Have They Been Calling You?
by James Glaser
September 17, 2010

It is an election year, so you expect phone calls from politicians looking for money, but since we registered as Independents, we are not on any major party list. We thought we were going to skate by, but not this year.

Every non-profit 501-c corporation is out begging for money. Firemen, Police, the Sherriff, arts organizations, groups who help unwed mothers, and the animal rights people all want a few bucks.

You know a few years ago when things were rolling along in the economy, you never heard from these groups. I guess local and state funding has dried up, and they are beating the bushes for funds.

You can't give to everybody, and it is sometimes hard to say no, but Wanda and I have decided if we do have any extra money to give, it is going locally. I gave up giving to NPR years ago. I think they should get all the money they need from book publishers. Seldom do they ever interview anyone who does not have a new book out, and they push the book during the whole interview. Also, we figure if state-wide groups have lost their funding with their professional grant writers, local groups with all-volunteer staff must be totally on their own now.

I'll tell you what though, registering Independent was a great move on our part. We get little in the way of campaign materials in our mail box, and no phone calls asking for donations. We registered Republican last time so we could vote for Ron Paul in the primary, and we were inundated with mail and phone solicitations. Independents can give to people of either political party and still stay off the lists.

I guess we will know that the economy has turned around when the phone calls asking for money stop. That will mean those non-profit organizations have gone back to getting their money from the government and from for-profit corporations.

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