? GOOOOOOD. Now lets type in Armstrong together in the little box. Here we go...... Amrstrong . Press the little search button, you can do it, I know you can. Did you press the little button. Goooood. Did you read her disappointment in Armstrong. Would you like me to read it to you?

Lets be honest, your a thoughtless little troll given topics points by your handlers. Some day soon I hope your actually have a thought of your own. I wont hold my breath.

By the way, little man, you brought up Michelle Malkin, so I did a search on her site and found this:

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/002030.htm

You know you could do this yourself, most sites have a SEARCH function. Lets hold hands and do this together, double u, double-u, double-u, dot, michellemalkin, dot, com. NOW press the enter button, did we do this sucessfully? Oh sorry, big word alert, did you do good? Can you do this, goooooood. Go a little ways down, you will find a search this site (it is on the left side...... no the other left_. Can you find this? GOOOOOOD. Now lets type in Armstrong together in the little box. Here we go...... Amrstrong . Press the little search button, you can do it, I know you can. Did you press the little button. Goooood. Did you read her disappointment in Armstrong. Would you like me to read it to you?

Lets be honest, you are a thoughtless little troll given talking points by your handlers. Some day soon I hope your actually have a thought of your own. I wont hold my breath.

I LOVE your headline: Air America: We Paid it Back Before We Didn't Pay it Back

...reminds me of the time during the elections when Bush (voting opposite of Kerry) actually voted against it before he voted for it.

Way to kick some GOP ass; good job guys!

Right. AAR commits fraud. Max Cleland is just like Osama bin Laden. Any little smear foothold to stem the tide of changing opinion, eh?

Is there anyone that doesn't know that the original leadership of AAR were crooks? You might want to check out the movie Left_Of_The_Dial on HBO. The dirty laundry was aired long before th.

Blog away, rightys.

Yawn...