Thursday, August 18, 2005

Boys and Girls Club under fire

WASHINGTON — Directors of the Atlanta-based Boys and Girls Clubs of America will vote next month on whether to strip a New York club of its membership following disclosures that the club improperly loaned $875,000 to Air America, the liberal radio network.

The staff of Boys and Girls Clubs is recommending the board drop the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club of the Bronx from the organization's ranks. The board will meet Sept. 20 in Washington.

"Dropping an organization from membership is not something that's done lightly," said Evan McElroy, vice president for communications at the Boys and Girls Clubs headquarters. "It's a very, very serious matter, an uncommon thing."

The Gloria Wise club is one of 1,165 Boys and Girls Clubs affiliates nationwide operating about 3,700 clubs. Problems came to light this summer when New York City investigators determined that $875,000 in club funds had been loaned to Progress Media, the parent company of Air America.

New York City has since canceled about $9 million in contracts it had awarded the Gloria Wise Club. A spokesman for the New York Department of Investigation said Wednesday that the investigation into the club's finances continues. It's uncertain when the department's final report will be complete.

The loaner faces serious tangible penalty for their spurious and unethical actions, the loanee however, remains unscathed save some persistent and tenacious scolding from the pens of Michelle Malkin, The Radio Equalizer and a few others. Mr. Spitzer are you paying attention.....anyone?

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