From: M Petrelis <MPetrelis@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 03:37:15 EST
Subject: New MP letter to WBlade: IRS 990 reportage, NOW!

[dear friends, i ask you to please lobby letters editor kristina campbell of
the washington blade to run the letter below. as you may know, she last month
decided to not run a letter of mine because i wrote about the facts about the
salaries of the directors of community groups. campbell claimed my letter
would be news, and therefore was inappropriate for the commentary section.
please convince to let this letter appear in print this friday. her email
address is ==>> cam@washblade.com <<==. thanks. --mp]

December 16
Washington Blade

Dear editor,

I was greatly disappointed the Blade omitted any data from Internal Revenue
Service forms commonly known as the 990's, in the paper's biennial survey of
gay advocacy organizations, "which is based on information supplied by the Gay
groups respondong to a Blade questionnaire and interviews," story, Untapped
Majority Stirs, December 12.

The Blade's reputation as the newspaper of record for the gay movement demands
that it get over its seeming policy of excluding any mention of the IRS 990
forms, even when the story is squarely about the health of a given
organization, or a host of groups. 

The Blade claimed that for its survey it sought "out a wider variety of
factors, including income, active donor base, the size of mailing lists, and
major accomplishments and priorities." Seems to me the paper should have also
asked for copies of the groups IRS 990 forms, since all charities must make
the forms available to members of the public and press. Why then did reporters
Lou Chibbaro Jr. and Lisa Keen not ask the groups surveyed to provide them
with these financial documents?

I hope you will run this letter, so I can reach Blade readers and inform them
about IRS 990 forms. I want your readers to know all 501(c)3 tax exempt non
profit groups will furnish the public with these records, and all donors,
current and potential, should read their favotire charities IRS 990's. My
previous letter to the Blade, which gave readers salary figures for the
highest paid exectuive directors of gay and AIDS groups was rejected for
publication because it was news! A fate I hope doesn't befall this letter to
the editor.

If the Blade's reporters, or readers, want to obtain the IRS 990's from the
IRS instead of a charity, since the charities are often hostile to any request
for the documents, you can write to:
           IRS Ogden Service Center
           PO Box 9941
           Mail Stop 6734
           Ogden, Utah  84409
Or you can fax requests to 1-801-620-6671. The IRS will charge you a nominal
per page fee for the copies.

Sincerely,
Michael Petrelis