Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
Where’s the good in Goodwill?
For pretty much all my life, I was under
the assumption that when you donated
something to Goodwill, the items were
either given to the needy, or sold in local
stores and the money donated to
homeless shelters, food pantries,
daycare centers, etc. How disap
pointing to learn that I was wrong.
A few years ago an article made
its rounds (again) warning folks to
be careful when deciding which
charities they choose to support.
The article listed several organi
zations, their yearly income, and
the salaries/perks/bonuses of the
CEOs.
Many of you probably saw this
article and were as shocked as I.
The article reported that the CEO
of Goodwill made 2.3 million
dollars in the previous year. Whaaaat?
Snopes piped in with their own article,
refuting the rumors, saying that the CEO
indeed did NOT make 2.3 million a year,
but rather in 2011 received a total report
ed compensation of $725,000. (Did you
hear me scream?)
They further went on to say, and I will
quote, “Goodwill Industries Internation
al is not a business that takes in donated
items and resells them for a profit. It is a
not-for-profit organization that provides
job training, employment placement ser
vices and other community-based pro
grams for people who have disabilities,
lack education or job experience, or face
employment challenges. Goodwill rais
es money for their programs through a
chain of thrift stores which also operate
as non-profits.”
We all know I suck at math, but... it
seems to me that if you take in some
thing that costs you nothing, sell it for
any amount of money, that it translates
to a profit. And with over 5 Billion
dollars in sales, a non-profit, tax-exempt
status, and the deplorable wages paid,
that leaves a LOT of dollars left over —
as profit.
Shortly after this, NBC did a report
that included interviews with Jim Gib
bons, CEO of Goodwill Industries Inter
national, a few civil rights advocates, and
several current and previous employers.
If the idea of six-figure incomes for
the CEOs made me angry, what I learned
about their employee wages made my
blood boil.
The pay rate for some of their employ
ees with disabilities was far less than
minimum wage, with some making less
cathy
watkins
bennett
than one dollar per hour!
Snopes did their best to sugar-coat
this information, but actually admitted
that due to a loophole in the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938, employ
ers can obtain a special wage
certificate that allows them to
pay employees with disabilities
a wage much lower than the
federal minimum wage.
The loophole is based on the
assumption that people with
disabilities are less productive
than able-bodied individuals.
The company justifies this
despicable act by patting them
selves on the back for hiring
disabled employees, thus “cre
ating jobs.”
The NBC report highlighted
the case of Sheila Leland, a college-de
gree holding, blind employee at the
Great Falls, Montana store who had
worked there for four years, making
$3.50 per hour. Her wage was then
lowered to $2.75 per hour, which didn’t
even cover the cost of her transport to
and from work. Interviews conducted in
the back rooms of the facilities showed
disabled employees struggling against
a stopwatch, and if they didn’t meet the
quota, their pay was cut. (Check out the
NBC video clip at http://www.alternet.
org/275-hour-shocking-secret-goodwill.)
Shortly after this, I began to take
notice of the TV commercials for Good
will, and the heavy emphasis they place
on job creation. Reminding us that when
we donate to Goodwill we are creating
jobs. Sounds to me like when we donate
to Goodwill, we are lining the pockets of
the CEOs on the backs of many vulnera
ble people who are being exploited in the
name of charity.
One article I read stated that a few
of the stores in Georgia have the FLSA
certificates, but currently do not engage
in the practice, and all workers are paid
at least minimum wage, including those
with disabilities.
My friend Patty finds the most amaz
ing bargains at Goodwill, and I’m often
envious of the craft items she scores for
pennies on the dollar.
But. I. Just. Can’t.
Cathy Watkins Bennett is a Bar
row County native and a gradu
ate of Winder-Barrow High School.
Send comments about this column to
beneath @ aol. com.
Discount spay, neutering offered
Leftover Pets offers low
cost spay/neuter surgeries at
the Winder clinic located at
610 Barrow Park Drive.
August clinic days include
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thurs
days and Fridays.
Prices are $85 for female
dogs over 25 lbs., $65 for
female dogs up to 25 lbs.,
$55 for male dogs and
female cats and $35 for male
cats. A $5 discount will be
given for any surgery patient
no older than 5 months (as
determined by Leftover Pets
veterinarian). All surgery
prices include a free rabies
vaccination. There are no
additional fees for in heat or
pregnant animals.
Financial assistance is
available for any low-income
Barrow County residents.
Appointments are required
and must be made by calling
800-978-5226.
Islam at the gate
Last week Islam and the Board of
Commissioners of Newton County. GA
crossed paths and added a local front to
the national scene which will only
draw more media attention in the
coming weeks.
Imam Mohammad Islam, rep
resenting the A1 Maad A1 Island
Mosque in Doraville, has proposed
a new mosque, cemetery, and per
haps, a school be built on 135
acres of land in Newton County.
The proposal was presented
last week to the county’s Board
of Commissioners. A fire storm
has since erupted after the com
missioners held some discussion,
citizens protested, and the com
missioners quickly tabled the request for
further review.
Newton County citizens have already
taken sides, the media is watching and the
Department of Justice may be involved
before this week is over.
The five mayors that represent Newton
County’s municipalities have also got
ten involved and want discussion. They
wrote the county commission basically
saying if the mosque development meets
current requirements, step out of the way
and authorize the proposal.
The mayors also suggested that the
board of commissioners set up meet
ings and discussions with leaders of the
proposed mosque to find some common
ground while moving forward if every
thing meets the county’s ordinances and
permitting processes.
Jay Bookman, a left leaning columnist
for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has
added his two cents worth (“Religious
freedom applies to us all”: August 28.
2016) in his recent Sunday column.
Bookman raises some strong points
in favor of the mosque, but then appears
to delight in throwing rocks and stones
at the citizens of Newton County. The
Atlanta writer wastes little time in point
ing out the intolerances of the citizens of
Newton County, some which, perhaps,
have some validity and some not.
My high school English teacher might
describe the Sunday column as bovaristic
in nature.
The fact of the matter is there does
need to be discussion by all parties.
Bookman points out in his column, that
here in America; we do have the right to
worship as we please. After making the
point, he then speaks about the citizens of
Newton County in a condescending man
ner based on some Face Book comments.
We realize that there is a large amount
of Islamic fear in our society and cul
ture. We have experienced the wrath of
the Islamic jihadist here in America and
overseas.
We have seen political correctness bash
Christianity but reach out with an open
hand to Islam.
We have observed the problems and
demands of the recent exodus from Syria
and Iraq into Europe.
While the debate continues, many
Americans are not clear on whether or
jimmy
terrell
not Islam actually promotes jihad. Verses
in the Koran seem to favor war, but many
Islamic followers disagree.
They claim Islam to be a
religion of peace, but we aren’t
seeing that in the Middle East,
in Europe, or even here on our
own shores.
For the most part, a large
number of Americans see the
Islamic culture as a closed soci
ety with one purpose — world
domination.
It appears that Muslims do
not wish to assimilate into our
western culture and it is slow, at
best, to assimilate into any host
country’s culture. That bothers
a lot of people, especially those con
cerned about the advancement of Sharia
law.
There are some major differences in
our law and Islamic law, especially.
It’s hard to believe two entirely dif
ferent court systems can exist running
parallel in a community or country, espe
cially when one (Sharia) has a different
set of values and even condones many
acts considered to be criminal under our
Constitution and rule of law.
It’s no secret that Sharia law has already
been established in several Muslim com
munities in this country. There are cur
rent legal conflicts in existence and the
U.S. Supreme Court will eventually be
forced to render a decision on which rale
of law is to be used.
That ruling will create many problems
regardless of the direction it takes.
Sharia law is guided by the Koran, the
Islamic Muslim’s holy book. There is a
major concern in this country today that
Muslims desire to live by their law and
not by the Constitution of the United
States.
In addition, available information from
law enforcement sources suggests the
Muslim Brotherhood (MB) organization
has a plan to transform America into an
Islamic state.
The MB has set up a vast network
of operatives in the current Washington
administration, as well as throughout
other sectors of the country, all aimed at
advancing “Civilization Jihad” inside the
United States. One of its primary orga
nizations is the Council on American-Is-
lamic Relations (CAIR).
We don’t know what relationships exist
between the Imams (Islamic religious
leaders), the mosques, and the Muslim
Brotherhood or the jihadist movements
here in this country and abroad.
We haven’t forgotten 9-11. we can’t
trust Iran, devout Islamists are at war
with each other, and quite frankly many
find Islam to be pushy and demanding.
We can’t deny the concern of the peo
ple. Neither can we deny the religious
freedom granted by our Constitution and
the Bill of Rights.
Jimmy Terrell is a retired law enforce
ment official. He can be reached at
ejterrell65 @ gmail. com.
August 31,2016 ~ Crossword Puzzle
Place your Classified
online at
MainStreetNews.com
Headmaster’s
Corner
by
Steve Cummings
cs
KAEPERNICK - When I
heard that pro football quar
terback Colin Kaepemick re
fused to stand for the National
Anthem, my first thought was
- if you don’t like it here, why
don’t you move to Canada. At
$19 million a year, you can
afford to move.
The ironic thing, of course,
is that hundreds of thousands
of Americans have died so
that an individual has the right
to show the ultimate disre
spect for America by refusing
to stand for the Anthem.
As a result of God’s kind
providence, we are still the
greatest Country on earth. At
ACS, we start each day with
the Pledge of Allegiance.
Watching Kaepernick’s ac
tions made me reflect on how
blessed I am to live here.
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
Across
1. Computer info
5. Write a shared online journal
9. Kind of approval
12. Candidate’s concern
14. Morocco’s capital
16. Carbonium, e.g.
17. Reminder of mortality (2 wds)
19. “Baloney!”
20. Smoke out
21. Members of Parliament
23. Bergman in “Casablanca”
25. Flight data, briefly
26. Officers’ quarters on a warship
30. Moisture-absorbing body powders
32. A pint, maybe
33. Representative
35. Marine
37. Bohemian, e.g.
39. Victorian, for one
40. Arid
41. Ridge of land forced upwards
between two faults
43. Go over
46. Moray, e.g.
47. Slap target, sometimes
49. Exploded artillery shell fragments
51. Eastern pooh-bah
52. Bolted
53. Manitoba’s capital
57. Kind of seat
61. Monopolize
62. Expressing profound respect
64. Absorbed, as a cost
65. Father, Son and Holy Ghost
66. One of the Barbary States
67. Bit
68. Coaster
69. Whimper
Down
1. Kind of store
2. Financial page heading
3. Pack (down)
4. Ancient (hyphenated)
5. “My man!”
6. Follower of Mary
7. “0” in old radio lingo
8. January’s birthstone
9. Decorative, protective
object on a hearth (2 wds)
10. It may get into a jamb
11. Aardvark fare
13. Check
15. It’s always sold in mint
condition (2 wds)
18. Join securely
22. Meteorological effects
24. White Cliffs of
26. Cleanse with water
27. Grant
28. Put into a new order
29. Conventions
31. Bender
34. Marina sight
36. Unload, as stock
38. Gesture made with index
and middle fingers (2 wds)
42. Casual top (2 wds)
44. Ascended
45. Bring up
48. Slender candles
50. Repressed (hyphenated)
53. “Come again?”
54. Bit
55. “...there is no angel
but Love”: Shakespeare
56. Characteristic carrier
58. Hokkaido native
59. Detective, at times
60. “... or !”
63. Cabernet, e.g.
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