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Subscribe to RSSFamilies of victims of the Aurora Colorado movie shooting held a press conference expressing anger over how millions of dollars raised through donations and fundraisers have been dispersed.
The families of victims of the Colorado movie theater massacre said Tuesday at an emotionally charged news conference that although a fund intended to help them had raised more than $5 million, they had been shut out of the decision-making process.
Family members in Aurora, Colo., tearfully decried what they called state officials' and the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance's lack of leadership and organization. They accused fundraisers of failing to give them a voice in determining what to do with the money already donated to the fund, despite using photographs of the victims in their fundraising efforts.
Group spokesman Tom Teves, whose aspiring psychiatrist son Alex Teves, 24, was killed in the attack, pleaded on behalf of the group for urgent financial help and for more of a role in the process.
“We come to speak as one voice,” Teves said. “We are here because we want the public to know what has happened within days of the shooting.”
Other victims' relatives said that COVA's disorganization had left them all in the dark about the fund and deprived them of a much-needed sense of community.
"Every desire that we have has to come under a microscope," said the mother of one victim, responding to a question about the particular financial needs of victims' families. Deidra Brooks, whose 19-year-old son Jarell was recovering from his wounds from the July 20 shooting rampage, said that scrutiny had added insult to injury.
"It's more than a slap in the face. It's going through the 20th over and over and over," she said.
Teves said money had been solicited for The Aurora Victim Relief Fund using the names and pictures of those slain. "I am certain that the public intended 100 percent of those donations to go to the families of victims, and to use that money to help the healing process," Teves said. "Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case."
Teves said the families believed the funds would help all the victims, who Teves said included people in the theater or in the shooter’s apartment complex who suffered physically or emotionally.
The 12 who were killed included 18-year-old recent high school graduate AJ Boik, Air Force cyber-systems operator Jesse Childress, aspiring sportscaster Jessica Ghawi, community college student Micayla Medek and mother of two Rebecca Wingo.
Alexander Teves, Matt McQuinn, U.S. Navy veteran Jonathan Blunk and Navy sailor John Larimer all died shielding their friends or girlfriends.
NBC News
Tom Teves speaks at a press conference as other family members of the theater shooting victims look on Tuesday in Aurora, Colo.
The massacre's oldest victim was 51-year-old Gordon Cowden, whose teen children survived it, and its youngest was 6-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan, who had just learned to swim. Alex Sullivan, no relation to Veronica Moser-Sullivan, was celebrating his 27th birthday and his first wedding anniversary on the night he was killed.
Watch US News videos on NBCNews.com
The conference came as lawyers in the murder case against accused gunman James Holmes wrangled over what should be made public.
Holmes is accused of unleashing the July 20 shooting rampage at an Aurora movie theater. Police say the 24-year-old, wearing body armor and a gas mask and heavily armed, opened fire on an audience of the opening night of "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 and injuring 58.
Police apprehended Holmes, who had recently withdrawn as a neuroscience Ph.D student from the University of Colorado, outside the theater and said they later removed explosives from his booby-trapped apartment.
Thanks to a court-imposed gag order, little has been publicly said about the case — despite the intensity of prosecutors' legal battle with defense lawyers, who maintain Holmes is mentally ill, over access to his university and medical records.
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Prosecutors want access to Holmes' school records as well as to the contents of a package he sent to his psychiatrist, Dr. Lynne Fenton. News reports citing anonymous sources indicated that package contained a notebook with writings that reportedly described a violent attack.
Defense lawyers argue the contents of the package are privileged, as Holmes' confidential communication with his doctor, and say Holmes is mentally ill.
In the weeks following the shooting, details of Holmes' past have slowly trickled out but have left victims' families few clues as to a motive.
The New York Times reported Sunday that weeks before the massacre, Holmes had text messaged a classmate about a psychiatric condition common in patients with bipolar disorder and had warned her to stay away from him, saying, "I am bad news."
Prosecutors said in court filings that in May he had shown another classmate a semiautomatic pistol he had bought "for protection" and that in March he had told another that he wanted to kill people "when his life was over."
A hearing on the question of access to the contents of the package Holmes mailed to Dr. Fenton is scheduled for Thursday, and Fenton is expected to testify.
Sevil Omer of NBC News contributed to this report.
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This is so heartbreaking and sad for all those families of the dead and injured. May justice be served and be swift to help these families. The entire country mourns you losses.....
your off base
I'm confused about details on who is in charge of this money and the rules governing its distribution.
You would think they would help to pay for burying the dead, that gets expensive real quick.. just saying its the least they should do
Money. It always comes down to money-grubbing idiots. NO dollar amount eases a loss. Unless the deceased was the primary income winner, it's digusting that there is any whining and crying about money at all. The people of this country are in a sad, sad state. Why are there even people raising money from such an appalling event? WTF is wrong with our morality today? People would rather throw money at these things rather than actually change them.
That is the problem with professional organizations asking for donations. The Red Cross scandal after 9/11 is a good case in point, then, Clinton seems to have 'lost' all that money that was donated to help after the Haiti earthquake. I don't donate unless I know the group and am assured that the money will go to help the victims rather than pad the pockets of CEO's, politicans and organization flunkeys.
JS69 - Have you ever had to pay for a funeral? Or medical bills? Or lost out on work taking care of a sick family member? Ever needed to pay legal fees? The families are not trying to get rich. They're just trying to pay for mountain of expenses.
It is human to want to give money to people who have gone through a tragedy. No one can bring back the dead. All we can do is show support and give help where it's needed. This is not the same thing as filing a lawsuit, in which people try to get millions for their losses or damages. This is simply a victim's fund, set up to help out with the financial part of the crisis.
Wow read the article @JS69 ... ITS ABOUT MONEY GOING TO ALL THE VICTIMS NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT DIED.... FOR MENTAL SUPPORT , FUNERALS and THE KIDS OF THE PARENTS WHO DIED.. ITS NOT MONEY GRUBBING PEOPLE WANTING TO RIDE AROUND IN SPORTS CARS!!! 100% of the funds need to go to all the people and its not panning out to be 100%.... The money grubbing people are the ones running these funds.. Do you think the people donating money wanted it to go to a CEO of the fund or more advertisements depicting their dead relatives?
No way are politicians and other greedy bastiches going to let a fund with upwards of $5 million get dispersed properly. Everyone wants a cut, especially those entitled to none of it.
myspellcheckerisbroken.....Love the Johnny Dangerously reference
I can not believe that the people n the apartment complex who were inconvenienced for a few days are trying to lay claim to funds intended to help the victims. These money grubbing azzholes are a disgrace. The victims are those who were injured and killed by this maniac and their families. For those in the theater who were not injured and need some counseling their health insurance will cover it. They do not need to go after victim assistance money. The money should go to help cover funeral costs and medical expenses not covered by insurance. If it was the families wage earner who was killed then money should be used to help them get by. The money should not be seen as a windfall for someone who has no real needs just because they happened to be there or were peripherally affected by this tragedy.
Yahoo has a far better piece on this...out of the 5 million 350,000 was divied up in 5,000 dollar increments and given to 70 of the victims families living and dead,another 100,000 went to 10 non profit groups ,but for what purpose and why is not clear. It sounds as if it's the 100,000 that's in question,though i'm really not sure why the family spokes people would want to give money to residents of the apartment building this guy lived in.
That really makes no sense to me and if they are concerned with misappropriation of funds meant for true victims of this shooting that seems to be a great place to start with fraudulant demands for money no one is owed! Give some nobody in the building some money just because the guy lived upstairs? And how in the name of God could you weed out the legitimate claims from all the fraudulant ones coming from an entire apartment complex?
I have no idea what their particular beef is with the fund. There are no examples given about what is happening with it, how the process is supposed to work or how much has been distributed thus far. Terrible article.
I am constantly amazed at how many people, especially in today's economy, will hand over their money to these charitable foundations (especially ones that pop up after a tragic event) not knowing how the money is going to be spent.
Spellchecker........I like "bastiches" I will probably steal it and use it someday.
The victims are those who were shot and those that died. Not the people living in his apartment complex. If the bombs had gone off it would be a different story. I don't think I'm entitled to victim assistence money because I have to leave my place because of a police action as long as it remains in one piece. For that matter we would be paying everyone who has to evacuate for whatever reason.
Not to be insensitive. What makes these folks different than the innocent people that are murdered daily at the hands of criminals? Store clerks, taxi drivers, etc.
Maybe they are waiting for the medical bills, yes this was donation not so people could party but to take the financial burden off of them, I'm sure the medical cost will be staggering. This is just common sense which people seem to lack today, I don't care how many years people go to school if your not smart you will never learn to be smart.
Pretty mediocre story there Sam and Sevil. The majority of the story has little to do with the title you gave it. What's with that? And it took two of you to come up with this?
It's sad for the victims and their families though. If this fund operates like others I've read about I would guess that those administrating it will reward themselves nicely before any funds are released for burial costs, medical costs and psychological counseling. Not unlike many supposed charity funds where the victims get only pennies on the dollar.
Not a thing Spike..other than it's a windfall situation for fund raisers who don't have to build a story around the crime and the victims of the crime in order to justify asking for the money. Their work is already done by the media,all they have to do is walk in with a good speil about their particular orginization and hold their hands out.
Hey what a minute the lawyers get their 35% and then the rest is given out.
Concerning the "non profit" Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance
Interesting 990 ...
Previous year of course
http://www.sos.state.co.us/ccsa/View990.do?ceId=89072&formPdf=http%3A%2F%2F207.153.189.83%2FEINS%2F840972509%2F840972509_2010_07e48e64.PDF&org.apache.struts.taglib.html.TOKEN=0c51251ec2920931cb10feed2e10dc12&fein=840972509
Agree with you JS in SD 100%
If they could keep the lawyers out of it, everyone who deserved compensation would get what they deserve. However, as long as there are lawyers involved, most of those victims families will get what is left over.
Spike, agree with you 100%. Had my father and brother die shortly before the 9/11 attacks. We got nothing, if they had been killed on 9/11 at one of the sites, then we would have gotten lots of money from the government. What about people that died on 9/11, but were hit by a cab or shot on the streets of NYC? They get nothing, but if you happened to be at the WTC and die, then your family gets lots?
I don't know how to feel about this article. On the one hand you want the money to go to the victims and their families. On the other hand, when it comes to that kind of money you can't just go giving it out all willy nilly. People who were just walking by probably believe that they deserve a few hundred thousand.
I don't know if I would have chosen those exact words, but this is also the kind of things the organization has to look out for. People who just want a piece of the money. People who say, dont' pay my bills just give me the money and I'll pay them, I promise. So, while I hope that the families affected by this tragedy get the money that they need, I can understand the precautions with just handing out money.
This is a very poorly written article. I can't tell from the article what the people are objecting to. All the article says is that the victims and families are upset because they feel the controllers of the fund are disorganized and then goes into the trial and defense which has nothing to do with the headline of the article. It is unclear whether the victims are upset because they have not received money, because the money has been unfairly distributed, because they think those who live in the apartment complex are getting some of the money, or because the directors of the funds are using the money for themselves. If you want to inform us about this situation, you will have to be less vague about exactly what the issue is. This is terrible journalism, and your editors need to do a better job of editing.
mygirl1 brings up a great question. What happened to the Haitian donations? Clinton's Swiss bank accounts maybe? Does anyone account for these funds? Apparently not and victims suffer again.
Nothing new - a fight over money.
This is sickening. Meanwhile the POS responsible is sitting in a nice air conditioned cell, 3 meals a day and a cot.
It's truly hopeless to ask for anymore heartlight...i've thought about this for a while now and have finally figured out i think what these horribly vacant pieces are all about. It's the speed in which information is passed over the Internet. Rather than waiting long enough to get a clear understanding of the story...they rush to get out what little information they have incomplete or not in order to to stay up with the pace of other orginizations. Once the story is posted they constantly revise it as the information comes in. To me,that is about as irresponsible as it gets! Doing this and knowing that a great majority of people do not search for facts much further than the quickest most accesible read placed before them,which means a great throng of ill informed people are then running around attempting to inform even less informed souls than they are! This is not journalism in any proffesional sense at all!
Huge fail on these peoples part.
First, and most important, the money should be doled out to those with a clear financial need. Funeral expences and uncovered medical bills should top that list. Since some are still in the hospital I would imagine not all, maybe not even most medical bills are in yet so no money goes out until that need is covered.
Second, money to agencies providing counseling or other care will be next. However, great care needs to be made to ensure we are talking about actual victims. Sorry to say, there are unscupulous people out there who will try to bill for somebody who saw it on tv and is traumatized. Whenever there is a fund there is a crook waiting to take advantage of it.
Third, children or other dependent familial survivors need to be taken care of now that their parent and/or caregiver is gone. Heck, this may need to be number 2.
After those three things are taken care of it is very unlikely anything else will be left. No way family members should have a say about how the money is spent. 9/11 showed that no group of survivors is capable of making a joint decision. Let disinterested parties make the decisions.
@KeenInsight
I'm sure everyone shares your confusion including those who are actually in charge of it.
THIS is the reason some of us want less regulation, less government (at all levels) and fewer bureaucrats. Note that I did not call out for there to be none of those things, just LESS.
JS69--since you have never been in a situaltion like that as I have, perhaps you should just shut your mouth.
After reading this article I find it short on specifics as to what is going on with the money. Maybe NBC could do a little investigative reporting.
@ JS in SD
You assume they all have health insurance that will cover counseling? Even those who have health insurance often have no coverage for emotional/psychological problems. They certainly might just need to go after victim's assistance funds. The money isn't just for funeral expenses or uncovered physical medical injury; it's for all injuries.
@spike-322306
Nothing really. No crime or death should be considered worse or more worthy of help than another. It's public perception and the media exposure. It's kind of like how we tend to fawn over a family who uses IVF, has seven or eight babies at once, and can't afford to raise them, but a family who has seven or eight children one after another, but can't afford to raise them receives nothing. The first family is often given anything and everything (vans, houses, education funds, supplies, etc.); the second is considered irresponsible. Or how the media gets obsessively focused on one missing child for months or years on end. Makes me wonder if the parents of every other child missing or murdered during that time feel anger on top of unbelievable grief.
Mostly it seems that if a situation is sensationalized, society considers it important. If it's just one person or family, it's nothing but a blip on the back page.
It seems like the greater problem is that people are donating money without checking into how the money will be used. If $5 million has been donated for the victims, then that's who it should be go to with only a reasonable and small percentage used to cover the expense of administering the funds.
These people are acting like they won Powerball Lottery. Who the hell do they think they are?
A guy was shot three times in a store's parking lot near my home......there was no *fund* for him. There has been a string of home invasions in my city over the past week.....no *fund* for those folks.
Because your suffering happens in a large group, you think you are entitled to a payday. BULL@!$%#.
So this is the mindset which has made America a lost @!$%#ing cause.
@ KeenInsight - The Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance's.
Gtouch, I am glad you liked it, but I can't take credit for it. As Bullet45 pointed out, it was a Johnny Dangerously reference. I don't know if you have seen the movie, but I was torn between bastiches and "fargin ice holes". There were some other pretty good ones from that movie as well.
js 69..are you stupid because of an accident or something or were you born that way when they dropped you on your head at birth? i hope somewhere down the line tragedy strikes you or yours than you can open your stupid f-ing mouth and make dumb comments as you have..f-ing troll.
Rontron,
You are correct. I too was wondering why the article had little information and then half way through the article they went totally off-subject by switching to reporting on the criminal facts of the case against the shooter. WTF? The article was supposed to be about the victims assistance fund and in the way it is being handled, or am I wrong?
Amazing. All the negative comments about the money raised for these families. Do you realize that most of you have a half-empty-cup. Why can't you look for the good in things that people do and have a half-full-cup. Sure there are crooks in fund raising, but it will come back on them, that's a proven fact. Just be grateful that there are people with big enough hearts to donate and hope the funds will be used appropriately. My heart felt thanks goes out to those that gave out of faith. Simple faith. To you that criticize at every turn...and curse others and wish evil on them...beware, the very thing you wish on others may come back on you.
@rontron,
I'm with you. That was about the worst article I've ever read from NBC. It just ends about the fund controversy and goes on about batman for brains.
JS69 you're beyond clueless. This is about 10's of 1000's of medical bills. Not everyone in this world has health insurance (thank God for Obama that might soon change). This is about people needing help to pay for bills that they can't possibly pay. And people, caring giving people, unlike selfish, ignorant, hateful people like you...want to help. They understand that if they were in the same position they would appreciate the help also. So crawl back under your rock of ignorance and hatred.
Funny to read how the lottery winners are complaining about their winnings and they aren't even the ones who took a bullet.
MRZ,
i read and re read it and i still dont know WTF!!!!
so this is what i gather.
the 5 million raised, the families of the dead wanted say in what happens too it.
ok i kinda see that.
but it reads that the money was for the people in the apartment complex and people at the movie theater.
NOT just the dead people. so where is 5 million going?
this article didnt explain any of that!!!
5 million for 18 dead people is alot, but they said people at the movie complex ans apartments, that could be a couple hundred people!!!!
the hospitals waived the charges for the movie incident, so doctor bills are non existent!!
money= root of all evil!!!
JS in SD as usual you have NO clue what you're talking about. Not everyone of these people HAS health insurance so NO...their insurance will NOT pay for their counseling and therapy. Yet another talking out of your ass post from you....which is the norm.... you are truly clueless about what these people are going through. Also, people were out of their apartments for days....not just a few hours...and therefore had to pay for hotel rooms, etc to live in during that time. So get your head out of your ass and educate yourself before you spout your usual ignorant diatribes .... as you always do. You know I never wish bad things on people...but I am beginning to hope that someday you go through something similar to this, then maybe you'll get out from behind your computer where all you do is lash out at people and act like you're so much better than everyone else....when in reality... you're so much worse.... you're heartless and clueless.
Always, follow the money.
chris-335678 and BlueDevilBasher.... Such heartless and stupid comments.....these people don't think they won the lottery...they are looking for help for their loved ones or loved ones families......apparently you are both independently wealthy and wouldn't need any help...sadly, everyone is not in that position. Yes, the families of those who were victims should have a say in how the money is spent..since it was donated FOR THEM in the first place.
People can donate to anything anytime they choose....things like this touch people deeply....so they donate money to try and help........noone has a right to tell them when or to whom/what they choose to help....at least they are doing something.....my God the two of you sound so jealous and bitter......
Okay, most poster do not even seem to be aware of what really is going on here. COVA is a general Colorado association for collecting and distributing funds to victims in general across all of Colorado. The victims, and associated victims from the Aurora shootings are just a fraction of those who they designate these funds for.
The real problem is that COVA has probably confused many contributors into thinking that they were donating to a fund specifically for the Aurora victims, which is not the case. It has nothing to do with whether or not someone was killed there, or otherwise a victim of the shootings. That is why the Red Cross issue was brought up, as the same thing happened many years ago when the donations mainly intended for a specific disaster were channeled into general Red Cross funds, and not distributed as the donors intended.
As usual this has arisen from a very poorly written blog-type article, which is very confusing at best. in that they present a number of facts, but tie them together in a very crude and unintelligible manner.
They planned the scimm for their low lifed self,no regards only to pad their pockets
when others have died,satanic mentality!
They are all the same. United Way, Red Cross, politicians, preachers, ministers, priests. Even individuals who sprung up, like the musician Wycliffe Jean who ripped off all the Haiti relief funds he got.
Now we are about to give the Mormon Cult control of the biggest military and economy in the world.
See, Obama has a small network of Chicago Jews in his posse, as compared to this massive network Romney is riding with.
See, Jews do not consume pig, Mormon do not drink coffee.
My mama always say, "Never trust a politician who does not drink coffee"
Yes the money should go to pay hospital bills for the injured and for furneral costs, but not for the college educations for the children left behind or anything like that. Some of these people are just being unreal. What they want to sit on their butts while they "recover" emotionally? And get a check. No
JS69:
Come on JS69, we are waiting patiently to your rebuff of the comments made about your first comment. Have a change of heart (doubt it) or were you backed into a corner because of your heartless and morally deficient comment? Could be you're just another coward just trolling to see how much damage you can do while you wank to the comments against you too!
It's all about greed, family member is lost in a tragedy and the survivor clamor for a hand off - how truly pathetic. The new norm in the US since 9/11 how sad
This should be against the law. There should be no one making money off someone else's heart aches and that is exactly what this organization is doing. They need to tell everyone how much money was donated and every penny of it should go to the victims and only the victims and their immediate family. This idea that some of it needs to be used for management of the funds is ludicrous. They should be put in jail for embezzlement if nothing else.
Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance
90 Galapago Street • Denver, Colorado 80223
303-eight61-one160 • 1 800-two61-two682
The ONLY person who is financially responsible to the victims and their families (of the shooting--apartment complex--give me a break) is James Holmes - period. It's not you, I, the Theater, the gun owner, the person who sold him his car, the college he attended, his psychiatrist - NO ONE ELSE'S responsibility to give a dime to anyone--just James Holmes.
And they'll never get a penny out of him, so they will go after anyone else to be compensated.
While I feel for the victims and their families, what makes them believe they have the right to money from anyone, including a relief fund?
Do they realize that once the names of the victims and photo's (provided by the families by the way) were released publicly they became fair game. Anyone could use their name/photo to set up any website to solicit donations through a paypal account overseas, take the $$ and disappear with no trace?
And I totally agree with Ternan - the suvivors are not ENTITLED to anything from anyone EXCEPT JAMES HOLMES. That is solely where the blame lies but since they won't get anything out of him, then it's on to everyone else.
I think any type of relief fund should go to funeral/burial expenses and any expenses related to care that are not covered by insurance--period--no other funds should be used for anything else. That's what life insurance is for--why is anyone else reponsible to give them money?
Simple--greed, now I can live the easy life. And don't think some of them are thinking exactly that once they got past their grief--who can I make pay now--literally.
so its become a all about the money and nothing about the victims how pathetic - the families are simply gold digging parasites more concerned about grabbing their fair share than the loss of their so-called loved one
Majority of the fund 60% will used to pay for charity chief organizer, about 15 % will be distributed for victims, 20 % for staff, 15% for other expenses such as media, mailing. Just like any other sham charity created after major tragedy this is one could be one of them apparently, since none have received assistance after 2 months.
I am with Kimbo on this one..
However, this fund I think is a general fund for Colorado. I think they used these folks pictures and stories to bump up the donations, because it was a fresh tragedy.. It said in the article (from what I could gather from the information) the 501(c)3 received 5.5 million based off donations for this tragedy but were only going to give 5,000 dollars to each person from the tragedy.
Disgusting pigs to use a tragedy to gain more money and not give it to the rightful people, what's worse are people who blindly donate. Good intentions, bad outcome. I say the families sue the hell out of these morons for using their loved ones names and images to gain their "charity" more money, that they had no intentions of giving to the people who the funds were donated for.
Get over yourself, people. Have you no fuking pride.
Money always bring out the worst in people and draws in the undesirable.
Pride and Dignity is priceless and that's all you have and it should be held above everything else.
Hmmmmm, lemme see.
$5 million divided by 70 victims = $71,428.57 each.
Your welcome.
Hundreds of black American children are killed because Mexicans are poisoning American society with THEIR DRUGS . Does anyone care?
COVA is a gubmint agency. Google can find them for you. This explains the disorganization and ineffectiveness. COVA saw on the news there was a tragedy. So COVA went out and solicited funds from the public using the tragedy as it's advertising feature. COVA either did or did not promise it would give the money to the victims. Most likely they did not. But if they did, they are still a gubmint agency and they can change their monds anytime. The donors assumed COVA would give it to the vitims because the tragedy was their feature on their solicitation. So the victims assumed they would benefit and be able to control the distribution. COVA did not publish it's distribution decision making process. So the victims and everyone else can go into overdrive assuming this and assuming that and then get all upset when their assumptions are not fullfilled. IF COVA were a 501-c-3 they'd be investigated and probably someone would get charged. But gubmint agencies can do these things and no effective correction is ever taken because it requires another set of gubmint employees to do the right thing. Patronage jobs and socially engineered jobs are never populated with people who know what the right thing is. Now that COVA has shown their true character the people of Colorado should never give them another dime. Perhaps a long time from now they will be disbanded. The Salvation Army in Aurora or the churches they belong to, or your own church would be the better bet for helping these people.
JS69
Idiot
imrightnotyou, eat a bowl of d***. Truth hurts, I guess. You go in the moron pile.
And gtouch, the word 'bastiches' is already stolen. Roman Moroni said it in the movie "Johnny Dangerously."
I hate to tell you Menoseeno,but it ceases to be "their" drugs after the money changes hands. Do you care that "black American"dope dealers are buying the mexican drugs? And after buying those drugs are reselling them to "black American "children? The same could be said for "white American" drug dealers and "white American" children as well. The point is monseeno..no pay,no play!! So if "you" are so concerned with this...then you should concern yourself far less with the Mexicans and far more with those "Americans" who are buying the drugs from the Mexicans and redistributing them(at a hefty profit) to the "American" children.
In the meantime..how about not pushing this completely irrelevant crap off on people who are discussing an entirely different story!
JS 69
Im sorry i should say misinformed idiot.
And just to be clear im posting this on the vine as well.
I spoke directly with COVA so i do have first hand dick in my mouth moron pile. Read my post................
Your Neil Armstrong comments show your lack of research.
You have only been a member since 2008.
No one agrees with you and your comments are regularly closed down by the community.
It's a shame in your circle your fluttering friends close you down as well.
Go hide under your social media cover.
I have read your posts from the past and i have to say it's not half bad for a 5th grader.
NOW GO TELL YOUR MOMMY HOW UPSET YOU ARE AND HIDE UNDER YOUR PILLOW UNTIL THE NEXT RACIST COMMENT SOMEONE TELLS YOU TO POST.
SINCE YOUR LACK OF any ORIGINAL COMMENTS BLARE OUT ON THIS VINE.
BRO!!!!!
if you can respond beyond a 3 word asterisk blast it would be amazing.
HAHAAHAHAHAHHAh
@Hunt
That was perfectly said, BRAVO!!!!
imrightnotyou, your wit is only surpassed by your narcissistic rage. Two points:
1. Yes, you rock the newsvine world with your insightful and awe-inspiring comments. How you manage to do this and STILL make the best dang fries this side of the Mississippi is amazing.
2. You are not really the wizard you play in World of Warcraft.
Sorry for the late rebuttal. The responsibilities of life, family, and a job don't allow me to hover in cyberworld in mom's basement for hours and days on end. You're so lucky, huh?
It's annoying to see stupid ass comments about 'lawyers getting their large share' of this fund. Show me a lawyer who can legally claim part of a victim relief fund. I dare you. All a bunch of you folk have done is sat back and concocted elaborate scenarios about where the money is really going. Show me where this money is being misspent. Again, I dare you. As for bitching about the same guy administrating this fund as did the 9/11 one, ask yourself, would you rather have some new guy try to run it? Contrary to some of the comments, nothing about this fund is kept in the dark. Those families are simply bitching because they want to be able to take control and hand out the money quicker and to more people. Let them have it. It will be gone in a few days and we won't have to deal with it any longer. Then the people who needed it and were unable to get a share before people miles away made their claims can sue each other.
I want to hear from the living victims, not their families...I want to know EXACTLY what they saw...most likely a false flag attack...condolences to the family.
Damn America is getting more stupid.
False flag? What are you baiting for a response or trolling? Are you nutz? You may be baffling some with your BS but not all of us. Keep this non sense to your covert ops club forum ya wanker.
2nd assault rifle and 2nd gas mask found at other end of theater and 2 shooters were seen...enlighten me how it was not...prove me otherwise...who the hell did he call before the shooting...they don't tell us everything...I would expect those responses from sheeple...figures
@Shurbud...They actually saw Barack H Obama with the 'The Mask' on and his right arm a plethora of automatic weapons but Will Smith and T L Jones flashed a light in their eyes and they forgot everything. That should be a sufficient explanation for ya.
Oh puuuuhlleesse....you watch too much Ann Coulter
Somebody is putting salt-peter in your dog chow Sherbud...
Wisconsin, what was the point of your post? Not funny, not cute, just demeaning and did you not good service, made you look foolish and hateful.
Sherbud- All you guys with the false flag stuff call the rest of us sheeple. But have you ever questioned that crap that you here on talk radio and the websites that you visit? I was ready to get into that stuff until I started writing down the predictions of false flag scenarios that never happened. Now they wait til something happens and months later, when they get their story straight, they call it a false flag and there you are with your ears wide open to receive the nonsense.
Alex Jones makes money off your fear. It is a busuness. Coast2Coast is entertainment. Wake up. You and others like you are the sheeple.
@Skyparrot - Please pay attention. WiDad was posting AT Shurbud, who ran into the discussion with a talk radio tinfoil hat on.
I am appalled by the greed for money the families of the dead seem to be showing. Money for what!?
My younger son was 28 when was killed while legally crossing the street in Los Angels. The killer was a young Japanese girl, visiting her wealthy uncle, a businessman here. She was learning how to drive the Mercedes he gave her, and was exceeding the speed limit as well as driving without a license (which no one evidently had told her about).
Need I try to tell you of my grief? The loss of my brilliant, gifted son, an artist beginning a fine arts career that had already received encouraging recognition? My family wanted me to sue her and I refused. Ambulance chasing lawyers inundated me with phone calls telling me I should sue. I refused.
I couldn't bear the idea that I should "make money" from my son's death.
So, perhaps you might understand why I voted "no" on the yes/no spot quiz with the article about the losses to families whose loved ones were lost to them. I was only one of 2% voting "no." There were 97% of you voting "yes." So 97% of you people think money is a fair equity for your children's loss?
I don't. Not one penny. Instead, I suggest you might find that what was suggested to me was what really helped me deal with my son death, and it was not against the foolish 17-year-old foreign girl who really didn't understand what life sometimes throws at us.... but to find a way where I could help, somehow, others like me.
Bribing the families is repugnant to me. This fund, I understand, was donated to "help" the families. It isn't their money, it is funds of sympathy and help, and should be administered by representatives of the donors, not by the families themselves.
When my son was brought back to our home north of Los Angeles, with a memorial service at the Mission in the town where my kids were born and raised, I was drawn by friends to work as a volunteer helping others with losses of loved ones that tear their heart out. Neither Bribery nor Punishment of any who caused the accident could somehow hack it.
When is this culture of ours today going to accept that money never buys freedom from the pain of a loved one's loss. It is the lowest form of bribery. Nor do any of us have the right to decide on some sort of Punishment against the perps.
The victims? You think we are the victims? No, our loved ones are the victims. We are the survivors. Our loved ones are gone. Our job is not to be bribed for our loss. Our job is to weep for them and keep them in our hearts, and then find a path, a road, a doing of something decent that memorializes them with dignity.
Getting paid for their death is, to me, disgusting.
Heartsquest - I am sorry for the loss of your son, and I most truly respect the decision you made not to sue anyone over it.
The Blame Game is destroying our integrity as individuals and as a society. You have offered a much better option for those who have lost someone they love to a tragedy. Doing something to help others and to honor your loved one is a way to HEAL. It would seem that some people don't seek healing, but rather, choose to take part in the blame game, seeking notoriety and money. There is no healing in that.
Thanks for your heartfelt post, and peace to you.
I'm hoping this was just a temporary moment of retardation on your part. It would be pretty damn pathetic if you actually believed your own bull@!$%#.
No. How about YOU show ME this 2nd gas mask/assault rifle? Oh and try and use something other than intelhub or infowars. People might actually listen if you do.
Whoever is collecting the money, find out where it is going to. Could be fraudulent or a scam and they need to be arrested. Either that, they may still be trying to sort out everything before they disburse the monies.
What is like 60% go to overhead costs and admin's salaries and only 40% or less goes to the real victims..... hear it all the time. That's why I never donate to these causes. I rather give the money directly and avoid the middlemen.
Divide it up equally among the families of the dead and wounded, that will be the end of it. People bitching because they feel they're entitled to charity, typical liberal mindset...
Rv: what makes you feel it was a liberal mindset;;; You know that the right wingers are the cheapest bas*asd going......
RV you have no idea if those seeking reimbursement are liberals or conservatives. or apolitical. You just assume everyone you don't agree with is a liberal. Typical tea bagger reaction, I am right and everybody is wrong.
They are not shutting them out of getting the money they are just shutting them out of the decision making process, THEY ARE STILL GOING TO GET THE RELIEF!!! Is it so hard to believe that maybe the "victims" no nothing about 'Charity 101'? so in order to make the process work fair and more fluently a few designated officials are appointed, to keep it from a bunch of individuals winging it. Oh, and had-enough would you take the time to process all these donations for free? Cause I guarantee its a 5 day a week, 8 hr a day job.
They don't arrest people for white collar crimes in this country.
They don't? Don't tell Bernie Madoff that....
@ispeake - you seem to be speaking on behalf of the fund or state officials. Where is their response in the article? Where is the transparency and public disclosure of who is managing, what criteria and processes are being followed?
Seems to me that asking the families (impacted people) to elect several representatives to be part of the process would go a long way toward addressing these concerns and have prevented this kind of adversarial situation in the first place. It's arrogant and condescending to say the know nothing about "Charity 101"! They know the "needs"; educate their representatives about applicable laws and regulations and stop being an self-righteous "I know what's best for you" bureaucrat!
People donated money - the accounting for those funds; processes and criteria should be communicated publicly. Why is it so hard to grasp that secrecy (or the appearance of secrecy) and arrogant paternalistic attitudes in these matters is always going to cause problems?
So, are memorial funds meant to cover ALL victims of violent crimes, or just the ones that are horrific and get ample media coverage? We run a big chunk of our health care system on the bake sale and charity payment system. How insane is that?
Chris335678: Bernie Madoff went to jail, but the guy who washed 2billion every few months for him died while swimming in his pool before trial. NO one looked for that money or how and whom was involved. Who gets the collected money should be theater victims only. Charity means just that, you did it to help others for no pay and no lawyer fees.
And one of them said there is scrutiny when they ask for funds about what it's for - DUH - why wouldn't they ask.
So they think they can just say, hey I need $5,000 from that fund and it's none of your business what I use it for?
Some of these victims aren't thinking, you can't just get $$ from a relief fund when it hasn't been divided up and then not expect to be able to validate what you need it for.
Come on....
Perhaps some of the money went to pay the hospitals who did not charge the victims?The theater was also damaged from the gunfire.It is a sad reflection on society when people will use a tragedy to get media attention and demand monetary compensation which will not bring their family members back.
the movie theater should have insurance to pay for that. if the hospitals treated victims for free, then that is like their donation to the fund. the money should go to those families involved. perhaps they are waiting on more information before the release the money, however shutting the families out of the decision making process, but used their names and images to collect the money, is not exactly right.
If the hospitals didn't charge, I don't think they did so hoping to get compensated from elsewhere. And as we all know, medical costs for intensive care victims who usually have to go through months of therapy etc. as well as continue to take care of families eats up a $1million pretty fast.
You know how much Gabby Gifford had to pay for her treatment?
@just a cleaning lady...I'm pretty sure that people who donated money weren't donating it to fix the damaged theater. It is a sad reflection on society when people automatically assume a victim's family has ulterior motives. I hope you never find yourself in that situation. Having to pay for an unplanned funeral can be financially stressful.
They will tear that movie theatre down. It was a hell hole before the shooting.
Keen, not that it is particularly germane to the current topic, but I am guessing that Gabrielle Gifford had her medical expenses paid by the wonderful medical insurance system members of Congress enjoy. Her out of pocket cost? I think very little or nothing.
Well, of course she had insurance. My point was that most of those who were gunned down in Aurora didn't have insurance (which triggered the personal & hospital donations) but will pay the costs that Giffords relied on insurance for.
A lot of those injuries will require followup care and those that died have families that have to pay for a funeral. It's probably best not to give to emergency funds unless they are legally bound to give 100% to the victims.The work the fund managers do is their contribution.
Please cite the souce that says that "most" of the victims didn't have insurance?
This story is an example of why buying life insurance policies are so important. If you have kids, you need to have insurance, so you can take care of your family after you die. You should not expect strangers to take care of your family and your bills. These days you can get life insurance through work or on your own on-line, even most auto insurance companies can get you a life insurance policy. You can get 100k for about 100-300 a year.
On a side note/rant, this fund is free money for the familes and the victims. Even if each family member only gets 5k. It is 5k more then they had before the fund.
It is not like most have medical bills. The hospitals waved them. There are free therapists ready to give counseling to anyone, not just these victims but, anyone who needs it. There are many resources out there for people they just need to be willing to find it.
For those who think these people need all the money they can get, there are hundreds of shootings and violent deaths happening everyday in this country. Ask yourself who is helping these people.
You can thank the money grubbing greedy lawyers. Anyway to make a buck off this most sad and horrific event. No wonder they have bad reps!
you don't know that at all nor do you know who, if anyone, is being represented by an atty so why don't you try saying something intelligent. No--I'm not an attourney
What's the issue? The story says nothing except some families are not happy.
While I feel sad for the families of those lost it appears now its all about the money- Americans are naturally generous and try to help out each other in time of need but to expect something becasue a tragedy befalls you is downright disgusting
No, it is about people using their dead relatives likenesses to beg for money, then the families not receiving the money.
Not to mention the interest the money is making sitting doing nothing. Somebody else is greasing their palm.
If the Romney/Ryan ticket wins, don't look for help from the government. They'll cut out all aid everywhere.
You mean no more free loaders. I guess we know who the entitled ones are voting for.
that's fine... so let the local communities, state communities, and national communities contribute to the causes they see fit. no need in having government hand out money for whatever they feel like.
the debt is already out of control and it's going to take both parties and increased taxes and decreased spending to even remotely start addressing the issue.
like obama and his group would do any better. They would have already spent the money.
@fupduk2...yeah, 'cause we all know that the victims were a bunch of freeloaders just hoping to get injured that day so they can take advantage of free healthcare, right?
Sigh. No they won't.
free loaders, I beg your pardon, tell that to hungry kids, and the elderly that they are free loaders, no more Meals on Wheels for you Granny. Mean-spirited post.
RinkRat - I certainly hope they make some cuts, if they don't we're going to be in even worse shape than we are now. Of course, it's current government institutions that are handling this issue.
ROMNEY/RYAN 2012 - Because competence matters
Rumor has it that the average American attention span is roughly equivelant to a coma patient.
There should be a moratorium on trashing the government until you're old enough to understand how swiftly and unexpectedly disaster can strike a person; how helpless any given human being is against the forces of time, disease, injury and loss; how privileged we are to live in a country that really tries to look out for its own, and how the government is really only us, made up of people like us, trying to perform the obligations laid out in our Constitution. When FEMA, under the control of the incompetent and corrupt, sat on its hands during Katrina, Americans cried foul, because they rightly expect their government to respond to the needs of the citizenry in times of chaos and danger. To be old or sick or homeless or jobless is not the same thing as a "freeloader;" it is our destiny, each and every one of us will fail, will fall, sooner or later. Have a little humility and compassion. Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.
Amen.
People repeatedly make reference to "freeloaders" as if it is the "social programs", which for the most part are a necessity in our society, as if these programs are responsible for the horrendous debt the Federal Government has acquired, THEY ARE NOT, these programs were in effect and providing the aid that they were intended to when the Federal Government showed a significant Surplus. The DEBT didn't begin to accumulate until our previous President G W Bush began his Empirical War on Terror and then Obama showed us "YES WE CAN" increase that DEBT by Leaps and Bounds, (in other words a hell of a lot), due to mismanagement and poor utilization of resources that previous administrations had shown to be competent with, utilizing these Tax Dollars while not turning to China for loans to wage wars that are both unwanted and illegal. This president is funding rebels in Libya, Egypt and Syria, a large number of which are Al Qaeda members displaying the colors of that group we are supposed to be at war with in other regions. I seem to recall being told that these wars were not in our interest and that our troops would be brought home soon after "he" took office if "he" were to win the Presidency. Well, we are still waiting, and he wants us to return him to the Presidency again.....to do what? Have us wait another 4 years so that someone else can point out what a miserable job Obama has done, and then promise to do the same things that Obama promised and never delivered. What Obama has delivered is lie after lie, debt that is staggering that will soon envelope this country and destroy the life we know, inflation that is also staggering to the average American that will soon become so out of control that we will see a collapse of the economy that will destroy the quality of life we have known for decades. The PROBLEM isn't Social Programs, the problem is an Administration that simply can't manage the resources that are available; so they borrow at ridiculous amounts of money that will eventually SINK the United States. And my personal opinion is that this is by design as I believe that Obama is not the man he portrays, I believe that he has an agenda that is NOT in the interest of the People of The United States. But that's another subject altogether. This is also not meant as an indication that I support Romney either, because I do not. I really think we are faced with a "No Win" situation.
The admin cost and executors take half the money. That's pretty much goes for all relief funds. Haiti got more money then 5 years of their GDP, but it's not back to normal. I'm sure the executor's brother-in-law who owns shipping or a construction business, has to make their money first.
not all, Red Cross during Katrina were wonderful, most of the donated money went to those in need, an agency the size of the Red Cross can't operate in a vacuum. Haiti's problem is so overwhelming don't think any amount of money will put a dent in its poverty.
Wow, another poorly written and terribly edited article. Who is "Busch" that is quoted in the article but is not mentioned earlier in the story? That is extremely poor journalism. Isn't a person supposed to be identified by their entire name before being mentioned only by their surname? The second half of the story is a worthless rehashing of the crime and legal wrangling. None of it has anything to do with the subject of this story: the implied misappropriation of cash donations to the victims...
I thought the same thing. Cut & paste journalism.
High School intern would have written a better article.
Looks like greed even invades relief funds!
obd....the families didnt found the relief fund but whoever did apparently is trying to take a cut! That just isnt right!
I'm sure the fund has an executor or a board that administers the funds, the $$ can't cover everybody remotely connected with Holmes, but would like to see that money go towards medical expenses for the victims, and a little help for the families of the dead.
Is it possible to have the Feds. request an audit, after all it would be wire postal?
It is possible, but it takes getting an agent interested in investigating the case. Could be a violation of the Rico Act if it is a scheme to defraud.
Suzie, I'm hoping an exact accounting will be done and the $$ we contributed will go the victims as it was originally intended for.
RICO ACT! I've been saying that about the fargin mortgages for a long time. No one cares if you steal on paper or insider trading. It's just business, thats why congress changed laws concerning fraud. Wouldn't want the wrong people to go to jail. You know the ones I'm talking about; the ones in government.
wow, now comes the greed of some people, who can place a value on human life. the families who lost wage earning people are probally getting more than the family of the 6 year old that was shot. not only did these familes loose a loved one but now they are placed in a hard financial situation and should get all the help they need to get through this tragedy. if someone offered me 5 million dollars for the life of my 9 year old i would laugh in their face.
I don't think the families necessarily are expecting anything but probably are upset that good-hearted people gave from the earnings of their labor thinking that the money was going to the victims and not the lawyers, paid time for the people who organized the fund, middle-men, etc. Unfortunately, there are people just waiting for a disaster to happen to take advantage of giving people. Happens all the time, unfortunately. Don't know if this has happened here, but would not be suprised. Have lived too long and seen too much.
The usual story -middle men eat away the victim's funds (or funds raised to help support the surviving family members). Recently NBC nightly news (Brian Williams) showed how 400,000 were still living in makeshift tents even after 2 yrs of earthquake. I remember Bush and Clinton raising money and I am sure it topped 100 million (?). Where is the relief? where is the money gone? No accountability to any of these donations.
Unfortunately, Haiti is so poor that, even if the donations topped ten times 100 million, more would still be needed. So much was lost in the earthquake it will be years, even decades, before they recover. The fact that only 400,000 are still living in tents should be considered a victory. Disasters, unfortunately, happen quickly. Recovery proceeds slowly.
This is why if I can't give it to an intended recipient directly it doesn't happen...I'm not donating to anything I disagree with or that has to pay 'admin fees' before distribution to the intended...this includes ALL charities and quasi guvmental groups...
Give the government a chance and they will screw up even a simple thing.
Capitalism captializing on capital.
In their (the arbitrators) defense, theres a lot of dishonest people out there and caution is best.
what a bunch of brash, noisome, ungrateful cretins.
Why is the second half of this article about something completely different? And what is the issue? All it says that the families believe the charity is doing something wrong, but it doesn't say what. That would be a nice bit of information...that would be news. "Something Happened in Colorado Today" is not a news story.
why don't we put sweet potato head to death, that is want he deserves. All you are doing msn is giving him want he wants, fame. He want to be and feel important. When all he really is is a yellow, coward that shot a lot of people. Him and his lawyers are going to play the court system for all they can. This is what this whole thing is about. Sweet potato head wants to be famous. Keep up the good work msn. Make this peace of $hit famous.
What is the fund supposed to be paying for - funeral expenses, medical expenses, lost wages, benefits for the families of those killed ... ??
Is the "Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance" a private or a public organization?
Be wary of who you give your money too, even and maybe especially when there is a tragedy. There are many ways out there to make sure you are giving to a valid charity, many organizations that rate charities based on the amount used for admin/salary/fundraising vs directly to the cause, but al lthe info in the world won't help if people don't try to seek it out.
I am sorry for the families but no amount of money will restore their loved ones or their lives to what they once were. If I were to give, I would need to know what concrete needs I was meeting of these families.
I give to a lot of charities, but I try very hard to make sure my dollars make a difference.
What better way to steal monies from the disadvantaged and add to government coffers!! And, yet, politics has its' way to deny people their rightful share of funds. I'm not advocating revolution or rioting but the people should start petitioning to remove corrupt government officials on a mass scale. To make right that which wrong! This reporter starts off about how government has denied people their funds and then writes about Holmes. What's Holmes got to do with it? Stay on the subject or shut up!
why don't you shut up big shot, you a friend of homes?????
Paul, Holmes has everything to do with the horror, however, this is supposedly a Private fund, unless fraud is indicated I don't think the government gets involved or should.
As a news article, rather poorly crafted. Half the text was cut and paste from general coverage of the incident with little about the issues of the families. I still could not find what about the management was the problem. I can guess, but the article doesn't drill down deep enough. I do see they are upset that they are not being given a voice in deciding but what kinds of issues do they want t6o voice about? Pay more to one type of victim than another? Less if you died but more if you will live with long term damage?
What?
Agreed.
The article is missing relevant information.
Hold-on, why do the families (parents, brothers, sisters) need money from this fund?
I'd imagine the funds would be used for medical expenses for the victims and towards funeral costs for the dead. Most of us don't purchase a cemetary plot for a 6 year old.