Oh my.
Thank you for that wonderful trip down Memory Lane.
By the way, I happen to know that "Name Removed" at this long-ago campfire is a nice guy.
Ya, so, I figured
I just updated that post with some deletions from that poster
Hi Dan,
Thanks for replying.
Briefly I'd like to explain why I called in the first place. Over the
past couple of years Andy Stephenson has been involved in a few
questionable donation drives that ended rather badly. In the past six
months I've received no less than 40 emails from Andy, or one of his
agents, soliciting donations for everything from lawyer fees,
unemployment relief, to medical tests.
This week the request took a rather shocking turn when the pleas for
money stated the were to receive cancer treatment.
Now if Andy in fact does require this treatment I'm not the type of
person that would try and hamper those efforts. However, there have
been several claims made that just don't quite add up.
As you will see in the links provided it has been made clear that
Johns Hopkins is the only hospital that can do the procedure and due
to his financial situation he must pay the hospital 25 thousand
dollars up front to schedule the surgery. The remaining 25 thousand is
apparently due before the surgery or shortly there after. This part is
not clear.
What I find disturbing is how the five main people collecting the
money will drag the good name of Johns Hopkins through the mud in
order to get people to feel sorry for Andy and fork over their hard
earned money fighting the soulless hospital administration.
Several people in the DailyKos links I have provided describe a much
different hospital system than the stereotypical impression, one often
promoted in the media, that Andy's donation crew repeat in every plea
they send out.
If Andy can get adequate treatment in his home state of Washington
then I think the methods being used to collect the money verge on
fraud. But I'm not a lawyer or law enforcement member.
To make a short story long. Had Andy said…
"I'm very sick, the local cancer hospital says my chances of survival
are 50-50 but Johns Hopkins has a treatment that will cost 20 thousand
dollars more but increase my odds to 70-30"
I think his friends and supporters would still have come up with the money.
Instead he has allowed Johns Hopkins to look like a greedy heartless
corporation without ever disclosing any alternative options.
I'm sure Johns Hopkins fundraises from the progressive community from
time to time and I think this kind of behavior hurts the reputation of
your institution and may hamper future fundraising efforts.
So, that's the reason for my concern. Please see below the links to
just some of the sites asking for donations.
The DailyKos for example has US senators posting on it and receives
half a million hits a day.
If I thought these pleas for money were limited to fringe site with
not much traffic I might not care. But considering the reach of these
sites I had to get in touch.
Thank you for your time.
Steve
Here is a typical comment from the threads.....
"I just sent some money. Not much, but I'm amazed that John Hopkins
has gotten to the point where they are asking for upfront money on a
$50,000 life saving surgery.*******, I'm angry.
The notion that John Hopkins is demanding 50% down for life saving
surgery makes my ****ing blood boil. I wonder how much they charge for
the same surgery to a Health Insurance company? Usually hospitals
charge the uninsured 2-3x the rate charged insurance companies."