THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 1, 1996 TAG: 9608010009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 41 lines
While Eastern Virginia Medical School's Diabetes Institutes scramble for contributions to fund a scientific race for a cure for diabetes (``A research gamble,'' News, July 9), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an $11 million-per-year operation predicated on destroying one of the bases of EVMS' research, has just relocated to Norfolk - across the street from EVMS.
The federal tax returns of all tax-exempt organizations are open for public inspection. A look at PETA's FY 1995 return shows the organization collected $12 million last year and $55 million over the past five years. How does it spend this money? Expenditures on ``public outreach,'' ``international grass-roots campaigns,'' ``cruelty-free merchandise,'' ``fund raising'' and overhead (not including salaries) together accounted for almost 90 percent of PETA's revenue last year.
Last year PETA sent more than $1.3 million to affiliates in Europe, and $45,000 to the legal defense fund of an admitted Animal Liberation Front terrorist who was sentenced in federal court to 4 1/2 years in prison and a multimillion dollar fine for a 1992 attack on animal-research facilities at Michigan State University in 1992. These amounts alone would make up the Diabetes Institutes foundation's fund-raising shortfall.
PETA claims to be dedicated to animal liberation and animal welfare, but it appears to operate only a single animal-care facility - Aspen Hill in Montgomery County, Md. In April 1992 the Montgomery Journal reported, ``More than 30 animals that were freed . . . by a national animals-rights group have been put to death during the past year because there wasn't enough room for them at an animal sanctuary in Aspen Hill.'' The group said there wasn't enough room to keep them.
No wonder the Philanthropic Advisory Service of the Council for Better Business Bureaus reported that PETA does not meet national standards for charitable organizations, which require an organization's solicitation and informational materials to be accurate, truthful and not misleading.
I agree with your editorial ``The race is on'' (July 12). EVMS' Diabetes Institutes deserves our support.
DAVID N. NARR
Virginia Beach, July 12, 1996 by CNB