I've been hearing lately how Air America's start-up funds were diverted from a group called The Gloria Wise Foundation. This is the only news report I've been able to find that doesn't come a right wing news site.
If this is the case, this is a shame. Could this be why they don't talk about poverty issues more?
http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/...p-283184c.html
New York Daily News -
http://www.nydailynews.com
Key kids, senior programs saved
BY BOB KAPPSTATTER
DAILY NEWS BRONX BUREAU CHIEF
Tuesday, July 26th, 2005
A Bronx congressman yesterday praised the smooth takeover of dozens of programs serving thousands of youngsters and seniors across the borough after the city yanked funding from two sponsoring agencies that have come under a cloud.
The nonprofit Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club and its affiliate Pathways for Youth found their city contracts, running into the millions of dollars, abruptly ended last month by the city Department of Investigation.
The city quickly brought in outside agencies on one-year contracts to run the programs, including the Jewish Association for Seniors for Aged and the Police Athletic League, with in-place workers kept on the job pending individual evaluations.
Rep. Joseph Crowley, who has secured more than $500,000 in federal funding for Gloria Wise programs in the the past few years, said he and his staff "have spent countless hours" working with the city, the Co-op City community where a number of the programs are based, other Bronx elected officials and the new contractors.
He praised the city for what he called "an apparently seamless transfer of contracts" that have kept all the programs up and running without interruption for an estimated 20,000 or so youngsters, handicapped individuals and seniors.
"What is paramount is that they are maintaining the programs," he said. "This is a work in progress."
Crowley (D-Bronx, Queens) said he was "totally shocked - shocked is an understatement" when news of the loss of funding first broke.
He said he and other elected officials are still in the dark over the exact nature of the probe.
In its initial announcement, the DOI said it was probing allegations that program officials "approved significant inappropriate transactions and falsified documents that were submitted to various city agencies."
According to published reports, the allegations involve Charles Rosen, the founder of Gloria Wise who has stepped down as executive director, investing city contract funds in Air America Radio, the liberal talk radio network.
Evan Cohen, Air America's former chairman, had served as Gloria Wise's director of development.