"Whatever happened to the concept
of Christian charity?"
-- Anonymous@4:41 p.m., reacting to news that the Gannett Foundation quietly helped CEO Craig Dubow and his wife establish a scholarship fund honoring themselves -- with no credit to Gannett, and off-limits to most employees' children.
Sadly, I doubt this is the extent of his sleaziness. But as the IRS said of Al Capone, tax evasion is at least something tangible.
ReplyDeleteDid you really think you would rule the roost with alacrity, slashing at will and your actions not be called into question?
How arrogant.
How embarrassing this affair is for Gannett's reputation. To have the company's top executive involved in such a tawdry branding of charity. He has the money he could make these sort of donations out of his own pocket if he wanted, but he chose to use someone else's money, and then claim the credit for the gift. How utterly classless is that?.
ReplyDeleteDubow is a loser. He will bankrupt GCI. Get out while you can.
ReplyDeleteTwo huge character traits I have witnessed missing from Gannett - trust and integrity - this explains a lot.
ReplyDeleteI say why not give him the benefit of the doubt. Here is your chance Mr. Dubow to put this little affair into context. If you can then great. If you can't, well you couldn't possibly be thought less of.
ReplyDeleteSo, what this breaks down to is we, the Gannett employees, sacrifice our health, sanity and economic future so Dubow can be a big man on a N.C. campus and play a free round of golf?
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable.
How slimy.
ReplyDeleteBut let's face it, is anyone surprised? No.
Gannett's top people, for a long, long time, have been to good journalism what George Bush and Dick Cheney have been to good government, and what leprosy is to good health.
Wow, after all it turns out Craig and Denise were not the philanthropists and pillars of the community as they presented themselves. Here is a family earning incredible riches as head of a major American corporation. Dubow has an expense account that I bet stretches into six or even seven figures. Yet they quibble over $40,000, a piddling amount given his $7 million a year earnings (salary plus stock, etc.). How small and picayune must they be to claim credit for gifts that others give. What did they gain from this? And where is any sign of contrition or regret. There is nothing but silence from the Crystal Palace. No "it was all a mistake" or the accountants did it and I really didn't know explanations. No move to make up the $40,000 Craig and Denise Endowment by either donating the cash themselves, or paying back the money looted from the Gannett Foundation. Hey, Craig, it is a tax deduction, don't you know. Silence. It was just another perk that goes with the job, so why should anyone question the propriety of this?
ReplyDeleteI may be stretching this a bit, but I am seeing a parallel here with the Bernie Madoff scandal. Here is a multi-billionaire who looted charities apparently without remorse, and has not expressed a single word of regret over what he did.
I am not asking for much, but a little groveling would seem to be appropriate. It is the season for giving, after all. What ever happened to the concept of Christian charity?
He can't afford to pay it back this year. Remember the big hoopla over him for going his $200,000 raise this year. Come on, be nice, money is tight for the Dubow's this year. (now since my review is in Dec, ya think I'll get my 1% of $12.07 per hour?)
ReplyDeleteHere is a picture of one of Dubow's neighbors' house that is for sale. I post this as an examplar of neighborhood where Craig and Denise live so you can get a flavor of the lifestyle of rich and famous GCI execs. Surely anyone living close to this style of comfort doesn't need to play with a $40,000 charity gift to people who need that sort of assistance. (I recommend the virtual tour).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.franklymls.com/FX6937341
The sad thing is that the Gannett Foundation was created because Al Neuharth captured the previous Gannett charitable group and turned it into his private club and PR firm, the Freedom Forum. Now it looks like the same thing may be happening again.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just don't get it. What's the problem with taking advantage of a perk that is approved by the Board and has been in place for years? Nothing. You can question timing, intent I guess, but this is a whole lotta wasted time and effort.
ReplyDeleteAssume for a second that the management team leaves. The new team would have the same perks. I am normally a bitcher by nature but this is all over the top sensationalism about something decent.
Nothing illegal, but really *unseemly*. Low-rent. But 7:37 pm has made a good point.
ReplyDeleteFor all the failings of GCI execs scourged in this forum: Where's the board? I was so hopeful when Donna Shalala took her board seat that some of the old-guy crony ways would end. I still hope the two newest board members, with strong backgrounds in brand management and IT infrastructure, will ask tough questions and prod for change.
And if any union with Gannett members isn't already planning to propose hard-hitting shareholder resolutions this spring on executive compensation and performance: Shame on them!
the upper a-holes in gannett are the ones that need to get laid off!
ReplyDeleteNo-one in gannett is worth millions of dollars a year, no one!