What are They Thinking?

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My family uses AIG as an insurance company on our homes and personal effects.

We received in the mail today a huge Tiffany box with two champagne glasses within as a thank you for our business and for good cheer this holiday season.

Arrgghhh! Are you kidding me?

Please! Save the money and keep some people employed. Give the money to charity. Take less money from the taxpayers. Why do I need two more champagne glasses? Dumbest thing I have seen this week. This holiday season, my family has decided to do the following: We will donate monies to a local charity instead of giving gifts to friends and associates and let them know we have given cash to help the needy in their name. Last year, we did something similar in that we purchased two PlayPumps in our children’s names from PlayPumps International instead of personal gifts.
We don’t need any more stuff and people out there need some basics and help. Don’t exchange these kinds of gifts this holiday season. Please help where it is really needed.

11 thoughts on “What are They Thinking?”

  1. Forget about smashing on the Big 3…didn’t taxpayer money (i mean government bailout) pay for those champagne flutes?

  2. I use AIG for my retirement savings. I am now wondering if the $5000 I lost last month was going to champagne glasses for people who neither wanted nor needed them. Great charitable ideas, Ted! I hope people are reading and taking note!

  3. Teddy
    Talk about being “out of touch”, President Bush didn’t even know the price of a gallon of milk!!! Actions speak louder then words. Our children’s future is sooooo uncertain! LET’S GO CAPS!!!!!!!!!

  4. As a former DC metro resident, I applaud you and I hope that in your charity considerations, you think of the local charities that do work in the metro-DC community first as your recipients.

    I have a soft spot in my heart for my former employer, NOVAM (novam.org)-Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry for all the work they do both to prevent new HIV infections, and to help and support those infected or affected by HIV.

  5. I agree completely!

    P.S.,

    Let me know if you need someone to take the Tiffany box and champagne glasses off your hands.

    :-0

  6. Right on. Amen. This post hit home –when I asked the fugeesfamily.com (soccer/charity for refugee children) how to help and they said “our kids are all getting haircuts and shoes for Christmas”. Tough times,enough said.

  7. Kind of like the auto company CEOs traveling to Washington to beg for money… by means of private jets.

  8. I like your idea for gifts this year. So many nonprofits are hurting because the economy has caused many people to cut back on their charitable giving.

    Regarding AIG, I am thinking about moving my small IRA I have with them into another IRA account and sending them a letter telling them why. Specifically I will mention these stories. With many struggling (me included) I think it’s insensitive for them to spend so much money on things that are not necessary.

  9. yup, leaders of the big three all flew on their own corporate jets from detroit to DC to plead for a bailout – each flight cost about $20K. you would think since they were going to teh same meeting they could have at least flown on teh same plane! not one of them considered the jesture of flying commercial to the hearing. plus, i haven’t heard one word of the exec’s putting up their fortunes as collateral. I’m VP of a small consulting firm, when we wanted to establish a line of credit the first question the bank asked us what how much each of our houses were worth.

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