How stupid am I? I volunteered for the McCain/Palin campaign. Spent hours and hours making phone calls. And not one time did I ask for a pay check. I did get a couple of slices of Pizza and a diet coke, but apart from that I just got "thanks" and the priviledge of being a part of something I believed in.
So now the President Elect tells us we have to do something for our country (sounds familiar) in order for our country to do something for us.
And yet, the "volunteers" for his campaign were not volunteers at all - they were paid workers!! They did not do this for the love of Obama. They did not do this because they wanted to be a part of history. They did it for the oldest of American reasons - COLD ... HARD... CASH!
Don't misunderstand me. For now at least, this is the home of capitalism. Good luck to them. There is one thing that bothers me - they were getting paid in gift cards! How about Social Security and Medicaid? Anyway.......
Now they're pretty mad they had to wait for the pay check - and many felt short changed.
The following comments taken from the story on WTHR - the NBC afflliate in Indianapolis.
"It should have been $480. It's $230," said Imani Sankofa.
"They gave us $10 an hour. So we added it. I added up all the hours so it was supposed to be at least $120. All I get is $90," said Charles Martin.<br>
"I worked nine hours a day for 4 days and got paid half of what I should have earned," said Randall Waldon.
Some people weren't satisfied with filling out a claim form for money they felt was still due to them.
"They say that they gonna call you or they going to mail it to you, but I don't know. We'll see what happens," said Antron Grose.
"Talking about they'll mail it to us. I ain't worried about that, man. They're not going to mail nothin'," said Martin.
Will any of this stuff be put to rest so that we can get on with the crucial repair of this country.
The more the negative is focused on the worse it is ...it is out there yes...but if we don't get on the side of the positive and good things to come, we will regress and that is not good.
I heard they were after Sara Palin this morning on controversial issues....It's over thank God..haven't we heard enough bashing..........let us move on...we need to stop digging this hole deeper. I wish the media would focus on the good things that happen instead of sensationalizing everything. When I saw the interview with Sara Palin and they were firing these questions, I felt so bad for her. She had this pleading look on her face that said " again....just let me be and leave me alone" The American public can love you one minute and beat you up the next.
Why do they care anyway about a measly 30 bucks? Now that Obama is elected they don't have to worry about paying their mortgage, or putting gas in their car...
Imagine what they would think they were entitlted to if they had actually given up time blogging for their candidate like you did!
I understand people like June want the negative stuff to be over, but I think it's just begun. I think you are about to witness revenge for the media election free pass that Obama got during the election, (at least in the blogosphere.)
Just a note to Michele...boy I hope you are wrong about the revenge.. I just can't see how the negative stuff emphasized will be good for the country.......regardless of party affiliation....maybe I am naive but I sure was in hope for some sort of healing in this nation. Curious I just wondered what you meant about ..people like June... just curious....I still say human nature will love you one minute and beat you up in the next.
Hi Simon. One more note... I agree with Jason, I have never heard of it either I thought it was all volunteer. I also thought the volunteers were created at a local level to support their choice of candidates. Would the candidates even know of all the different local volunteer organizations created on their behalf? I don't know hos it works..I just know after an election ..there is always someone that is going to be unhappy and what good does it do? It just continues the resentment, negativity, fear, anger none of these things are good for individuals or the country just my 2 cents
Goodness gracious- it's always something. Those comments from the workers was priceless!
How come the Obama campaign paid them in gift cards? Why not real money? That seems odd to me. The only thing I can think of for the reason why they weren't paid the whole amount due was maybe the taxes were deducted and that was the net amount. Hmm? I'm not sure.
Thanks for your work on the McCain campaign. You work was not in vain. We did a lot of campaigning for our Rep. Governor's race and he too lost. Now is the time to re-group and become stronger for the next election!
Thanks for sharing, Nicole Weidauer
The Egerer & Weidauer Team, Keller Williams Realty North Seattle
Simon - Prediction. Mr. Obama will be the most scrutinized President in American History... the snide comments are already rolling in as they did with Mr. Bush. I hope our country grows up a bit.
As far the volunteers, I too haven't heard of them being paid at that level.
Simon this is just the start. There are going to be a lot of disapointed people who voted for him. When they find out they will be no better in the longrun they won't be happy. Just this time they can't blame the Right.
I worked on a campaign a few years ago where there were paid workers - what was really sad was thi was for a republican candidate and the majority of the paid workers were for the other party! And they sit around laughing about it.
LOL...I really thought perhaps we would go a day before something would surface. LOL This is a harbinger, however, because when you have a man who promises "blue" to people who want blue, "purple" to people clamoring for "purple" and "orange" to people who demand orange, well, the day eventually comes when you cannot deliver and *someone* is going to be mighty disappointed.
Whatcha wanna bet there will be no free mortgages and free gas, either? People projected on a blank slate what they WANTED from the blank slate...it will be interesting to see what happens when they realize nothing is going to change and they were duped.
Interesting, but not surprising. I knew that Acorn (Nonpartisan...) was paying people to get others to register. This appears to be an extension of that. But...As June stated, it is time to move on and to try to come together.
All the blogging about this will never bring any suspected wrong doing to justice - rather it will just continue to divide us as a country - especially since the Democratic party has control - they will not investigate one of their own.
Getting paid in gift cards = highly targeted economic stimulus! I always thought campaign workers were volunteers, with the exception of 2-3 paid staffers per office. I hope that this is just an isolated situation.
If he doesn't take care of HIS workers, what does that say about the way he's going to take care of the rest of us? I HOPE this was just a simple oversight, but I DON'T THINK SO.
Maybe he wants the rest of us to spread the wealth around, just not HIS WEALTH?
Nicole, if they pay them with gift cards, I assume that gets them out of paying taxes on it, meaning it's a gift not income. I believe you can gift someone like $11,000 a year. I don't know though. I'm too tired to remember tax law.
I have been following this thread and Nicholas, with respect on your opinion, read these comments..there is plenty of anger here too. So I would think there has been plenty of anger directed to both candidates from both sides. If my opinion matters at all...Anger never accomplishes anything and a lot needs to be accomplished. We need to move on. Anger is such a stong emotion ..and is an emotion that is related to destruction.
June ~ I am not angry, I just fear for my country and my family. Liberals have always depleted the military during their administrations. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton so depleted our military it took years for Ronald Reagan and George Bush to get our military back to fighting strength, and it costs billions of dollars. And then liberals complain about the surpluses, there were no surpluses, just spending money the military needed, and spend it somewhere redistributing wealth.
MAYBE Obama's "VOLUNTEERS" wouldn't work with OUT getting paid. Every thought about that?
I've worked for campaigns before as a VOLUNTEER and never got paid one red cent....NOT that I expected to. After all, I VOLUNTEERED!! I guess that's the difference between the republican Volunteers and the Democrat Volunteers. The DEMS, evidently, don't do anything without getting paid. Guess that will be a new concept in this "Spreading the Wealth Around" Administration. OH WAIT A MINUTE....HE FORGOT TO TURN THE SPREADER ON!!!...well at least for the money anyway.
Hi again Nicholas I appreciate your opinion and concern. I was referring to anger about all this election in general..justified or not ..bottom line what a Great Country our America that we can voice an opinion with out being persecuted. I hope and pray it will always be that way. Your comment is something to think about though. The great think about AR is that we have so many different viewpoints and comments and there is always something to think about. Simon.......these comments may just go on for ever. Did you plan that?
June - my blogs usually attract lots of comments. I note your comments, but it is interesting that you didn't comment on the main blog - just on Nick's supposed anger - which by the way he does not have. He is concerned just as I am. He wants President Elect Obama to remember what country he is the leader of - not the one with the "fatally flawed" consitution. But the main point of this is that "volunteers" were not "volunteers" at all. ANd worse than that, the Obama campaign apparently ripped them off AND helped hem avoid paying what was due to the Government. I'd like your opinion on that.
Simon,
Maybe this is how "spread the wealth" works. Maybe we just don't understand it. Who are we to judge? These people are not entitled to what they thought, just what they need. Their need are being met.
I am not sure I can take 4 years of that kind of drivel.
Hi Simon I already commented on your blog earlier the 7 th comment. and the 9th comment and the 10th comment so I did voice my opinion to your blog . I am not the enemy here just an advocate for
moving on. What good is it to re-hash things that we have no control over. All my comments were we need to get on ..pick up the pieces and try to get some sort of normalcy to our lives. I could add that I admire you for your volunteerism and your conviction...
.as far as the video..well it's disturbing. As for me I wouldn't even expect or consider payment for standing on the side of what I truly believed in. You did ..as many others...that's admirable
BTW I did not say Nicholas was agry--re-read my comment.. what I said was that there is a lot of anger( justified or not ) in the comments. My opinion was just that..not to start another war. If you read my blogs there is no way you would determine who I supported..only because as a Realtor I decided to keep that private......so I am not taking sides,,who would think an observation and opinion wouldcaused any mis-understanding.
Simon it could be that Obama couldn't pay the volunteer's all he promised them because he spent too much of his campaign money on gas cards to buy votes.
This is a true story: I just found out that a DNC worker went to a friend's father's gas station in my state the day of the election to buy $2,000 worth of $10 gas cards. My friend's father flat refused to sell the cards because he knew the cards would be used to buy votes and it was a matter of principle. Too bad the President-Elect has no principles.
Simon ~ The left always cries foul and that we are angry, bigots or hate mongers if we say anything against the messiah. The liberal media is going to have a hard time reporting all the news about Obama. Soviet Union of America, anyone?
Hey Sean, Why should anyone be surpirsed? The election is over and you're not suppose to be telling tales in class. "They" won't like you--stay tuned for more...
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I hope that they prosecute Obama for not paying SS and taxes on the payroll for his campaign.