Making a Killing Feeding The Poor

41 Responses to “Making a Killing Feeding The Poor”

1. J. Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 3:06 pm

   Its disgusting that he makes that much and I applaud the post for calling him out on it.(though normally I would never applaud the Post). Food and Friends could continue to feed the sick regularly if they would cut that salary by $200,000.

   Not to sound crude but is this chefs work really that great? I know plenty of 4 star restaurants in this town that dont pay nearly that much. The people Food and Friends serve are terminally ill, they just need a warm, healthy meal - not a Top Chef leftover meal. They need to get a chef whos happy to serve with a decent salary - not a greedy salary.

2. Tstreeter Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 8:30 pm

   What is so disappointing is that the Post didn’t delve into this schmuck’s history. Scandal seems to follow him.

   Of course, what is really shameful is the Board of Food and Friends. Working in the non-profit world, I wonder if they are even “in the loop” or just rubber stamp the annual budget so they can get back to their real jobs. Or are they all buddies, out to butter each other’s bread?

   It’s a small world out there…

3. Ernest Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 9:28 pm

   The Post deserves a medal for Glasnost. This is a scandal. Expropriate the expropriator.

4. jw Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 9:39 pm

   How can you judge his compensation without some measure of his performance? You could probably find someone to do that job for $200k less (to use the example in the comment above) but what if that person were less effective at raising funds? Yes, costs are rising and donations are falling, but these reflect larger trends.. can you make the case that a less well paid chief executive would have done a better job?

5. downtown rez Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 10:07 pm

   “can you make the case that a less well paid chief executive would have done a better job?”

   Before I’d bother making that case, I’d have to first assume that the ED was motivated more by (excess) compensation than care for the cause. Unless you think that 357K really is a necessity.

6. downtown rez Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 10:12 pm

   Put another way- Are you arguing that an equally or more talented person would be unwilling to take his job for less? That’s a tough sell.

7. Jason Cherkis Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 11:39 pm

   Donations are always falling. It’s not a trend it’s a lame excuse. Food & Friends is a well-known commodity as well known as D.C. Central Kitchen and Whitman Walker. It’s mission is fairly simple and fairly cheap. [And yes, I know Whitman Walker had budget problems a few years ago but that was due to mismanagement right?).

   Food is the one thing the homeless and the poor can count on [decent shelters, housing are a different story). It’s available; restaurants and grocery stores are always donating food. There are plenty of churches that still serve the good hot meal.

   Gas is expensive. But this city is not that big and there are other methods of delivering food–like bringing multiple meals to a client at once and having them store the food in the freezer, etc. Take the Metro to deliver food.

   I tend to think that his salary had always been too high. People in the non-profit world had long complained about his salary.

   Put this another way: the man makes more than the chief of police. Don’t you think Chief Lanier’s job is a bit more complicated and difficult?

8. KCinDC Says:
   July 18th, 2008 at 1:18 am

   J., the word in the Post article is “chief”, not “chef”.

9. Ernest Says:
   July 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

   That scoundrel ought to be publicly disgraced, horsewhipped even. Furthermore, he should forced to agree to rid himself of the encumbrance of ill-gotten fortune, as in return it to members of society who do earn their keep.

   This city has no shortage of underworked obscenely overpaid shysters running essentially self-serving operations whose primary goal is to “appropriately compensate” themselves rather than do any good to anything or anyone else. Now, a staff of 58(!) on an 8 million budget?! Food delivery?! What’s the joke?

   Depend upon it: at least 45 of those 58 are probably the rogue’s family, relatives, useful connections and assorted sycophants with 6-figure salaries who do nothing but shop online and/or watch porn 9-5 M-F. Non-profits, indeed. Something has to be done. A correction is due. Throw the bums out!

10. AK Says:
    July 18th, 2008 at 1:05 pm

    That’s pretty par for the course. I worked for an association where the CEO made $1million but when the organization was in budget trouble, they cut staff at the lowest levels (like the receptionist). In the non-profit world, once you get to the top, you seem required to stop caring about people at the lowest levels…no wonder they are having troubles with retention.

11. Ernest Says:
    July 19th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    Yes, it’s often those at the bottom who pay the price for the excesses of those at the top. I find it extremely unfair.

12. Paddy Says:
    July 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pm

    Hey everybody!
    Why don’t you get all the facts before making assumptions about this situation. Check out the response from Food and Friends here: http://www.foodandfriends.org/site/pp.asp?c=ggLMIYOGKrF&b=4356157&tr=y&auid=3832337

    The fact is that Schniderman is getting paid a comparable amount to the directors of other non-profits across the country. The fact is that since he was hired, Food & Friends has increased in size, funding, the number of people served, and the amount of good that it does.

    The only thing that this Washington Post article does is stir up hard feelings among people who don’t know all of the facts. Ultimately, it could hurt the funding of F&F, as some who supported it before, might stop supporting it. Schniderman does a great job, and could surely be using his talents in the corporate world, making much more money. Instead, he has chosen to use his considerable talents to help those that need help the most. How many of you can say the same?

13. Ernest Says:
    July 19th, 2008 at 4:55 pm

    “Since 1995, when Craig joined us, Food & Friends has grown from the basement of a church, serving 995 people annually, to a service that provides more than 850,000 meals annually from a new $9 million kitchen and distribution center – all of which occurred, and in large part was made possible, through Craig’s tireless leadership. Our budget has grown from $2.2 million to $8.2 million, allowing us to serve more people each and every year,”

    explains one Robert Hall III, President, Board of Directors of Food & Friends as he addresses F&F community from F&F website.

    “I know that even if the misguided Post article causes Craig distress, he will continue to do his job as he always has, and he will be there for all of us,“

    assures Mr. Hall III.

    I’m sure he will, Robert.

    In other words, mathematically speaking, the clown states that (assuming a single F&F recipient consumes three meals a day 365 days a year ) back in 1995, from the basement of a church F&F served 995*3*365 = 1,089,525 meals a year on a budget of $2.2 million.
    In 2008, from the new $9 million kitchen F&F serves “more that 850,000” a year on $8.2 million(!) budget.

    Am I the only one who’s not getting this? Again:

    1995, 1,089,525 meals, $2.2 million.
    2008, “over 850,000 meals”, $8.2 million.

    Frankly, I don’t see why Herr Shniderman should bee distressed at all.

14. Paddy Says:
    July 19th, 2008 at 5:31 pm

    It is difficult to know the exact details based on that letter, yet people continue to attack F&F. If you are truly that concerned, why not email F&F in order to get all of the facts before you make attacks?

    It doesn’t state how many meals were served in 1995. Perhaps it was two meals a day. Perhaps they served 995 people total, not 995 people every day for the entire year. For example, if they were serving 330 people a day consistently, the numbers would be substantially different:330*3*365=361,350 meals

    Is that how many people they served a day? We don’t know…all we can do is make assumptions based on incomplete information, and that isn’t fair to do to such a vital organization. Additionally, as any organization grows, non-profit or otherwise, expenses go up. The $8.2 million isn’t all spent on food production. As they mention in their letter, however, more than 75% of that does go to those in need, and only 25% is their operating budget! That includes Schniderman’s salary! This seems like a very well run organization to me.

    Please don’t jump to conclusions based on incomplete information. While you may think you’re attacking one man, you’re really attacking the entire organization, and it’s future is jeopardized by such attacks.

15. Randy Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 12:18 am

    Ernest, before spewing your radical pinko blather, why not do a little research first? You’ll find that Food & Friends is far more than a “food delivery” service as you so quaintly and ignorantly refer to it. Food & Friends employs a lean team of 58 to provide meals that have been customized to meet the unique dietetic needs of its clients. Additionally, the organization provides clinical nutrition counseling to clients suffering severe nutrition related side effects of their illnesses and medications. I’ve known several people with HIV who credit Food & Friends with saving their lives.

    I looked at Guidestar and noted that 77 cents of every dollar donated to Food & Friends goes to the program. The 77 cents provides for the fresh food, chefs, dietitions, case workers, delivery drivers, and the facility that makes the daily magic happen. The other 23 cents is used to raise the money (no Ernest, it does not grow on trees), required to run the organization.

    I’m proud to be a Food & Friends supporter and will continue to do so. Some of the other posters need to put down the bong and actually research and think before they blabber.

16. bendygirl Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 11:22 am

    Okay, so has anyone even volunteered there or used their services?

    I’ve volunteered for food and friends and did so when they were located near the navy yard metro. I also had a friend who had to use their services for more than 3 months of his life and near the end, the delivery of meals helped him from the person who volunteered (there have been volunteer drivers not just paid ones, I’m sure there are still other volunteers driving).

    Reading this just makes me want to donate less and not even consider volunteering. Does Craig Shniderman have any idea how this kind of news will impact the organization?

    Like Randy noted, I’m proud of my contributions, volunteering and support, but this really makes me re-think how much support I’m willing to give from here on out. And that, well, that really sucks.

17. Randy Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    I’m not sure that Craig is overpaid. The Post made some superficial comparisons, but they did not address other relevant factors such as tenure and performance. Food & Friends has enjoyed an amazing amount of growth and success since Craig took over in the mid-1990s. Before he became Executive Director, I thought that Food & Friends was going to go under. Now they serve more clients than ever and have even expanded their mission beyond HIV/AIDS. By any standard, Food & Friends is a highly successful organization and only a skilled, visionary leader could achieve that success.

    The fact that the Board goes to the trouble of hiring a consultant to align Craig’s salary to market rates is a sign of due diligence. I’d be concerned if they had not taken that step. I noted in the Post article that they compared Craig’s salary to the salary of the interium executive director of Whitman-Walker Clinic, which is not a fair comparison.

    Food & Friends’ supporters need to think carefully and ask more questions before making assumptions that may not be true and ending their support of this organization. Craig’s salary does not render meaningless the wonderful, life saving work that this organization does on a daily basis.

18. MPetrelis Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 4:57 pm

    Paddy asked:

    >If you are truly that concerned, why not email F&F in order to get all of the facts before you make attacks?We have no comment with respect to your recent blog entry. I have conveyed your inquiry about the 2007 Form 990 to George Bednar.Schniderman does a great job, and could surely be using his talents in the corporate world, making much more money.<

    If he can really make $357,000 in the private sector these days, then the economy is in better shape then the news reports I read. I seriously doubt Craig could make that kind of money in the for-profit sector, and why would he want to leave the so-called non-profit world when it’s very profitable for him?

    Surely there are other experienced non-profit execs who could run F&F for less money, and still deliver meals to PWAs. F&F would not go out of business if Craig left his nicely compensated position.

19. MPetrelis Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 5:02 pm

    My message above was mangled by this server. To clarify: After quoting Paddy on getting facts, I tried to share a terse email from Lisa Bandera, spokeswoman for F&F, in which she said F&F would have no comment regarding my concerns.

    While F&F surely didn’t address my concerns and strictly maintained their ‘no comment’ policy towards me, that sort of b.s. didn’t work at all with the Post.

    Glad to see Craig and F&F forced to explained themselves to both the Blade and the Post. Non-profit transparency is greatly helped with gay and straight press attention, along with questions raised by bloggers.

20. MPetrelis Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 5:12 pm

    According to the 2007 IRS 990 report from F&F, the budget was $7.6 million and Craig ‘Mother Theresa” Shniderman was compensated $357,447 for his services.

    Compared those numbers with the 2007 IRS 990 report at GuideStar(dot)org for San Francisco’s AIDS food program, Project Open Hand.

    POH’s budget for 2007 was $10.9 million and the executive director, Tom Nolan, received $182,880 in compensation.

    So POH had a larger budget than F&F, but the director was not as greedy as Craig at F&F.

21. Randy Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 6:12 pm

    Michael Petrelis, given your reputation for harassment and even terrorist threats against the people you target (Michael spent a few months in jail for harassing and threatening SF health officials and their spouses), I can hardly blame Food & Friends or any decent person for refusing to engage in a conversation with you.

    I looked on your blog earlier this week and noted the complete absence of a detailed biography. For someone who demands transparency from others, you sure are opaque. I’d like to know your academic/professional background, how much money you donate to charity causes, and any volunteer work that you do.

22. MPetrelis Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    WPost, June 29, 1995

    A Montgomery County prosecutor said yesterday that the former executive director of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington will plead guilty to seven felony charges related to the embezzlement of nearly $ 1 million — charges that have drawn a separate Jewish welfare agency into the investigation.

    Lester I. Kaplan, 48, accused of looting the community center at a time when it was struggling to serve the young and elderly, will plead guilty to four counts of felony theft, two counts of theft conspiracy and one count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, said Deputy State’s Attorney I. Matthew Campbell.

    Meanwhile, court documents filed this week named as an unindicted co-conspirator the former executive director of the Jewish Social Services Agency, Craig M. Shniderman, whose office was next door to the community center in Rockville.

    Kaplan conspired with Shniderman to steal an unspecified amount of social service agency property described only as worth “more than $ 300,” the documents say.

    Kaplan was released on his own recognizance after appearing yesterday in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Kaplan and his attorney, Robert Levin, could not be reached for comment. Shniderman, his attorney and agency officials declined to comment.

    Shniderman resigned in August 1994, shortly after the allegations of theft from the center surfaced. After being unemployed for several months, the professional fund-raiser took a job with Food & Friends, a Washington charity group that provides food and services to AIDS patients.

    Campbell declined to say whether Shniderman was a target in the year-long investigation.

    If convicted of all the counts against him, Kaplan faces a possible prison term of 85 years, although Campbell said that such a stiff sentence was unlikely. Maryland sentencing guidelines suggest punishment ranging from probation to 42 months in prison.

    The center is the Washington area’s largest Jewish agency. It notified its 15,000 members last July that Kaplan, chief financial officer Jay A. Manchester, building superintendent Simon Ohayon and bookkeeper Vijay K. Bhatia had resigned after an audit found that they misappropriated nearly $ 750,000 over nine years.

    Auditors later learned that an additional $ 150,000 was missing, and community center officials say they may never know if more was taken. The men were accused by the center of diverting cash through “undisclosed ownership in and payments from” vending and cleaning services.

    Manchester agreed to cooperate with authorities and has pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft and misdemeanor counts of conspiracy and misappropriation. He faces up to 50 years in prison. Bhatia and Ohayon have not been charged, but officials said the investigation is continuing.

    According to a source familiar with the case, Kaplan repaid the center $ 400,000; Ohayon, $ 150,000; and Bhatia, $ 200,000.

23. MPetrelis Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 7:34 pm

    On October 2, 1996, the WPost wrote a follow up on the earlier story, and reported that Shniderman pleaded guilty to a single count of misappropriating funds. I can’t locate the story at the Post site, but this link will take you to a PDF of the story, as it appears in the Congressional Record:

    http://bulk.resource.org/gpo.gov/record/2001/2001_H09052.pdf

24. MPetrelis Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 7:44 pm

    Hi Randy,

    Like Craig, I too have had trouble with the law. I was in jail for 72 because the bail was $500,000. Time spent in jail was because I just didn’t have that kind of money laying around.

    And since that time, I’ve been very good, made my apologies and moved on, to continue accountability work. Lots of decent folks talk to me, and respond to my requests for public documents. Heck, the only reason why I know Craig’s salary increased from the time the Blade wrote it’s story to the time the Post contacted men, was because the financial guy at F&F mailed me the 2007 IRS 990.

    One thing I notice you don’t dispute about what I posted on my blog about Craig’s greedy salary is that I over-stated his compensation. So the facts are correct, but you and F&F defenders are all bent out of shape that the salary has been reported on the Post.

    I get the sense what you all really want is for no one to know about Craig’s greed, and if the blogger calling attention to the salary has political baggage, you’ll use it to divert attention from the ED’s greed.

    Sorry that you have a problem with me knowing about the IRS 990s and publicizing the info in them on Craig.

    But please, go right on trying to kill this messenger, because nothing can obscure the simple fact that Craig’s salary is quite high.

25. Randy Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    Michael, I know that your legal troubles were a few years ago and if you say that you have changed your tactics and apologized, I will take your word for it. I never begrudge anyone a second chance.

    I do not dispute the veracity of the reporting of Craig’s salary and benefits package. But I do question if we are truly comparing like to like when making comparisons between Craig and other nonprofit execs. Now for some people, Craig’s salary is simply too high and it will not matter if the reporting in the Post was skewed or not.

    My main beef with this brouhaha is that people are attacking not only Craig, but also the staff of Food & Friends and the mission as a whole. This is an organization that does a lot of good in the community and has saved many lives. When I have visited Food & Friends or attended one of their events, I have always been wowed by the energy, passion, and skill of their staff, including Craig. I support a few local and international charities and Craig is the most hands-on, passionate executive director that I have ever encountered. I once pointed out to a friend visiting from overseas that Food & Friends represents the best of America. And I really believe that.

    Ultimately, people will make their own opinions about the situation based upon their values and experience. I am simply encouraging people to make sure that they have all of the facts before coming to a damning judgement against an organization that is a community treasure.

26. MPetrelis Says:
    July 21st, 2008 at 12:12 am

    You sound like a guy with so much invested in Mother Teresa Shniderman and his the group. Frankly, I don’t think it wise for a man defending Craig, with his conviction for misappropriating funds, to be throwing stones at one of his critics. Glass houses, and all.

    Randy, you come across as so thin-skinned on everything, as if Craig, the board, and staff, and the very org, are above criticism.

    You can’t seem to acknowledge it ain’t rocket science to cook food, deliver it, and raise funds to do it. And it don’t take just one “sainted” embezzler to run the org.

    As the prime mover behind the exposure of Craig’s very profitable non-profit salary right now, I keep getting the sense from Lisa and George of F&F, and you Randy, that the community is wrong, wrong, wrong to be outraged with such a high salary and suggest that Craig cut his salary.

    If you all are truly committed to putting clients’ needs first, and listening to the community, you’ll stop feeding Craig’s greed.

    And funny that you say you want folks to have all the facts, yet you’ve not once told people in your postings about Craig’s embezzlement.

    Here’s a fact I’d to know: Did Craig apologize to the people he embezzled from?

27. MPetrelis Says:
    July 21st, 2008 at 12:17 am

    From F&F:

    > Next, I would like to reassure everyone that the determination of Craig’s salary followed a careful and painstaking process that included input from a highly-regarded national compensation consulting firm (James E. Rocco Associates, Inc.),<

    How much money did F&F spend on this painful process of hiring the Rocco firm to determine Craig deserved such a high salary? Rocco’s services don’t come cheap. What was the consulting firm paid?

    If F&F and the board are committed to transparency and good stewardship of the community’s money, it will divulge what Rocco charged for the consulting firm’s advice.

    IMHO, whatever was spent on Rocco Inc, the money would have been better spent on clients’ meals.

28. MPetrelis Says:
    July 21st, 2008 at 12:21 am

    >I support a few local and international charities and Craig is the most hands-on, passionate executive director that I have ever encountered. I once pointed out to a friend visiting from overseas that Food & Friends represents the best of America. And I really believe that.<

    Wow, you’re laying the hype on kind of think here. I would hope for $357,000 the ED would be hands on, wouldn’t you. And for that kind of money, who wouldn’t show some passion?

    If the best of America is an embezzler from a nonprofit getting an even better paying job in the nonprofit sector, who am I to argue with rehab for criminals?

29. MPetrelis Says:
    July 21st, 2008 at 12:23 am

    >Michael, I know that your legal troubles were a few years ago and if you say that you have changed your tactics and apologized, I will take your word for it. I never begrudge anyone a second chance.<

    Can you tell me if Craig has changed his criminal ways and apologized?

30. MPetrelis Says:
    July 21st, 2008 at 12:26 am

    >As stated by James. E. Rocco, “The Board of Food & Friends is to be commended for complying with good governance practices in closely monitoring executive compensation to assure it is appropriate and supports the recruitment and retention of high-caliber leaders.” <

    Wow, Rocco, who was hired by the board, has nothing but praise for those who hired him! As if this somehow validates the board of F&F squandering so much money on one embezzler’s salary. Rocco is hardly an impartial party to the scandal of Craig’s greed.

31. Ernest Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 9:58 am

    So you “really believe” that a nonprofit presided by a grossly overpaid confirmed embezzler “represents the best of America?”, Randy? F&F? “A community treasure”?

    What are you, Randolph - a community idiot, a shallow jester or a cunning fiend? Explain yourself, erroneous cretin.

    Meanwhile, a simple calculation based on the data sourced from F&F website shows that in 2008 the enterprise serves 239,525 meals less than it did in 1995 on a four times greater budget ($6.2 million increase). If this is legal, it shouldn’t be. It’s certainly immoral.

    You, Randy, do sound like some legal/PR windbag who has a cut in this. Why don’t the pair of you just quit your avaricious ways, come clean, apologize, take pay cuts you derserve and focus on assisting those in need instead?

32. Randy Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm

    Ernest, looks like you are the community idiot. F&F website clearly states that in 1995 the organization served 360,777 meals.

    “390 meals/day, serving a total of 360,777 meals to 995 clients”

    See http://www.foodandfriends.org/site/pp.asp?c=ggLMIYOGKrF&b=1851049. Second bullet point from the bottom for year 1995.

    As for 2008, the website again clearly states that nearly 1 million meals will be delivered this year.

    See http://www.foodandfriends.org/site/pp.asp?c=ggLMIYOGKrF&b=3944237

    FYI—it took me less than three minutes to find that information.

    And it’s Randy, not Randolph. Thanks.

33. MPetrelis Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm

    Hi Randy,

    I’m still waiting for you to answer my question about whether Craig has apologized to those he embezzled. You made a stink about my past legal troubles, said kind words about my apology, but have yet to acknowledge Craig’s embezzlement and if he apologized.

    Do you have two standards, one for when activists are in legal trouble and another when EDs behave badly?

34. Ernest Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    See, these numbers, er, Randy, are not exactly dandy. For not unlike, Scminderman’s compensation, they were obviously created by some highly-regarded-national-misleading-numbers-producing consulting firm paid, ironically, with F&F donors’ money. In order to mislead F&F donors and the community, I should add perhaps.

    Randy, maybe it’s time you stopped being randy. For it may help you realize that embezzlement is not dandy.

35. Randy Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 6:12 pm

    Michael, I was unaware of Craig’s past legal problems. Given the good that he has done in the community, I take it that he has apologized. In any case, Food & Friends is a lot bigger than any one individual. They employ more than 50 people and there are 5,000+ volunteers.

    I’ve lived in DC for many years. In the early 1990s, Food & Friends was not an easy sell for prospective employees, including EDs. The organization was in shambles and there was a stigma against HIV and those who worked with HIV+ people. A couple of nights ago I ran into a friend who used to work at F&F in the pre-Craig days. He recalled several occasions where he received a paycheck on pay day while simultaneously being told not to cash it because there were insufficient funds in the bank. Had Craig not taken over the organization, it probably would have collapsed. The organization’s rate of growth has been phenomenal in no small part due to Craig’s leadership. As I wrote earlier, I know people—people close to me and whom I care about deeply—who credit Food & Friends with helping them survive HIV.

    On a related note, as I was looking for some figures from the F&F website earlier today, I saw that Washingtonian Magazine had named the organization one of the region’s Great Places to Work. That is an astonishing turnaround for an organization that 13 years ago could not make payroll.

    Michael, you and I will have to agree to disagree regarding Food & Friends. As long as they keep saving lives, spend at least 75 cents of every dollar donated on the program (they current spend 77 cents), and continue to get clean audits, I will continue to support the organization financially and with my time whenever I can. I write from the heart when I say that F&F is one of the DC region’s treasures and the people who work and volunteer there, currently and in the past, are my heroes.

    Best wishes,

    Randy

36. Lew Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 3:30 pm

    Folks,

    I too, know F&F and all the good work they do. I have volunteered and donated to the organization on many occasions. I think we are getting away from the point. The ED is paid too much money!!! I think it is wonderful that $.75-$.77 cents of every dollar go to programs that help people. It would be higher if the ED compensation were more in line with organizations of comparable size. How about the other employees. Not that they may also be paid too much, but are the regular staff being compensated properly for their hard work.

    How ever the Board let this happen. They need to fix it. It hurts the organization and it hurts their mission.

37. MPetrelis Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

    Randy,

    Your writings all sound like you are very close to Craig, the board and the top execs. Sorry to say it, but you seem to have a lot invested in defending the stupidity that has led to the outrageous greed of Craig.

    I am amazed that you, someone who has pleaded for the rest of us to get all the facts, didn’t know about Craig’s very public legal troubles, and you’re unaware if he apologized for the embezzlement.

    You tried deflecting attention away from greedy Craig by raising the issue of my legal troubles, and then posed these questions to me, as if they have any bearing on the dumb F&F board members:

    >I’d like to know your academic/professional background, how much money you donate to charity causes, and any volunteer work that you do.<

    And I’d like to know who you’re sleeping with at F&F or how you profit from the group.

38. Lew Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 10:06 pm

    Please.., Randy.. Michael..Stop this useless banter. Who cares who appologized. The ED has been accused of being a criminal. The real issue is that I have friends putting theie butts on bikes this weekend to raise money for F&F. The riders are still supporting the organization no matter how unfair it is that the Mr. Shniderman continues gets his pay while the riders have trouble getting money due to all the enlightenment related to his compensation. If there was anyone that could not ride tomorrow because of not raising enough money, then Mr. Shniderman should have personally contributed to their riding fund and appologize to every rider.

39. MPetrelis Says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 11:28 pm

    Oh, to have been listening in on the conversations the riders were having with the F&F staff and fundraisers, when the subject of the Post article came up. It could not have been easy for the riders to raise money from friends and neighbors, with so many potential donors aware of his huge salary.

40. Ernest Says:
    July 28th, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    Pray, raise not a cent, donors! Because what’s raised is taken by the greedy scoundrel, his cronies and I know not whom else.

    Schmiderman, Scmiderman… Sounds Semitic, isn’t it? Well, that explains it: Passion for gain is in the blood. Or can it be Teutonic??
    Whatever origin, one must discern good charity from false one, the one aimed to enrich a few by duping many.

    That above Randolph has no clue or lying through his teeth to obfuscate the matter.

    Withdraw support zippety zap. Preserve your funds for more deserving causes.

41. MPetrelis Says:
    August 1st, 2008 at 8:53 pm

    This is herpes cold sore on the AIDS Inc body that simply will not go quietly into the good night:

    http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2008/08/dc-biz-journal-357k-aids-directors-pay.html

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