The Stinginess and Meaness of Conservatives Touches Me Personally

[rudeguy]

Yup. I thought the same thing reading the post.

I personally am a bit wary of these big names and donate time and money to small, local, unknown groups. In one case, there is literally zero overhead and infact the volunteeers use their own money to cover overhead expenses as well.

The OP stretched it out attacking people who didn't "donate".

FWIW, me donating $156 to get a day of PTO would cost the company much more than the $156 I "donated".

The idea of charity is to do it out of the goodness of your heart because its the right thing to do. Last month I was going grocery shopping and I saw some firefighters standing in an intersection collecting money. I like firefighters and I trust them to do good with the money. But I felt bad because I didn't have any cash on me. I made a point to get a decent amount of cash back from the grocery store and donated on the way out. I didn't ask what the charity was, I didn't offer my name for an aware and I didn't give my address expecting better service if there was a fire. I put my cash in the boot and tired to be sure they didn't see how much I put in because I think that stuff should be anonymous.

I've raised tens of thousands of dollars personally for big charities. My company donates hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as runs charities that take no money from donations for payroll. However you will never find my name or my company's name on any award or sign. Its done under the radar because pride and charity are polar opposites.

 

[glenn1]

Or maybe they just don't like United Way.

This. Your company picked a shitty charity to support, and I wouldn't give them a penny no matter what the bribe. Just provide a slate of the United Way plus 3-4 other broadly popular charities to allow some choice. Or better yet, make it like the Federal Combined Campaign where people can pick their own worthwhile cause to give to and see what happens.

 

[pauldun170]

Absolutely true story.

This year, our human resources department has started a brand new United Way campaign. This year they divided the company into teams based on department. If 90% of your team donates a measly $3/week to the United Week, your entire team gets 1 day paid vacation!

Well I got pretty excited and started discussing it with my department. It seems like most everybody is down except 2. The two that are adamently opposed are tea party type religious conservatives. Always railing against welfare, etc.... Well these two douche bags say that this incentive program is blackmail. I was like, you two are always railing against welfare and that charity should take care of these people and yet here you are screwing over the entire department because you refuse to give to charity. I have to wonder if these two are outliers or are symptomatic of the whole conservative movement...... selfish motherfuckers who don't give a shit about the poor and needy.

Anyhow, no paid vacation day for me and now we have two employees that are loathed by the entire department.

They are pressuring (not asking, pressuring) employees to donate a portion of their compensation to company chosen organization.
That's wrong.

Your HR department failed.

 

[FerrelGeek]

And this is exactly why I don't support United Way.

The CEO's of the various united way offices make so much money dmcowned even hates them.

Yup. I thought the same thing reading the post.

I personally am a bit wary of these big names and donate time and money to small, local, unknown groups. In one case, there is literally zero overhead and infact the volunteeers use their own money to cover overhead expenses as well.

 

[piasabird]

$3 a week is about a $150 deduction. Besides I already have 4 weeks paid vacation every year.

This is like paying an employee $18.50 per hour.

I donate for united way $5 every 2 weeks for a $120 donation. I also tithe 10% at my church + welfare donations. Donations should be by choice. Otherwise, they are not really donations because you are paying $150 for a day off.

 

[sportage]

United Way? No way.
I quit that cult back in the 70's after their CEO was exposed for flying 1st class and riding around in a limo.
All funded by your contributions.
I seriously doubt anything has changed in the organization today....

Give, defiantly yes. But only directly to the cause.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

AND, just who gets to claim a tax deduction? Hmmmm

 

[The Merg]

AND, just who gets to claim a tax deduction? Hmmmm

The person donating the $3 to the United Way can write that off on their taxes.

- Merg

 

[piasabird]

The company should be matching your donations.

 

[michal1980]

How can you say there was an attempt to force? They did what they wanted to do, and that was to give an option. Attempt is not the correct to use either. The company "offered" a pto day. A person could still donate, and not take the pto. The person could donate and take the pto. The person could not donate and not get extra pto.

None of this is an attempt to force. It could have been more effective, by saying that if someone donates to any charity they could get an extra day of pto, but its not like what they did was some evil plan.

your missing the key point:

You only get a day off if enough people donate.

Your a dolt if you dont think that's an attempt to force donations.

 

[realibrad]

your missing the key point:

You only get a day off if enough people donate.

Your a dolt if you dont think that's an attempt to force donations.

Still not force. If I offer a taco in exchange for money, its not forcing anyone. I listed many options that someone could have chosen.

 

[realibrad]

The OP stretched it out attacking people who didn't "donate".

FWIW, me donating $156 to get a day of PTO would cost the company much more than the $156 I "donated".

The idea of charity is to do it out of the goodness of your heart because its the right thing to do. Last month I was going grocery shopping and I saw some firefighters standing in an intersection collecting money. I like firefighters and I trust them to do good with the money. But I felt bad because I didn't have any cash on me. I made a point to get a decent amount of cash back from the grocery store and donated on the way out. I didn't ask what the charity was, I didn't offer my name for an aware and I didn't give my address expecting better service if there was a fire. I put my cash in the boot and tired to be sure they didn't see how much I put in because I think that stuff should be anonymous.

I've raised tens of thousands of dollars personally for big charities. My company donates hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as runs charities that take no money from donations for payroll. However you will never find my name or my company's name on any award or sign. Its done under the radar because pride and charity are polar opposites.

Lol. So only help people, if its selfless. Don't donate unless you get nothing out of it. And you little bastards better not get happiness out of it either.

 

[squarecut1]

I like the way you always use a picture to convey your point

 

[rudeguy]

Lol. So only help people, if its selfless. Don't donate unless you get nothing out of it. And you little bastards better not get happiness out of it either.

Yea...its kind of the definition of charity.

 

[michal1980]

Still not force. If I offer a taco in exchange for money, its not forcing anyone. I listed many options that someone could have chosen.

no you're just not getting it.


The company is 'punishing' everyone in a department if a few people don't do something they want.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/force

power to influence, affect, or control; efficacious power:

persuasive power; power to convince:

to compel, constrain, or oblige (oneself or someone) to do something:

 

[TwiceOver]

Yeah, tying your incentive to other worker's donations isn't right. You don't know what their situation is and it's none of your business anyway. The company should offer what they think is fair to each individual employee. Whether that be a direct matching amount or a PTO day for a certain amount, whatever.

I still remember the United Way meetings at the factory I worked. We'd sit around for a half hour listening to their shtick and then we'd all get forms. I swear I was always the first one out of the meeting because it is very easy for me to draw a big ass circle in the amount spot and hand it to the lady with a smile on my face. To go into an hourly paid factory and ask people for money in a company that doesn't match or contribute on their own, asinine.

 

[realibrad]

no you're just not getting it.


The company is 'punishing' everyone in a department if a few people don't do something they want.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/force

power to influence, affect, or control; efficacious power:

persuasive power; power to convince:

to compel, constrain, or oblige (oneself or someone) to do something:

Jesus. Its not punishment to not give someone something they are not obligated to give. I am not punishing you by not giving you a burger in exchange for you not giving me money.

Also, thanks for your definition. I'm pretty sure you don't understand the context of the words in there. If you are going to say that power to influence, is simply giving an option, then congrats, you are indeed the dolt.

 

[realibrad]

Yea...its kind of the definition of charity.

You missed it. When you donate, you get something out of it. Most get happiness.

Why limit good acts to those who only get happiness. I would much rather live in a world where people are better off. Outcomes over intent.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

My last company was big on United Way and was determined to get 100% participation. So, this douchey company-cheerleader type took over the campaign (he was in my dept) and then went to each person's office, sat down, and tried to shake them down for money and would ask why they were not donating. When it was my turn, I was on the phone and he barged in. All it took was my patented ICF death stare and he said "I'll come back later" and he never did. I think they hit 45% participation that year.

Company before that was nearly as bad, as they wanted the names of every person not participating. Fuck that crap. I come to work to do a job and earn a living, not to donate to a company's pet cause. I donate to other charities on my own time and it is none of their business what I do with my money and time outside of work.

 

[rudeguy]

Jesus. Its not punishment to not give someone something they are not obligated to give. I am not punishing you by not giving you a burger in exchange for you not giving me money.

Also, thanks for your definition. I'm pretty sure you don't understand the context of the words in there. If you are going to say that power to influence, is simply giving an option, then congrats, you are indeed the dolt.

OK, lets use your burger analogy since its almost lunch time.

Lets say I work for a burger joint. The company says that if I work an hour, they will pay me $5. They also say that if I donate $5 to the Home For Retired Democratic Idiots, I can have 2 hours off paid. The company paid me $5, I gave away the $5 and the company paid me $10. So in reality, all that happened was the company gave me an extra $5.

Getting paid $5 is not charity.

 

[michal1980]

Jesus. Its not punishment to not give someone something they are not obligated to give. I am not punishing you by not giving you a burger in exchange for you not giving me money.

Also, thanks for your definition. I'm pretty sure you don't understand the context of the words in there. If you are going to say that power to influence, is simply giving an option, then congrats, you are indeed the dolt.

you dont get it do you?

I dont know how simple i have to make it for you.

The company said that is 90% of the employees donate, 100% of the employees get an extra day off. But if 80% of employees donate, 0% of the employees get an extra day of.

Lets make this even simpler.

Say there are 10 employees in the company.

9 donate to united way. all 10 get a day off
8 donate to united way. ZERO get a day off.


Dont you see how that creates a hostile work environment that will force employees to donate?

8 employees donate, they figure out who didn't. Now these 8 want an extra day off, so they band together to bully the other 2 into donating.


This situation is not at all like your made up example that if I donate I get a day off, and if I do not donate I dont get a day off.

If I do not donate, YOU dont get a day off.

 

[bshole]

My last company was big on United Way and was determined to get 100% participation. So, this douchey company-cheerleader type took over the campaign (he was in my dept) and then went to each person's office, sat down, and tried to shake them down for money and would ask why they were not donating. When it was my turn, I was on the phone and he barged in. All it took was my patented ICF death stare and he said "I'll come back later" and he never did. I think they hit 45% participation that year.

Company before that was nearly as bad, as they wanted the names of every person not participating. Fuck that crap. I come to work to do a job and earn a living, not to donate to a company's pet cause. I donate to other charities on my own time and it is none of their business what I do with my money and time outside of work.

Dude and to think I thought you were one of the good guys. I am extremely disappointed in you.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Two things. First, michael1980 is right, in that promotions like this create a hostile work environment because it pits employees against each other and leaves no room for someone to say, "no" without getting flack from every one of their coworkers. That's terrible for morale and outside of the realm of best practices for proper ways to encourage donations to nonprofits in a professional environment.

Second, conservatives are more generous than liberals when it comes to giving to charity. Work in a nonprofit for a few years and you'll get a completely different view of Republicans. Where do most of your dollars come from? Major gifts from the wealthy elite. Who can afford to give these gifts? Business owners. And business owners have a strong lean towards conservative values. No one who has actual fundraising experience believes that conservatives are "stingy and mean," because you'd have to be blind and stupid to believe that when they're your biggest supporters. Admittedly, they are more likely to support religious causes while liberals are more likely to be irreligious, and that tweaks the numbers a bit, but conservative-leaning people still give a greater percentage of their income to charity than liberals across all economic levels outside of "the ten richest people in the world." Saying that someone is stingy and mean because they don't support the same charity as you is arrogant and greedy.

 

[BoberFett]

bshole sounds like a greedy piece of shit. Only donates when it benefits him, and gets pissed off when others don't donate to benefit him.

 

[pauldun170]

Two things. First, michael1980 is right, in that promotions like this create a hostile work environment because it pits employees against each other and leaves no room for someone to say, "no" without getting flack from every one of their coworkers. That's terrible for morale and outside of the realm of best practices for proper ways to encourage donations to nonprofits in a professional environment.

Agree.
I think a better practice is asking for 100% participation, where all employees are notified of the program and participation is defined as acknowledgement. Employees are given the choice to contribute any amount including $0.