The War Kids 990s
The Buffalo News has seen them, and confirms:
Congressional candidate Jon Powers released documents Wednesday showing that he earned $15,000 from his Iraq children’s charity in the first five months of 2007 — a year in which the organization raised only $41,738.
But the Powers campaign also released a letter from Veterans for America, the huge veterans organization where Powers worked, showing that the $60,000 he earned in 2006 was tied to his job as vice president for policy for that organization, as well as the War Kids Relief effort he ran there.
“Our opponents keep trying to frame it as if Jon was trying to rob War Kids blind, and it’s patently false,” said John Gerken, Powers’ campaign manager. “The claim that he took $77,000 from War Kids is patently false.”
Davis and whoever else can paint War Kids as a failure if they’re so inclined, but the original smear was false on its face. I think definitely it helps Davis in the primary. If he hands out $50 bills with his lit. Powers has the grassroots. Davis has the gasroots.
The sad thing in all this is that Jack Davis has taken something noble, something that Powers really believed in, although it didn’t accomplish everything it set out to, but did good nonetheless, and threw it in the mud and spat on it. To me, as a voter in that district, Jack Davis has revealed himself to be worse than just a flawed candidate with ugly views. He’s human filth.
UPDATE: To all of the commenters who have done so much more than Jon Powers to address the plight of the young Iraqi kids affected by the war, here is a list of War Kids’ accomplishments under Powers’ watch:
On Friday, August 15th, 2008, Jon Powers submitted the IRS form 990 to the Internal Revenue Service to comply with filing requirements for War Kids Relief. The form shows that for the fiscal year 2007, War Kids Relief raised $41,738. Powers also made available an IRS form 990 in anticipation of fiscal year 2008 showing that War Kids Relief raised $25,000 prior to being reorganized under another 501(c)(3).
Powers also furnished a letter from his former employer, Veterans For America, detailing their involvement with War Kids and his role with both organizations. Under VFA, War Kids Relief was able to raise $68,336.
Below are the facts with regard to the financial numbers for War Kids Relief:
• Total Raised: $135,074;
• Total Spent on Salary: $18,900, of which $15,000 went to Jon Powers;
• Total Spend on Educational, Advocacy, and Service Programs: $100,303.80;
• Total Spent on overhead at VFA: $15,870.20. (20% per VFA’s government approved NICRA rate)
The $100,303.80 spent on educational, advocacy, and service programs went toward:
• Collaborating in Baghdad with UNICEF, USAID, Department of Defense personnel, the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Iraqi Child Welfare Council, and the World Bank to design a model for child care for children abandoned as a result of the Iraq War;
• Research and presentation to the RAND Corporation regarding Positive Youth Development to Deter Youth Radicalism;
• Research and publication of “Iraq’s Youth at a Time of War,” in Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Review Journal.
• Development and pilot of the Youth Center Work Study Program with the Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports to engage Iraq’s out of school youth;
• Development and pilot of a Youth Conference between American and Iraqi Students in coordination with Iraq Embassy personnel.
• Developing programs with Iraqi youth oriented NGO’s in Kurdistan to provide crucial links between Iraqi and American youth.
While with VFA, Powers was paid to work on the following:
• July 2005 – Started at VFA as program manager of War Kids Relief.
• May 2006 – Vice President of Policy for War Kids Relief (paired with his role as program manager of War Kids Relief)
• Generally: Provided research and program development with fellow Veterans to publicize and correct the problems facing returning soldiers and veterans. Helped develop legislation with VFA colleagues and fellow veterans.
• Summer 2006 – Witness to National Institute of Health on PTSD DSM-4 hearings.
• December 2006 – Witness to Department of Defense Mental Health Task Force under Lieutenant General Kiley. Provided research and testimony on suicidal veterans prior to the Joshua Omvig Bill.
• Specific legislation that Powers worked on:
- Lane Evans Bill requiring VA to do reports on the War.
- Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act – Extending Health Care from 2-5 years.
- Homelessness Prevention Act.
• VFA worked with Bob Woodruff on his work at ABC – To Iraq and Back
• Spokesperson on BBC, CNN, CBC, and other major news outlets
• February 2007 – Toured Walter Reed Hospital the day after the Washington Post broke the story.
• January 2007-March 2007 – VFA decides to refocus on Veterans issues exclusively and War Kids Relief becomes its own 501(c)(3).
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Gee Hudson, then I guess you shouldn’t have brought up that fine charity just to prop yourself up. Dumbass.
Let’s talk about issues:
Two land wars in Asia.
Inflation.
Bloated federal budget.
Enormous federal debt and deficit.
Highest incarceration rate in the world.
I could go on.
God, you’re just pathetic. In my last post I almost put in a half-serious disclaimer, “Of course I am not seriously criticizing either Community Missions or Mr. Sbarbati, only using Hudson’s example against him to disprove his point”. But I figured it wasn’t needed because no one would be such a dishonest whiner as to accuse of attacking the Mission. I guess I was wrong.
Seriously, it’s like you’re trying to prove just how stupid you can be. I used to like some of your posts too.
Eh.
“accuse me of attacking the Mission”, that is.
Sigh. More lies, and more questions than answers.
In Powers’ own release, he says:
• July 2005 – Started at VFA as program manager of War Kids Relief.
• May 2006 – Vice President of Policy for War Kids Relief (paired with his role as program manager of War Kids Relief)
Ok, follow the money:
Powers was hired at VFA in July of 2005. In May of 2006, he was “promoted” to VP of Policy for War Kids Relief.
Seems to me that we just learned Powers was paid MORE than $77,314 for running War Kids Relief. Powers was paid $5,000 a month by VFA in 2006, and he took $5,000 a month for his three months at War Kids Relief in 2007 (March, April, May).
But we now know that Powers started working at VFA in July of 2005. If he was paid at the same rate, he earned an additional $30,000 from VFA to RUN WAR KIDS RELIEF.
Let’s again, follow the money. Add the $92,238 he earned over 18.5 months at VFA to what he claims War Kids raised ($135,074), and then we take his overall salary for 21.5 months ($107,314) and divide that by total funds raised, and you have 47 percent of the money going to Jon Powers.
If VFA was paying for Powers to run War Kids Relief as one of their programs, you have to count that salary as a contribution to War Kids Relief. If it doesn’t count, then the “successes” of War Kids Relief – minimal as they were – belong to VFA and not Jon Powers.
Then, if all you are left with is $41, 738, of which Powers took $15,000, or 36 percent.
Powers can’t have it both ways – he either owns all of the revenues, all of the salary and all of the “successes.” Or he doesn’t. Because once he left the “umbrella” of VFA, as the Buffalo News noted today, it was “a charitable effort that failed to thrive.”
Hudson, you whining little infant, you’re too dim or hung over to realize we’re all using your semi-literate logic against you. No one here gives a rat’s ass how much Sbarbati “pays himself” out of money that was supposed to build orphanages or whatever.
You’re disingenuous, hypocritical, and sport the mental acuity of a toddler.
Powers has so many problems in his young life…
pathetic really…sad…he needs to redeem himself and get back to the real world and look for a paying job…no more taking advantage of the poor children of Iraq who he failed miserably with…no more taking advantage of campaign donors with a false and faltering campaign filled with false promises with an unaccomplished slick snail oil salesman with choir boy looks but with the ability to swear at Cleveland Heights, Ohio police officers doing their sworn duties…not a leader at all really…Jon Boy could learn lessons if he only was a member of the Walton Clan…
Joanne L. Capone
Executive Director
Capone-DeSimone Institute for Peace and Social Justice
Yeah, no one should buy “snail oil”, if anyone tries to sell them some. There we agree.
@ Hudson,
Really!! You raised all that money all by yourself? Could you have gotten some paid for help with some other sponsors or the full page ads taken out by NFR? They have paid your paper hundreds of thousands for 1 or 2 full page ads, every issue for years. As far as I can tell, they pay YOU for most of your charitable work that you take credit for. All their ads are given over to charitable announcements… which really is nice, seeing as they have next to nothing to gain in advertising the “great city of nothing” they have helped build for 10 years. If they weren’t so darn charitable, you sure would appear totally on the take. And what did you personally have to do or give up in being so gracious with the $30,000 you raised?
Parlato and NFR pay what looks like 30-50% of your papers revenues, if you subtract all the full page ads for your own books and the “Reporters” own advertisements for more advertisers.
You and Illuzzi… stay classy!
@Capone – “unaccomplished slick snail oil salesman”?
Is that anything like a snail in the grass? Whitesnail? Snails on a Plane?
When did doing the same work or more become a prerequisite for free speech in our democracy?
Joanne Capone is a half twit who should not be allowed to post again until she answers a very simple question: Why are you supporting Jack Davis when he is pro-choice and, in turn, why are you a hypocrite who is turning your back on the unborn?
It is one thing to claim you are a christian who is dedicated to protecting the unborn Joanne, but shame on you for using it for political expedience. People like you are an embarrassment to the pro-life movement.
@WNYDEM: Boy are you SPOT ON!
BP and the Powersapologists crew have spilled a ton of ink over the past few weeks trying to distance Jon from the smarminess of the $60K saying it was salary for his work as a “VP for Policy” for the VFA.
Now we see that it was exactly compensation for his role as “VP for Policy for WAR KIDS RELIEF”. It does not look like Jon had any real role with VFA that was not directly related to his nascent charity.
Jon Powers made a hefty chunk of change, garnered a bit of publicity, got to testify before Congress, and created an entry for his resume for his short lived, short committed charity which he apparently abandoned when it no longer suited him.
WNY DEM is a hired hit man by the Davis campaign – check the FEC filings and match it with his real name (but he’ll refuse to give it)
Hudson — good for you – was the work your full time job? Are women no longer battered in Buffalo? NO – then you’re a complete fucking failure. if this race is of no personal interested then why talk about it? oh because Mullen paid you off too. Looks like you Mission buddy used to to help create a fake fundraiser so you’re friend could drive a nice audi. didn’t you beat women when you were fired for being drunk on the job
Russell — you suck so much dick you can’t make sense when you speak. all you do is attack anything Powers. you’re slander is as bad as Davis’s — promising clean tactics then paying people to spread lies. Davis has nothing to show for himself – just attacking another candidate. How does saying – he isn’t good – make Davis good?
Davis is a two time looser – he’s wasted over $ 7 million on two loosing campaigns – the republicans (including russell) want him to win because november would be a cakewalk for lee.
They know no one (besides those bribed) would vote for Davis.
I’m Jack Davis… and I approve the purchase of this congressional seat.
I never said Davis was good. So many of you just assume because I think Jonny is up to the task that it automatically means I’m a Davis supporter. I’m not crazy about any of the candidates in the 26th. I just started combatting the Jonny lovefest that was going on on this blog for so long. I thought it was getting a little out of hand that someone had to throw in a little reality.
BP, now that I look over the stellar bullet points you put up from Jonny’s resume, as ridiculous a condition it is, I think I do meet your qualifications to criticize him. Other than the military service, I think my resume and community service match up pretty well with his.
David hit Reynolds re interns last time instead of talking about issues. He lost.
I meant Davis.
russell — what policies put before the US government in congress have you worked at? what national studies, or educational/research studies, have you participated in?
what are your qualifications? what do you do for a living now… Powers would smoke you, you’re not qualified to be an 8th grade class president.
You don’t go after Davis for anything he’s done wrong, just powers. so you’re a republican getting involved in a democratic primary because you’re a bitch who’s afraid Powers will kick Lee’s ass in november.
I like going negative — i avoid talking about myself because i’m a useless old man
Hudson, you may not live in the district, but you have captured the sentiment of Niagara County voters like me who do indeed have a vote in this electino. All this back and forth aside, Jon Powers is clearly not ready to represent this community in Congress. He should have shot for something like Town Council first.
Niagara County represents the swing portion of this district and Powers has ZERO traction there. Davis will take him in the primary and if not, Chris Lee rolls him in November.
Jack Davis, thanks for asking. No, I wasn’t a subistitute teacher in Clarence so Powers might have me there. I was just an instructor at one of the largest universities in the country. But since you really must know how much Jonny towers over me, here you go:
1995-2000: Served as Program Director for mentoring and advising teenagers, serving over 50 teens each year.
1995: Coordinated visit of leaders of Japanese political parties (LDP and Komeito) on a goodwill trip to US and WNY
2001: Published peer reviewed article on political socialization of young people in the United States
1996-2000: Advised civic engagement and political education programs for young people on increasing effectiveness
1994-2005: Volunteered countless hours with Kids Voting NY, Habitat for Humanity and a number of other charities
1993-1997: Advised and Assisted Chairman of House VA subcommittee on Hospitals
Toured Buffalo VA Medical Center numerous times, working with Director to improve conditions and services.
1995-1996: Coordinated Veteran’s Advisory Committee
2001-2005: Served as peer reviewer for two academic political journals, determining worthiness of article submissions for publication
2001-2005: Served on and organized discussion panels for academic and political national conferences
2001-2005: Taught advanced undergraduate courses in one of the top political science departments in the country
2001-2005: Served on research panel tracking democratization and economic reforms in Eastern Europe funded by governments of the US, Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine. Data was presented to Polish and Czech officials and used in a number of publications
2001: Created Internet Crimes Task Force in Erie County, bringing together law enforcement agencies at all levels to combat Internet crimes against children
Donated 10% of income annually to religious, social and medical charities.
Pink go back to your republican cheerleadering “i’m Hobbes, not Glen” site. Chrissy Lee will get his juice box slapped right out of his hand in November. Davis already knows about his 2 dwi’s, say hi to hobbes and give larry a kick.
Mr pink, whats wrong a little boring at the niagara site? gee i wonder why….
Wow – all that in ten years and Jon Powrs accomplished what he did in only 18 months.
Imagine how much better Powers is than you with what he could do in ten years.
Thanks for proving us all right Russell. My little sister did all that and won the spelling bee.
by the way – what’s the deal with Lee’s dwi’s? is that for real or is someone just being stupid?
Russell – you didn’t for the internet crime task force
it was formed in 2000 with state troopers and erie county sherriff’s dept.
why you have to lie?
did your publications bring national attention to anything? no. you’re a failure just like your idiot comments
No, the state troopers part was formed in 2000, but it wasn’t ’til 2001 that erie county got the grant to tie into that program. I’m the one who wrote the grant, got the federal agencies involved and convinced the Justice Department to fund us even though something already existed in NY state. There were only 6 grants awarded at that point and they wanted more geographic dispersion, but since we tied in so well to the existing state program and brought in the feds, they created a new satellite line in order to fund us.
My publications brought international attention to a number of things. My main publication changed political socialization programs throughout the country and is still being cited today. Our Eastern European work has affected programs in those countried and in the EU.
My work with VA hospitals helped clean up some of the systems nationally, thought more work is still necessary.
I didn’t know there was a time constraint on this. BP just said I need to have accomplished stuff like him. I didn’t know if also had to be in the same or less time. Now you guys are really getting silly.
Sorry, countries not countried. I know how so many of you love to pick on those things.
Oh, and maybe it took me 10 years to do those things because I actually followed through on the work I did. I didn’t just start something and then walk away after 18 months. I stuck it out. They weren’t done just to pad my resume for a run for office.
So now you’re pretending to know exactly what Powers’ subjective intentions were, when you obviously don’t. But you never make ignorant statements, right?
Seriously, if this is the worst that Powers opponents can come up with, he must be the squeaky-cleanest candidate for federal office since Lincoln. That’s why I find Splett’s “human filth” post so hilarious.
It was just a throw-back to the ignorance tossed at me. And what is the worst on Jonny that we’ve been able to come up with? I think far worse things have already been said than the intentions behind his resume.
Besides, I’m not Jonny’s opponent and I’m not affiliated with any of his opponents. I’m just a private citizen commenting on a candidate for office.
Be careful Russell, Mike and his old lady will flick boogers they scraped off their couch at you.
If the VA hospitals were so great and taken care of… why all the investigations for the retuning troops during the Iraq war?
Were you the reason the PTSD treatment was so shitty? Why did you ruin healthcare for our troops?
Did I say anywhere that the hospitals were great and taken care of? Nope. I did say we worked on cleaning them up, but there was still more work that needed to be done. I’ve been out of that position over 10 years. The conditions you’re talking about are much more recent. Budget cuts, a system nowhere near ready to the large influx it saw and mismanagement account for much of the problems you’re talking about. And much of it was confined to one hospital.
Oh you left before the job was done? Just padding your resume I guess.
It wasn’t my call. It was the person I was working for. I was a more valuable asset on the campaign and political side of things, rather than the official side. And as long as we have men and women serving this country, that’s a job that will never be done, but I did put in far more than 18 months. And I never fell about 98% short of any of my goals, even the ambitious ones.
And that just furthers the point that I must be very well qualified to criticize Jonny, according to the logic on here.
Or a huge hypocrite. One or the other.
Mr. Powers has never in his 30 years have a private sector job or business that had to meet market tests of efficeny or generate value. With more successfull life or business experiences the 40 and up voters would more likely identify with him. Mr. Davis main goal is to get a better deal for the US in foreign. As a new member of congress with at most a four tear life he will be even more frustated.
Russell, I think your resume skipped what, if my guess is correct, would be your greatest achievement; obtaining a grant that pays for you to piss away a workday making knee-jerk responses to anonymous trolls on a political entertainment blog. But getting paid to endlessly discuss and poll about how to get kids to vote comes pretty close. Nice “work” if you can get it.
Thank you.
mm are you retarded? what harder market test is there then getting shot at by people? those iraqi’s looked like they were itching to buy the american product!
Why do you hate soldiers and veterans? Why do you think being a solider and an officer isn’t a real job?
has anyone outed this russel a-hole yet? put his real name up here if you have – then we can check Davis’ or Lee’s FEC filing pre and post primary
im sorry, you all lost me. is there an election coming up or something?
Russell,
You are becoming the new Mike Hudson.
Are we going to organize an actual debate between the candidates, or just bash our keyboards into meaningless smithereens.
Thanks, Peter, but there is nowhere near enough of the hard stuff in my system for me to attain that level and I doubt there ever will be.
Russell— why do you want hard stuff in your system? that’s gross.
When is the debate anyway… oh yah Davis’s vipers won’t let him near a microphone because he’s an idiot. If Davis isn’t allowed to open his mouth he can’t put his foot in it.
Remember when he bribed everyone… then started a Jobs and Farms party, and then NO LABOR and NO FARMERS support him! Yah that was hilarious.
Awesome quote in the Buffalo News BP! As always they show you as a respectable netroots person and Illuzzi as the criminal bribing hack that he is in the Hoyt article. Iluzzi & Davis are two peas in a pod!