Amid a barrage of criticism, organizers of a fundraiser featuring former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin have decided the event will no longer benefit public health care.
Instead, funds from the April 15 gala will go to the Charity of Hope, an organization that helps children.
"The attention became a health-care debate when the attention should've been on ... an event that benefits the community," said Dennis Concordia, one of the co-chairs of the event.
Concordia said organizers felt the Juravinski Cancer Centre and St. Peter's Hospital, the previously named beneficiaries, were "unfairly being made targets of a lot of negative publicity."
Pearl Veenema, president and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation, said it was notified on Wednesday that organizers would be considering the reaction to the event and that the beneficiary might change.
The hospital was notified of the decision yesterday through a press release.
"It's unfortunate the funds will not be directed to Hamilton Health Sciences, the two hospitals that they wanted to raise funds for, but we're appreciative ... of (their) intentions," Veenema said.
Wait, let me get this straight! Sarah Palin is being paid $200,000 to give a speech to raise money that nobody wants? And THIS seems like a good idea to WHO?
Look if you live in Canada perhaps you could take a moment to tell the people in charge of this fundraiser that they could raise a lot more money, and avoid a lot of criticism, if they just had somebody speak who actually knows the subject. You know like Dr. Sanjay Gupta, or MSNBC's Dr. Nancy, or even Dr. Doolittle for God's sake!
Remember just because Palin recently had surgery does not make her an expert on health care!
Ted McMeekin, MPP for Ancaster,-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, said in an e-mail that this was a strange situation and he had never seen anything like it.
"Clearly there was some negative feedback on Palin being associated with health care and the hospitals. Word on the street was that some base donors were angry with Palin's choice as speaker and that created the potential for some backlash." (Gee ya think?)
McMeekin said he was not familiar with the newly designated beneficiary.
Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Folks, you just CANNOT make this stuff up!
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Give it a little more time and she'll be uninvited!
ReplyDeleteOr she'll say she never accepted in the first place, also, too...
ReplyDeleteHas she ever quit and walked out in the middle of a speech?
ReplyDeleteshe is an expert on herpes
ReplyDeletePlastic surgeons everywhere would love to watch her speak.
ReplyDeleteI believe one of the Canadian articles states that the Charity of Hope organization that will benefit from this event is run/founded by the event organizer's brother. Uh-huh.
ReplyDeleteIs Kristan Cole or her convicted felon/embezzler mother involved in this shady deal somehow?????
Palin just twittered that the local book signing will be at the local sports arena. She wasn't clear if it was the Wasilla complex or her home address.
ReplyDeleteGood on the Canadian people for refusing to support The Palin! Of course, it took the general population rather than the white men running the show to call "foul" on this charade.
ReplyDeleteIt would be better if she was dis-invited (dissed?) rather than waiting for her to quit/claim she never accepted the invitation in the first place.
I always knew the Canadians had common sense on their side (snark).
How could they have even chosen her for a speech or anything else and thought it would be a GOOD thing? Were the organizers not aware of her notoriety?
ReplyDeleteWhy anyone wants her as a speaker is beyond me. It's certainly NOT because of her expertise in, uh, health care, bowling, logging, etc. It's all about the picture, the look, the oh-she's-a- cutesey-US-politician-previous VP candidate-with-a-following. Come on! She's a FAILED politician, a whiner, an expert at nothing more than winking and grifting. It's idiots like this that will book her and pay her that keep this female naked mole rat on the stage. My God are they all that stupid? Oh wait, maybe it's men booking her for her looks, yeah and some women that wanna-be just like Sarah. Pffft, I never wanted to grow up to be trashy, stupid and through sexual innuendo climb my way to anything. Ignorance is NOT an American value that needs to be celebrated on the international stage. Cripes, it nearly makes me cry that so many can no see what's right before their eyes.
ReplyDeleteCanada has good health care and enough people to speak their disdain for Sister Sarah and they changed the charity... Who is this country is going to actually do something to derail her train?
ReplyDeleteAw, no one wants to hear Surgery Girl speak any more?
ReplyDelete"...Juravinski Cancer Centre and St. Peter's Hospital, the previously named beneficiaries, were "unfairly being made targets of a lot of negative publicity..."
ReplyDeleteThis is not liberalism. What is happening to us? Kumukimo
As a Canadian, I believe she was chosen because many of my fellow countrymen watch American news and felt she was a big deal. Most Canucks don't follow American politics as much as some of us.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I will say though, when we get mad...we get really mad. I think the invitation should be pulled, however another Canuck behaviour....is politeness to the point of almost being ridiculous. She should stay in the State of Alaska....look after her family....perhaps write a real autobiography to go along with her fiction book.
Thank you Canadians who took the time to scream your disdain.
Me thinks Sister Sarah should spend her time off rethinking her plan... The current one is not working very well.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but the negative publicity is to be expected when you attach yourself to a hateful, ignorant celebrity like Sarah Palin, the woman who proudly stands as the mouthpiece for the rabid anti-public health care, anti-reproductive choice crown.
ReplyDeleteTed McMeekin, or anyone else who might even think of having $P speak, the situation will always become strange, there will be controversy, and of course there is always the chance she won't show up at all. This is not news. I ,too, also hope they cancel the invitation and just tell her "thanks but no thanks". Yes, I am afraid the Canadians, just like the Brits don't want to be impolite, but with Sister Sarah, you really shouldn't let that matter. She certainly isn't polite, just ask the hairdresser in Salt Lake she stiffed.
ReplyDeletedoes she quit in the middle of sex too?
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone did the math and realize they would not make any money by paying her large sums of money. And of course, she would never donate her speaking fee back to the organization. Nah uh, she needs to be feeding those babies, doncha know.
ReplyDeleteI hope someone is going to make a movie about $P.
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest a title?
Trainwreck: Her Life as an IDIOT
What was she going to say to a hospital fund raiser for a hospital that does abortions anyway. she only has one speech, kill everything, no global warming, no abortion. conservatives do not get pro choice at all. they insist that if you are a feminist or pro choice you want everybody to abort their babies, no matter what. they do not understand choice.
ReplyDeleteOh, Teabagger concern troll, please do not deflect the topic of the thread: the failings of Sister Sarah per her Canadian engagement.
ReplyDeleteIf she does grow a set and actually show up, it will turn out to be an absolute fiasco. Canadians are like a mother bear, they will stay polite until something pisse them off. Then look out! Let's put it this way, the room will not be 100% filled with an adoring group. Prepare for a very unfriendly reception. If you pay $200 per plate, it buys you the right to speak out. This is going to be fun.
ReplyDeleteRun Scarah Run
ReplyDeleteYour morons are ignorant
You are the leader of the teabaggers (we love testicles resting on our face)
The President of the United States is Barack Hussein Obama
Take our country forward
As a Canadian I was baffled that they ask her, specially after the way She and the GOP bashed our "SOCIALISED" health care system. I like our system thank you very much so don't even try to F$#@ with it !!!
ReplyDeleteGryphen:
ReplyDeleteTed McMeekin is my representative and I've contacted his office. I'll keep you posted.
I think the organizer (don't get me started about him!) most likely changed the recipient from the hospital foundation to his brother's (!) children's charity because the people around here are super pissed-off with what she said about Canadian's health care system (I wish she would mind her own business and STFU!)
We don't want Quittypants speaking her crap in our country, where legal abortions are performed legally in our hospitals and paid for by our National Health Care. I was hoping THAT fact would cause her to withdraw from the engagement. There's still hope that the Quitter will Quit before she starts.
This still doesn't pass the smell test. If they indeed are paying her $200k for her to mangle syntax, grammar, and logic for 30 minutes, how much are they actually raising? It sounds like a mighty damn small percentage of money is actually going to any charity. Most of it is going straight into Palin's grubby little paws.
ReplyDeleteIf this is actually for charity, they are going to sell a bunch of expensive tickets or a smaller amount of VERY expensive tickets just to pay Palin. They aren't going to sell 1,000 tickets at $200 a pop, and that would just break even. Can they sell 200+ tickets at $1,000 a pop? Are there that many extremely stupid filthy rich people? Are the organizers planning on raising $201k, donating $1,000 to some charity, and then going to call it a "charity fundrasier?"
There is no way in hell that anything beyond 5% of the money raised will go to ANY charity. With the Wasilla Grifter involved, this is primarily a money making scam for Palin. What percentage will they guarantee will actually be donated to charity? Any "charity" that has administrative costs beyond 10-20% should be viewed with suspicion. This one has admin costs that will have to exceed 95%. That is no longer a "charity fundraiser," but rather a money making event with a token donation to charity. We haven't even begun to consider the money the shady promoter is surely going to take for himself.
This whole thing still sounds rather bullshitty to me. Cellulite Barbie has simply teamed up with another grifter to aid and abet her in her latest con
IMO the organizers of this event screwed up royally. They should have given it more careful consideration rather than jumping at the chance to have the asshole Sarah Palin speak.
ReplyDeleteThis from the Hamilton Spectator:
"In a Spectator poll asking if people would buy a ticket to see Palin, more than 4,300 of the almost 5,800 respondents said they would not."
I don't know, this should have been a clue, but maybe the readership of the paper is small. If it has a large readership, then someone - Dennis Concordia, one of the chairs of the event - just screwed over two hospital who could really have used the money. Really?!!? You thought it would be a good idea to have this moron speak at any health related event? Way to go, Dennis.
Clearly, this fool let his hard-on get the best of him. He and the other idiots that thought this was a good idea were banking on the same response she gets from her supporters - the ultra conservative ignoramuses of the Republican Party - who fawn all over her. Clearly, they decided to sidestep the glaringly obvious fact that she is, not well received outside of her base and is extremely divisive.
new face
ReplyDeletenew house
new car
what's next? new ethics complaint?? new indictment???
I think this is her pathetic attempt at trying to establish credibility for foreign travel and international expertise. Oh, and of course let's don't forget the $$$$!
ReplyDeleteIf there is a signed contract for $200,000 to Sarah for the speech,then the organizers must be kicking themselves as they scramble to find a venue to raise enough money to cover it.
ReplyDelete9:24 AM Anonymous ....
ReplyDeleteWay funny!
I read that the organizers know that they will barely break even on the event - but plan to raise $$$ selling photos with Palin. Wonder if they know that any $$$ raised from photos goes to SarahPac?
ReplyDeleteSP would not shake hand with Oliver Stone (due to the fact that he once said something nice about Hugo Chavez) - she brags about this fact in her "book." But now she will speak at a hospital that performs ABORTIONS? WTF?
Palin is, by FAR, the most divisive person I have EVER observed - EVER. Worse than Joseph McCarthy (and yes, I remember him - I am from his hometown, Appleton, WI).
WORSE THAN MC CARTHY, WORSE THAN NIXON, WORST OF THE WORST!
"If there is a signed contract for $200,000 to Sarah for the speech,then the organizers must be kicking themselves as they scramble to find a venue to raise enough money to cover it."
ReplyDeleteToo bad there isn't a $200,OOO CONTRACT on $arah's head. That would be worth the money.
"
There is a Toronto Sun story about this, too.
ReplyDeleteCarmen's is listed as a cofounder of the Charity of Hope. They raise money and then give it out to other charities basically, after expenses.
ReplyDeleteCarmen's is a banquet hall, that hosts fundraisers. I think they saw the hype around Palin in the US and want to be a part of that. It is more about the larger game of fundraising in the greater Toronto area and who gets the be the big name player.
I can't see why anyone in Canada would be interested in hearing Palin speak about any topic.
*shudder*
Everything that she comes close to or touches turns to crap for everyone other than herself.
Could it be that his is all about publicity for Carmen's Banquet Centre? About putting asses in the seats no matter who can generate the needed interest?
ReplyDeleteCanada's children charities should be reminded that it was Palin who as Governor of Alaska cut funding for Special Needs school children by 62%.
ReplyDeleteHer values will never be equal to or a match for Canada's on any issue.
I didn't see the comment made by pacos_gal before I posted mine. She said it much better than I did!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing. There are some people who catch The Crazy from her just arranging a fundraiser. They must be extremely susceptible.
ReplyDeleteGryphen--$200,000 fee?????? Are you sure? Tell me she offered to do the speech for a like kind donation of surgery to remove the cottage cheese, double chin, and hair replacement.
ReplyDeleteOT: We must remember that the crazy lady is more than just a joke. She is very dangerous. See Leah Burton's new post today.
ReplyDeletehttp://godsownparty.com/blog/2009/12/palin-spews-7-mountains-mandate-rhetoric-reclaiming-america-for-god/
Her ignorance and vile rhetoric are bad enough, but her Fundie Dominionist beliefs remind me of the Taliban. I am serious - a Theocracy run by a crazed demagogue CAN happen here. Above all, this is why she must be stopped.
Gasman@10:35- Yes, I agree, somethings don't add up here. This arrangement doesn't seem to make sense. Since SP is involved, there is an increased likelihood of some funny bookkeeping.
ReplyDeleteDear Canadian friends,
ReplyDeletePlease feel free to keep her there.
It really gets into the realm of weird possibilities re: consciouis at last and Gasman, when you consider that the charity is partly founded by the owners of the Banquet Hall putting the event on.
ReplyDeleteIn June they raised $46,000. for the Charity of Hope.
So, figuring how much they are paying Palin and the figure was ballpark of $200,000. the venue is their own, the caterers are theirs, they expect to "sell" pictures of her to the folks who will spend $200. to come see her. It all sounds rather strange.
I still say it is about the publicity and the the future of the company in the big money fundraising game.
If they pull this off, and they will as long as Palin shows up, any publicity will be good because it will be a mater of "see what we Can do" and any figure put out as to how much raised, won't be questioned since it's all, shall we say "in house".
Sarahin2012, I don't mean to feed you but I know you really feel like you rile the readership up with your comments; on the contrary, they are hilarious and I think you make for good comedy relief.
ReplyDelete"...the ex-governor and one-time candidate for vice president will be at the Curtis C. Menard Memorial Sports Center Turf Court on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m."
ReplyDeleteContact Channel 2 News at news_desk@ktuu.com
H/T to crystalwolfakacaligrl on Palingates
According to ThinkProgress/Toronto Sun- Palin has been "given the boot" and "cancelled from speaking at St Peter's Hospital because of backlash of negative publicity"
ReplyDeleteGo Canada!!!!!!!!
Well, so much for "failure in Copenhagen", LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe President (a/k/a the "Kenyan Muslim Socialist") reached a "meaningful" climate deal with China, India and South Africa. Not a solution, but a solid beginning.
(Oh, and Sarahin2012? Shouldn't that be "Muslin"?)
Have a nice day!
Bet you she isn't getting the $200,000 fee. The hospitals bailed and are not liable for the fee. There is probably some clause allowing for either party to back out within a certain time frame.
ReplyDeleteIn order to save face for Sarah, they have arranged for another speaking engagement and Palin's organization has agreed at a reduced rate. Her organization can't admit the speech was pulled or the other scheduled speeches will do the same. They can't admit to the reduced fee or the other organizations will want a refund.
Can't wait for Huffington to pick this up and run with it as it does a lot to diminish her value as a speaker. This may be the reason the vacation was cut short....she didn't want to have to answer questions from reporters.
anon 10:11 Yes, she does. She lights up right after foreplay.
Perhaps by April 2010 she will have been outed by BabyGate.
ReplyDeleteOT....and the biggest political pants on fire lie of the year goes to(drum roll)........Palin`s Death Panels.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/
apologies for not posting the link correctly
Thanks, IC. I noticed the troll regurgitated some poll results from Fuchs Noose on the teabaggers' popularity in another post. What she/he forgot to include was that the poll results reflect the opinion of Fuchs Noose viewers ONLY, not the general public. The general public (non-Fuchs viewers) still doesn't admire the teabaggers. I really wish the Fuchs Noose viewers would consult other sources before using information from that source to crow about.
ReplyDeleteI applaud those Canadians who worked to let the general public know that Palin should not be asked to speak about anything even remotely related to health care after trashing their health care system. I'd take the Canadian hc system in a heartbeat and wouldn't mind paying the taxes associated with it. Its' services trump those of the American for-profit hc system.
There is a very large, well organized group of American Democrats living in Canada. I am one of them. We will, and have been, all over this. I doubt it will happen, but, if it does, there will be a demonstration. I live near Hamilton and will be there for sure. And we can round up a good-sized protest very quickly. Obama has a lot of fans and supporters here. Sarah does not. And we ex-pats are not as polite as our Canadian cousins.
ReplyDeleteNope, we don't want her here, thank you very much!!
ReplyDeletehttp://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/18/palin-hospital-backlash/
/ mia
From ThinkProgress.Org
ReplyDelete"Now, the Toronto Sun reports that Palin has “been given the boot” and will no longer appear at the fundraiser for St. Peter’s hospital. Jeff Valletine, the vice president of communications for Hamilton Health Sciences, said that he had received a backlash for inviting Palin"....
.....yeah about time!!
Just read on HP Palin DISINVITED from Canadian hospital speech. Those Canadians are smart people
ReplyDeleteFirst time to post. Just love your blog!!!!
ReplyDelete@ Sarahin2012, who wrote:
ReplyDelete"This is a trivial story.What is really happening today.Public revolt against the HCR Bill Failure in Copenhagen. This will be the end of the Kenyan Muslim Socialist' presidency.
A real present for the American people"....
Oh, ya? Are you already in hibernation or what...??
check this out...http://thedailypingpong.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/kudos-president-obama/
Before you say 'booya', it would be X-ams day and there will be a HCR bill!! So keep safe deep in your burrows my friend. We'll surely wake you up in spring, with lots of fanfare for sure!!
Canada says NO to Palin:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/11/palin-to-speak-at-fundrai_n_388758.html
will she bring Trig and his birth cert, or will she bail 'cause of that, or will she just leave him at the border with no shoes or socks?
ReplyDeleteGo Canada, Go Canada, Go Canada, Go Canada!
ReplyDeleteThanks to The Editor and Inner Maya Outer Chaya.
Canada is the best!!
While the headline Palin booted from Hospital Fundraiser is nice and sort of true, Palin was never Hired by the hospital for the fundraiser.
ReplyDeleteThe banquet hall (Carmens) planned to give the money to the hospital, whatever amount was raised.
She was Hired by Carmen's and as of now will still be at the fundraiser in Hamilton. The money will just go to the Charity of Hope, a Carmen cofounded charity. See my post of 12:15 and 1:12.
Thinkprogress and Huffington do not make it clear that she will still be speaking, just that the money will be going to a different issue.
Looks like we got us a teabagger! Sarahin2012, your’re as dumb as a stump, so I’ll type slowly and use small words.
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin attracts morons the way shit attracts flies. You are one of those moronic flies.
As of mid-week, Hamilton Health Sciences had received about 60 angry calls and e-mails from residents, about 10 of which involved donors who said they would not give again.
ReplyDeleteIn a Spectator poll asking if people would buy a ticket to see Palin, more than 4,300 of the almost 5,800 respondents said they would not.
"I don't think we could have predicted the backlash, not necessarily here in Hamilton but across North America," Concordia said.
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/693129
It seems your statement:
Wait, let me get this straight! Sarah Palin is being paid $200,000 to give a speech to raise money that nobody wants? And THIS seems like a good idea to WHO?
Is more than "off the mark", Gryphen. Obviously Palin will not get the ticket sales expected, along with donors withdrawing their regular funding from this hospital group AND the controversy.
Further to that:
Gabe Macaluso, (former CEO of Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, is a member of the committee organizing the visit and will release more details about the visit soon.) is the driving force behind this.
Here is something you should know about him:
Gambler sues casino over his downfall
Casino Niagara: Former high roller says limousine sent to entice him back
A high-profile Hamilton official who lost his job to a gambling addiction is suing the Ontario government and Casino Niagara for allegedly sending a limousine to take him back to the blackjack tables following a $500,000 loss.
Gabe Macaluso, former chief executive of Copps Coliseum, Hamilton Place and the Hamilton Convention Centre, lost $1-million over five years while he suffered what he calls a "secret, pathological" addition to gambling.
Mr. Macaluso joins a small but growing number of recovered gambling addicts in Ontario and Quebec who have filed lawsuits demanding government-run casinos stop them from ruining their lives.
http://www.markelliot.com/archive/oct1703.htm
Obviously he is a grifter, just like Palin.
Dr. Doolittle??
ReplyDeleteExcellent excellent jibe.
Maybe somebody should ask Sarah what she thinks of his stand on health care and see how she answers.
Thanks pacos-gal...I just realized that they hadn't declined her offer, just were using the money for a different cause.
ReplyDeleteI was so hoping that they said "thanks, but no thanks"
Thank you pacos gal for explaining it correctly as I see everywhere that the story is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why the hospital got so much backlash in that it was not them that hired Palin. They were just going to be one of the recipients of about $5 after her fees, travel expenses, the cling-on hillbilly family members expenses, hotel, together with the expenses to put it on.
If I remember correctly, the initial story said Gabe Macaluso was one of the organizers, then a comment on thespec site had a comment from one of the family Mercantis, who own Carmen's and who the family members are all the Directors of the Charity of Hope who has now been named the recipient. Has the flavor of the Alaska Trust Fund -- keeping it in the family.
All the emails and calls seem to have fallen on deaf ears in that they misunderstood. People plain and simple, don't want Palin in Canada. They took the complaints as against the hospitals. Sounds to me that the Mercantis are none too bright. New emails, calls, etc have to be sent to clarify it -- setting out her failures in Alaska as to withdrawing funding on issues dealing with kids; referencing her dragging her kids on tour and campaigns and the kids missing so much school and Trig not getting appropriate therapies as supposedly this Charity of Hope are involved with the Hamilton Education Boards - Catholic and Non-Catholic. These types of issues need to be raised to paint the picture of how bad she is.
You can read about the new 'charity' on their website Charityofhope.com There is an email address on the site to contact them together with a list of their supporters, most of which I don't recognize but those I do are BMO, YMCA, BDO Dunwoody, to name a few, though it's probably a Hamilton area office or branch and not head office but it can become a head office issue quite easily!
Here is a small part of a message that Mercanti posted Dec 11th in the comment section of the original story post:
ReplyDeletethespec.typepad.com/specthread/2009/12/palin-power.html
"Bringing Mrs. Palin to Carmen's is designed to bring Hamilton some more exposure"
"As a republican, Mrs. Palin is supposed to represent the stance on health care that she does. However her attendance at this event would be a tremendous opportunity to enlighten her on the beauty of universal health care. It is a known fact that the Americans do not have much information about the progressive health care that Canada offers. Her attendance at this event could be a great opportunity for us to showcase the many positives of our health care system.
We expect that reasonable readers of this post will understand that the HHS Foundation is simply acting as a gracious beneficiary of the event's proceeds, and what is wrong with that?
Posted by: PJ Mercanti"
He thinks he can enlighten her as to Canadian healthcare. I refer to this PJ Mercanti as 'stunned'. Also tells you they are in for the exposure yet they have no idea in that Palin sucks the air out of the room and no one else will be noticed or get a word in. Carmen's deserves to be a "closed business" for stupidity alone if this is the way they run fundraisers.
This jerk also spoke of Michael Douglas being a prior speaker for $150,000 and they raised $150,000 for the charities. Not worth the time, effort and my money for those peanuts if you're talking about 1,000 people. Donate it direct and save your time instead of lining someone's pockets and business.
She's trying to get her Nobel Piece Pipe creds in order by travelling to all these places, like Hawaii, Araksastan, and Roswell. Shame Canada isn't buying what she's selling!
ReplyDeleteTesting 1 2 3
ReplyDeleteWhew ..finally got the hang of posting here.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering...if the promoters of SP's book paid all those people standing in line at the book signings and gave them the books that they, the promoters, had already purchased....just to give the impression that people really wanted to see her. I find it hard to believe that a lot of those people had $50+ dollars to spend this close to Christmas on two books. Also it seems even stranger that no one in Hawaii was getting crazy about seeing her.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing seems a bit made up....just like all those old people at the meetings this summer who had to have been bused in and paid and given talking points to scream about...since what most of them were saying did not make any sense being that they were already on Medicare/Medicade....government programs.
Anyone else feel this is strange?
Silverlady, you're saying it's a set up? I'm not quite sure what you're getting at, but I think you're saying that "they" want it to look like a lot of Canadians hate their own system?
ReplyDeleteSarah Herself expected Hawaiians to fawn over her, IMO, so you may have a point there.
Though it shouldn't be strange that no one in Hawaii wanted to see her. It's Obama's birthplace and was the second-most leftwing state in the country after DC in '08 (yes, DC's not a state, but in elections it's counted as one).
ReplyDeleteMost of my extended family are rightwingnuts and the UNEDUCATED among them adore the grifter. They would definitely pay for these books in these tight times and wait in line to meet her. And these folks have plenty of company in the "reel amurka." So I don't think the signings were staged, particularly since the "bus" tour carefully selected locations where there is a large concentration of the "reel amurka." It's the Repug base, but the numbers aren't really all that impressive.
ReplyDeleteReesie @ 1018am--thanks a lot--just got coffee all over the table!!!
ReplyDeleteMacAndCheeseWiz said...
ReplyDelete"She's trying to get her Nobel Piece Pipe creds in order..."
If she wants to promote peace in this country she should immediately STFU and go home.
verbose;
ReplyDeleteNo that was not what I was saying. I was trying to say that I thought that the book tour was rigged to show that many people came out to see and buy the book on their own. Maybe not but I really don't put anything past the folks that SP has hooked up with.
As of mid-week, Hamilton Health Sciences had received about 60 angry calls and e-mails from residents, about 10 of which involved donors who said they would not give again.
ReplyDeleteIn a Spectator poll asking if people would buy a ticket to see Palin, more than 4,300 of the almost 5,800 respondents said they would not.
"I don't think we could have predicted the backlash, not necessarily here in Hamilton but across North America," Concordia said.
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/693129
Hamilton is a city located Ontario, Canada. It is currently the 8th largest city in Canada, with a population estimated at 714,900 in the metropolitan area and 490,268 with Hamilton in the census conducted in......... 2001
Compared to the state of Alaska's ENTIRE population of 686,293 (2008 est.) and 626,932 (2000)
The Hamilton Spectator, founded in 1846, is a newspaper published every day but Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with a 61% readership.
The Hamilton Spectator reaches
128,500 more adults daily; and
142,300 adults on Saturday than the
Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Globe &
Mail and National Post combined!*
http://media.hamiltonspectator.com/acrobat/ce/7f/a7b44e3b4baeba5e5ed18b9e976b.pdf
Since the Hamilton Spectator is the largest paper in the province their polling data shows that IF Palin shows up........she won't have much of an audience...........lol
Obviously Palin will not get the ticket sales expected, along with donors withdrawing their regular funding from this hospital group AND the controversy.
Now the same may happen to this children's charity.
Further to that:
Gabe Macaluso, (former CEO of Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, is a member of the committee organizing the visit and will release more details about the visit soon.) and his families charity are behind this.
The directors and officers of the Charity of Hope are as follows:
Sam Mercanti - President
Lynn Mercanti - Director
Roberto Ficzere - Director
George Lamparski - Secretary
Andre Couture - Treasurer
Here is something you should know about him:
Gambler sues casino over his downfall
Casino Niagara: Former high roller says limousine sent to entice him back
A high-profile Hamilton official who lost his job to a gambling addiction is suing the Ontario government and Casino Niagara for allegedly sending a limousine to take him back to the blackjack tables following a $500,000 loss.
Gabe Macaluso, former chief executive of Copps Coliseum, Hamilton Place and the Hamilton Convention Centre, lost $1-million over five years while he suffered what he calls a "secret, pathological" addition to gambling.
Mr. Macaluso joins a small but growing number of recovered gambling addicts in Ontario and Quebec who have filed lawsuits demanding government-run casinos stop them from ruining their lives.
http://www.markelliot.com/archive/oct1703.htm
Macaluso, who successfully steered HECFI through a decade, became embroiled in controversy since it was revealed that a gambling addiction left him well over $500,000 in debt to a variety of HECFI suppliers, contractors and employees, as well as institutions and friends.
So Macaluso, steals from HECFI suppliers, contractors and employees, as well as institutions and friends..........then sues the Ontario government for his gambling addiction!!
What his "charity" does is ....... convince entertainers and speakers to perform, they cover the venue etc.....THEN after paying THEMSELVES a BIG FAT WAGE for arranging all of this........they turn the crumbs over to their chosen charity.
It was rumored that only $5.00 of the $200.00 per plate dinner would be all that was remaining to give to the hospital group.
What a JOKE!!
Obviously he is a grifter, just like Palin and most likely his entire family is the same.
Toronto Sun:
ReplyDelete“It’s official - she’s going to come here...” Mercanti said.
~ Yes, because she was booked for $200,000, by Peter Mercanti, through the Washington Speakers Bureau.
"The Charity of Hope raises funds for local kids on behalf of school boards, YMCAs, youth groups and other institutions that benefit children."
~ See the Hamilton Spectator follow-up below.
“My opinion is if she’s going to come to Hamilton and speak here, why not have her? You have to park the politics when it comes to helping people,” Mercanti said.
~ Okay, well, refer to the first paragraph. She was booked, Mr. Mercanti, by your brother, for a very large speaker's fee. She wasn't going to Hamilton for any other reason. It WAS NOT like she was already going to be there anyway, which is what that untruthfully implies.
But wait a minute. Unless...maybe there's something that the Mercanti boys know that the rest of us don't?
Upstate New York is just a few minutes away on the other side of the border. American attendees are expected. So why, exactly, is Peter Mercanti so keen on having Mrs. Palin, even at the expense of relationships in his own city and Canada?
How is he even familiar with her? Is this about Meg Stapleton? Is this about New York politics? Are the Mercantis "incognito" Teabaggers? Does it have anything to do with sister city Flint, Michigan?
http://www.thespec.com/article/693678
Palin switch surprised charity boss
Dec. 19
"Since 2003 -- the charity's first full year -- The Charity of Hope has received almost $578,000 in donations and receipted gifts, according to the Canada Revenue Agency. Of that almost $166,000 has gone to local charities and children, $248,000 was spent on fundraisers and more than $290,000 on other expenses.
Mercanti did not have an immediate explanation of what "other expenses" included..."
http://www.stoneycreeknews.com/news/article/197919
"The organizers of the April fundraising event...say they are not bowing to any political pressure to switch beneficiaries.
When Palin was announced as the keynote speaker earlier this month, organizers trumpeted that she “reflected the organizer’s values and polices.”
It is estimated that Palin...will pocket about $200,000 for the speech.
Concordia said Palin’s topic that she will discuss remains open.
Someone help me out. What am I missing? When I do the math, $200 per ticket, with expected sales of 1,000, that equals gross ticket sales of $200,000. So how are they generating revenue for charity?
There's money here somewhere that isn't being mentioned. And a big write-off.
It seems that the Mercantis' main business purpose is charitable organization fund-raising.
That's an interesting set up. I think auditors need to be a little interested.
As I said above, this does NOT pass the smell test. Something is bullshitty with this whole affair. At best, they will donate pennies on the dollar to charity. It is therefore, NOT a charity event. It is a for profit event with a token charity donation. If attendees are really interested in supporting a specific charity, they would be much better off making a direct donation.
ReplyDeleteThis scam will funnel 95% or more of the money raised to Palin and the promoters. This is a scam.
Wow. Palin involved in a money making scam? Who could have seen that one coming?