the rix mix

Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean defended his fundraising over the weekend after watchdogs raised concerns about the accounting practices of his foundation, which has collected $2 million in days for earthquake relief.

Via a statement and a video on Wyclef Jean Blog's, the Grammy-winner, 37, said he was ``disgusted'' by attacks on The Wyclef Jean Foundation.

Since Tuesday, Jean has asked fans to text ``Yele'' to 501501 to donate $5 to his foundation.

An independent audit provided by Jean's foundation showed it was closely intertwined with Jean's businesses. Critics questioned whether enough of the money raised from previous events had gone to Haitian causes. Jean said he has given $1 million of his own money to the foundation. The foundation intends to airlift supplies to Haiti using a FedEx plane early next week.

I'm not ready to jump on Wyclef. Although, with minimal research, you can find a dozen better charitable organizations with clearly-defined missions & high ratings for effectiveness & accounting practices. But then you can't say, "I gave to Wyclef." Wyclef has the kind of flexible "family" charity where he decides what to do next. When there are necessary costs requiring for-profit services, as happens with all non-profits (someone has to be paid to fix the plumbing), he can steer that business close to home. If the money circles around & ends up back in his own pocket, that's not good, & he will be mightily embarrassed if it's happened without his full knowledge. I wouldn't trust any young pop star to best know how to use my $5. You can always purchase Wyclef's recordings & let him donate his own taxable income however he wishes.

I wonder about the relief strategy. When it became clear the infrastructure was destroyed, sections of Port-au-Prince were isolated, & organized distribution of food & water was impossible, why weren't we seeing food & water just dropped from helicopters? Risk the "unsecured" response on the ground. There will be much deserved second-guessing about this past week regarding short, medium, & long term relief tactics. Predictably, the refugee situation is becoming more serious as Haitians stop digging, consider their prospects if they stay in a ruined city, & head for the hills. Yet, the U.N. seems unprepared for that. In the immediate aftermath it wouldn't take a genius to think, "Next week, survivors will be abandoning an uninhabitable city."

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