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Could Focus have saved jobs?
November 17th, 2008, 1:52 pm · 7 Comments · posted by Barb Cotter
The question is bound to come up: Could Focus have taken the $500,000-plus donation it gave to support California’s anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8 to spare some or all of the 200 or so employees who are losing their jobs?
This is something our reporter, Bill Reed, asked today (Nov. 17) at a press conference where Focus announced it is laying off 149 people and not filling 53 vacant jobs. This comes on top of another 46 layoffs announced in October.
We were under the impression – erroneously, it turned out — that the $500,000 sent in support of Prop 8 came from Focus’ political arm, Focus on the Family Action. But Focus officials said today that money came out of Focus’ general budget, because of California campaign laws, and was budgeted for such activities, not payroll.
Even if that money had been reallocated to keep some employees on, Focus said donations are down and expected to get worse. For an organization that relies solely on donations, how far could that $500,000 have gone before layoffs had to kick in anyway? We’re not taking sides, defending or criticizing Focus or trying to answer the question; we’re just asking, and would love to hear your thoughts on this.
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Ok, are Barb Cotter and Barna married? They seem to have the anti-religion blog cornered on the market!
The whole thing that needs to be considered, and could certainly be seen by ANYONE really wanting to know the truth is, that this $500,000-plus in donations that Focus gace to support the very important Proposition 8 was money given by their doners SPECIFICALLY in support of this proposition! And it would have been VERY wrong for them to have kept this money for themselves to save these people’s jobs! And if they HAD kept the money, I am sure either Barb or Barna would be here today telling people how GREEDY Focus was for doing THAT too! Knowing the facts, this should have never been an issue at all!
To answer your first question: No, Mark Barna and I are not married. I’m his editor. And whether we’re anti-religious — or devoutly religious — is something we try hard not to convey in what we write.
The question about saving jobs today stems from a lot of the comments we get on almost any story we do on Focus, namely: Why don’t they spend money on such-and-such? We were anticipating that kind of question with regards to the layoff, and were trying to address it pre-emptively. As I wrote in the post, we’re not criticizing or defending Focus; we’re merely asking what people think. And you were very clear about what you think: They used the money in accordance with their mission.
The story indicates a budget reduction of 22 million or so. The half million may have supported 10 to 15 jobs. I would expect that when the economy turns around, Focus will be anxious to hire again, but they have to be realistic about the immediate future.
I haven’t lived in Colorado for thirty years, but it seems that ever since the Jebus crazies took over Colorado Springs the state has been on the slide. Now the election results show that the good folks of the Rocky Mountain State have found your senses again.
Now the Über bigots at FoF can’t con enough little old ladies out of their social security checks to keep Snake Handler in Chief Dobson in Cuban cigars and Caddys. I hate so see anyone lose their job in this republican depression, but humility can be learned by living on unemployment and food stamps. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch of con men.
It’s too bad that so many are losing their jobs but I so hope Dobson goes completely ouf of business.
Wow – lots of hatred here but no worries, Christians are used to it and bracing for more. The economy is affecting every business across the country. To hand-wring and/or pontificate about the whys and wherefores of what happened at FOF is pointless. Things are bad in the US and will most definitely get worse.
Joy, Dobson is a pharisee and pharisees can’t be Christians.