The War Kids 990s

The Buffalo News has seen them, and confirms:

Congressional candidate Jon Powers released documents Wednesday showing that he earned $15,000 from his Iraq children’s charity in the first five months of 2007 — a year in which the organization raised only $41,738.

But the Powers campaign also released a letter from Veterans for America, the huge veterans organization where Powers worked, showing that the $60,000 he earned in 2006 was tied to his job as vice president for policy for that organization, as well as the War Kids Relief effort he ran there.

“Our opponents keep trying to frame it as if Jon was trying to rob War Kids blind, and it’s patently false,” said John Gerken, Powers’ campaign manager. “The claim that he took $77,000 from War Kids is patently false.”

Davis and whoever else can paint War Kids as a failure if they’re so inclined, but the original smear was false on its face. I think definitely it helps Davis in the primary. If he hands out $50 bills with his lit. Powers has the grassroots. Davis has the gasroots.

The sad thing in all this is that Jack Davis has taken something noble, something that Powers really believed in, although it didn’t accomplish everything it set out to, but did good nonetheless, and threw it in the mud and spat on it. To me, as a voter in that district, Jack Davis has revealed himself to be worse than just a flawed candidate with ugly views. He’s human filth.

UPDATE: To all of the commenters who have done so much more than Jon Powers to address the plight of the young Iraqi kids affected by the war, here is a list of War Kids’ accomplishments under Powers’ watch:

On Friday, August 15th, 2008, Jon Powers submitted the IRS form 990 to the Internal Revenue Service to comply with filing requirements for War Kids Relief. The form shows that for the fiscal year 2007, War Kids Relief raised $41,738. Powers also made available an IRS form 990 in anticipation of fiscal year 2008 showing that War Kids Relief raised $25,000 prior to being reorganized under another 501(c)(3).

Powers also furnished a letter from his former employer, Veterans For America, detailing their involvement with War Kids and his role with both organizations. Under VFA, War Kids Relief was able to raise $68,336.

Below are the facts with regard to the financial numbers for War Kids Relief:

• Total Raised: $135,074;
• Total Spent on Salary: $18,900, of which $15,000 went to Jon Powers;
• Total Spend on Educational, Advocacy, and Service Programs: $100,303.80;
• Total Spent on overhead at VFA: $15,870.20. (20% per VFA’s government approved NICRA rate)

The $100,303.80 spent on educational, advocacy, and service programs went toward:

• Collaborating in Baghdad with UNICEF, USAID, Department of Defense personnel, the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Iraqi Child Welfare Council, and the World Bank to design a model for child care for children abandoned as a result of the Iraq War;

• Research and presentation to the RAND Corporation regarding Positive Youth Development to Deter Youth Radicalism;

• Research and publication of “Iraq’s Youth at a Time of War,” in Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Review Journal.

• Development and pilot of the Youth Center Work Study Program with the Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports to engage Iraq’s out of school youth;

• Development and pilot of a Youth Conference between American and Iraqi Students in coordination with Iraq Embassy personnel.

• Developing programs with Iraqi youth oriented NGO’s in Kurdistan to provide crucial links between Iraqi and American youth.

While with VFA, Powers was paid to work on the following:

• July 2005 – Started at VFA as program manager of War Kids Relief.

• May 2006 – Vice President of Policy for War Kids Relief (paired with his role as program manager of War Kids Relief)

• Generally: Provided research and program development with fellow Veterans to publicize and correct the problems facing returning soldiers and veterans. Helped develop legislation with VFA colleagues and fellow veterans.

• Summer 2006 – Witness to National Institute of Health on PTSD DSM-4 hearings.

• December 2006 – Witness to Department of Defense Mental Health Task Force under Lieutenant General Kiley. Provided research and testimony on suicidal veterans prior to the Joshua Omvig Bill.

• Specific legislation that Powers worked on:
– Lane Evans Bill requiring VA to do reports on the War.
– Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act – Extending Health Care from 2-5 years.
– Homelessness Prevention Act.

• VFA worked with Bob Woodruff on his work at ABC – To Iraq and Back

• Spokesperson on BBC, CNN, CBC, and other major news outlets

• February 2007 – Toured Walter Reed Hospital the day after the Washington Post broke the story.

• January 2007-March 2007 – VFA decides to refocus on Veterans issues exclusively and War Kids Relief becomes its own 501(c)(3).