Pandering to nonprofit community abuses

By Gail E. Neira

The political correctness of affirmative action to equalize opportunities for minorities caused a maze of corruption and administrative mediocrity.

If affirmative action programs dragged on and on, dysfunctional administrative and leadership talent are to blame. People were appointed or hired to balance fiscal responsibility and humanitarian services with no or limited tracking profile validating their role as caretakers of other people's resources. The level of intelligence to relate to the populations being served, other than sharing similar heritage and other 'minority' factors considered disadvantages, were secondary to just meeting the physical and political priorities. Oftentimes, the caliber of minority / ethnic individuals or consortiums allowed to decipher the needs of a special population managed programs with ammunitions of retaliation and blackmail to mask their undersophisticated capabilities and disorganized habits.

To avoid political blackmail, corporation and government bureaucracies found it easier to dole out monies with little expectations or demands for public accountability. Public Utilities corporations and other government regulated industries were especially afraid to monitor the route their donations were taking within many community and research nonprofits. Budgets, for California Attorney General's and Secretary of States offices to supposedly monitor or investigate for complaints of irregularity, were skimpy.

A maze of community and research type of nonprofits habitually lay blame on insufficient funds and alleged discrimination when mainstream taxpayers would not open their pocketbooks so readily. It may be worth reflecting the merits of weighing intellectual and leadership competence over minority common interests as a basis for assigning management of tax and corporate foundation funds to alleviate past inequalities and injustices. Luckily, the 90's of fiscal conservatism and greater prosperity is less tolerant of mediocrity whether in private industry or nonprofit organizations. Political pandering with public resources and funds is no substitute for leadership and management competence, ethics and integrity.