<p>Govaffairs–well, if my freshman comp students based their essay analysis on “well I just think” rather than on the evidence, I’d be disappointed in them. too.</p>
<p>^ Well if Bristol is doing some good by public speaking, what is the big deal?</p>
<p>Someone offered to pay her that money and she accepted it, what would you do?</p>
<p>Also, if you reread the first couple pages of this thread it’s pretty obvious some posters were ticked-off that Bristol was pulling in this kind of cash.</p>
<p>Thats just the point. Is there really any evidence that her public speaking is doing any good? What <em>would</em> be doing good would be for her to make a DONATION to this organization, not to drain the coffers. No one is angry except you, GovtAffairs. Please stop with the projection.</p>
<p>^ Explain to me how it’s any of your business how she handles her finances?</p>
<p>You just don’t like Bristol and you’re trying to make a point to make her look bad. </p>
<p>It’s a personal thing and nothing more.</p>
<p>Bill Clinton gets paid mega-bucks to speak at university graduations, I highly doubt there is any evidence that his speeches somehow make a difference either. </p>
<p>Perhaps he should just start making donations to those colleges instead of draining the coffers?</p>
<p>How is a well-off and famous teen single mother, fresh off “Dancing With the Stars”, going to discourage other impulsive or magically-thinking teenage girls from becoming single mothers?</p>
<p>Majic Johnson set up a foundation to increase AIDS awareness
He didnt take large sums of money from it to help himself. If Bristol’s efforts to help address teen pregnancy were altrusitic instead of self-serving, the comments here would be very different. Cartera hit the nail on the head. Perhaps if Bristol had accepted a smaller speakers engagement fee and donated the rest back to the cause, she would be more believable, and would engender more respect.</p>
<p>Gov–I love opinions!!! What i’m questioning is when people give theirs, you keep saying, 'well, what they REALLY think is", with no reason given. Why even post if your stance is, “no one else means what they say.”</p>
<p>It doesn’t seem conducive to an actual give and take of conversation, though it’s certainly your right to maintain that stance.</p>
<p>Ok, I understand now.</p>
<p>None of this has anything to do with a personal dislike of Bristol Palin (or her mother).</p>
<p>This is just about your personal concerns over teen pregnancy awareness and the fiscal matters of a non-profit you probably never knew about until you read this article?</p>
<p>How do you all feel about Snooki’s fee from Rutgers?</p>
<p>If ya’ll aren’t seeing the anger and resentment in earlier posts, you aren’t reading with an unbiased eye. It’s part of the Palin derangement syndrome…salivate…pant, pant, blood pressure rise, I can feel it already.</p>
<p>Just think, Bristol’s mother had a baby that she should have aborted too, the nerve! And then to be so public and make money off of her fame, nobody would do that?</p>
<p>Now I am annoyed with these charities that exist purely for the purpose of paying their executives, and think they shouldn’t have a tax exempt status. I have no love WHATSOEVER for anyone in the Palin family, any of em on, I change the channel. But the rage that they bring out in people? I’ll never get it.</p>
<p>“Gov–I love opinions!!! What i’m questioning is when people give theirs, you keep saying, 'well, what they REALLY think is”, with no reason given. Why even post if your stance is, “no one else means what they say.”</p>
<p>It doesn’t seem conducive to an actual give and take of conversation, though it’s certainly your right to maintain that stance. "</p>
<p>Garland,</p>
<p>I think many of you are being disingenous about your motivations, so no - I don’t believe what some of you are saying.</p>
<p>“This isn’t some scientific debate, what evidence would you like?
Do you have a problem with opinions?”</p>
<p>Bingo!</p>
<p>Bill Clinton is not taking money from non-profits for his own personal gain. He is being paid by institutions for providing a service. Is his speakers fee outrageously high? Probably. Is he commanding high fees because he accomplished something (serving as president) sure. He earned it. And I strongly suspect he makes nice donations to many non profits and to institutions of higher learning. He probably donates to his alma mater. Does Bristol? Oh wait… she doesnt have an alma mater.</p>
<p>This thread is being purposely turned into a political discussion. One can hear the ticking of the countdown clock to its demise.</p>
<p>As for Snookie-- paying her some outrageous speakers fee is equally stupid, IMO. (But hey- thats New Jersey for ya 
)</p>
<p>I kind of admire her spunk. At her age getting outed for being unwed and pregnant on the world stage would have had me slinking off to some cave. I guess that is the expectation several on this thread have for her.</p>
<p>“I kind of admire her spunk. At her age getting outed for being unwed and pregnant on the world stage would have had me slinking off to some cave.”</p>
<p>It would have had me slinking off to an abortion clinic, personally. Having babies is painful, hard, so little sleep and so much work.</p>
<p>
The same way I feel about Charlie Sheen and Bristol Palin. None of them are qualified to speak in public.</p>
<p>“Bill Clintin is not taking money from non-profits for his own personal gain. He is being paid by institutions for providing a service. Is his speakers fee outrageously high? Probably. Is he commanding high fees because he accom[plished something (serving as president) sure. He earned it. And I strongly suspect he makes nice donations to many non profits and to institutions of higher learning. He probably donates to his alma mater. Does Bristol? Oh wait… she doesnt have an alma mater”</p>
<p>Jym626,</p>
<p>Unlike you I don’t feel it’s my place to arbitrarily decide who can or cannot get paid for a service, no matter how ridiculous or unproductive that service maybe.</p>
<p>Bill Clinton can earn every cent that he can and I will never stick my nose into his finances or pretend I know what’s in his best interest. Nor would I ever imply that his earning potential should somehow be limited based on whether or not I feel he (or anyone else) is qualified for the payment that some organization I’m not affiliated with is providing him.</p>
<p>I will also not use his paycheck in a disingenuous attempt to show my dislike for him (I actually like Clinton) by hiding behind the false concern of fiscal matters for some non-profit in which I share no connection.</p>
<p>This [ThinkProgress</a> Bristol Palin’s Nonprofit Paid Her Seven Times What It Spent On Actual Teen Pregnancy Prevention](<a href=“http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/05/bristol-palin-profiteer-teen-pregnancy/]ThinkProgress”>http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/05/bristol-palin-profiteer-teen-pregnancy/) is what is causing the reaction,
</p>
<p>It truly doesn’t matter who the spokesperson is who took the large salary. Its that some want it to matter.</p>
<p>Gov: it’s your assumption that those who don’t believe Bristol is a qualified speaker are simply showing their dislike for her mother. Does the fact that I don’t think Snooki or Charlie are qualified either show my dislike for their parents?</p>
<p>It isnt the finances of the recipient of the $ that is at issue. It is the cost to the non-profit agency. They are supposed to be helping teens. They can’t if they give the $ away in speakers fees, REGARDLESS of who the speaker is. </p>
<p>This reminds me of the preachers of those mega-churches who redirect many of the donations made to their own personal expenses. Blech.</p>