Toledo Blade calls out local YMCA/JCC for overpaying employees http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/toledo-blade-calls-out-local-ymca-jcc-for-overpaying-employees1/ The salaries of top employees at the YMCA and Jewish Community Center of Greater Toledo – as well as those of employees in the entire state—are under scrutiny as the YMCA/JCC announced that it will close one of its branches due to overhead outpacing revenue. en-us jberkman@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-07-30T;20:00:00-05:00 Comment by Yaakov Watkins YAAKOVWATKINS@COMCAST.NET It strikes me that the merger of a Jewish Community Center and a Young Men’s Christian Association is the merger of two organizations which did not have clear cut missions.  I would not consider donating to an organization.  It does not surprise me that it was sufficiently mismanaged as to overpay their management. It strikes me that the merger of a Jewish Community Center and a Young Men’s Christian Association is the merger of two organizations which did not have clear cut missions.  I would not consider donating to an organization.  It does not surprise me that it was sufficiently mismanaged as to overpay their management.

]]> 2011-02-25T;01:28:00-05:00 Comment by Gino ginok@att.net You clearly have to be very careful when giving tzedakah that it goes to the needy and not the greedy. You clearly have to be very careful when giving tzedakah that it goes to the needy and not the greedy.

]]> 2011-02-25T;01:28:00-05:00 Comment by Gino ginok@att.net The flagrant nepotism involved in employing family members is obvious . . . almost as bad as Rabbi Hier and his gang of “Wies guys” at the Wiesanthal Center at their main palace in Los Angeles. Last time I checked, Hier had his wife and sons on the payroll for years accounting for over $1 million in salaries and benefits annually.  In an article in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal(“Center Responds to Critical News Story,” Aug. 15, 2003), Ira Lipman, “the man most responsible for setting compensation levels for the center” who as a member of the board and chair of its human resources committee is arrogantly casual in dismissing the obvious excesses and nepotism, and fails to mention that the firm of which he is CEO, Guardsmark, is listed on the Center’s IRS Form 990 for 2001 as its highest compensated independent contractor, having received $687,437 for “professional services.” It sounds like the “good ol’ boy” network is alive and well feeding at the Jewish philanthropy trough, perhaps throughout the entire system. An organization that feeds at the public trough must not only avoid impropriety but even the appearance of impropriety.  If family members of President/CEO Alexander are so highly competent they shouldn’t have any problem commanding equally high salaries in the private sector and allow the YMCA and Jewish Community Center of Greater Toledo to remain free from nepotism or its appearance.  The same goes for other excessively highly paid employees at the organization which is not Alexander’s personal cash cow to use as he sees fit for family and friends. The flagrant nepotism involved in employing family members is obvious . . . almost as bad as Rabbi Hier and his gang of “Wies guys” at the Wiesanthal Center at their main palace in Los Angeles.

Last time I checked, Hier had his wife and sons on the payroll for years accounting for over $1 million in salaries and benefits annually.  In an article in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal(“Center Responds to Critical News Story,” Aug. 15, 2003), Ira Lipman, “the man most responsible for setting compensation levels for the center” who as a member of the board and chair of its human resources committee is arrogantly casual in dismissing the obvious excesses and nepotism, and fails to mention that the firm of which he is CEO, Guardsmark, is listed on the Center’s IRS Form 990 for 2001 as its highest compensated independent contractor, having received $687,437 for “professional services.”

It sounds like the “good ol’ boy” network is alive and well feeding at the Jewish philanthropy trough, perhaps throughout the entire system.

An organization that feeds at the public trough must not only avoid impropriety but even the appearance of impropriety.  If family members of President/CEO Alexander are so highly competent they shouldn’t have any problem commanding equally high salaries in the private sector and allow the YMCA and Jewish Community Center of Greater Toledo to remain free from nepotism or its appearance.  The same goes for other excessively highly paid employees at the organization which is not Alexander’s personal cash cow to use as he sees fit for family and friends.

]]> 2011-02-25T;01:28:00-05:00 Comment by Sheldon Green sheldonlgreen@hotmail.com A golf tournament that has $4.3 million in revenue?  I think someone needs to check that figure and get back to the readers. A golf tournament that has $4.3 million in revenue?  I think someone needs to check that figure and get back to the readers.

]]> 2011-02-25T;01:28:00-05:00 Comment by Howard Wallick hwallick@colbrookdev.com Jacob: This sentence seems to be in error: “The Blade also calls out Silverman for employing his wife...” There is no Siverman referred to above, but there is one below. Jacob: This sentence seems to be in error: “The Blade also calls out Silverman for employing his wife...” There is no Siverman referred to above, but there is one below.

]]> 2011-02-25T;01:28:00-05:00 Comment by Dannyb ejewishphilanthropy@gmail.com The Toledo Blade’s bite-sized comments on compensation are over-simplified and problematic, at best. Same came be said for every other publication making similar accusations. The Toledo Blade’s bite-sized comments on compensation are over-simplified and problematic, at best. Same came be said for every other publication making similar accusations.

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