February 03, 2003

Let Them Eat Cake

Want to contribute funds to public schools in the wake of Measure 28's failure at the polls? Now you'll be able to by eating out on Tuesdays:

Starting tomorrow and continuing every first Tuesday of the month in 2003, Oregonians who shot down Measure 28 can still send money to public schools.
Dining for Districts, a program organized by KINK-FM radio, kicks off its school fundraising program this week with seven Portland-area restaurants.
Patrons who dine at one of the restaurants pick which school they would like 10 percent of their bill to benefit.

Of course, one is left to wonder if any of the patrons eating at the "higher end eateries" involved in this program will choose to have their contributions go to lower-end schools. While Oregon's schools have been hit hard in general, there are always disparities within a state's public education system as well. Will "higher-end" diners think to give to poorer (and likely more minority) schools?

Posted at 03:37 PM | PermalinkComments (5) | TrackBacks (0)
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Comments (5)

  1. The One True b!X on 03 Feb 2003

    Then again, there's also always the method described in this letter in today's Oregonian:

    ...directly to either the Portland Schools Foundation or the individual foundation at any particular school.
    I donate more than 1 percent of my income this way by means of a payroll deduction. It's painless. The return in the way of school programs is exceedingly concrete, and bureaucratic overhead is nil.

  2. Regan Roberts on 30 Jun 2003

    No, I don't think that "higher-end" diners will think to give to "poorer" or "minority" schools anymore than "poorer" or "minority" diners would think to give to "higher-end" schools. Is this not a "no-brainer"? Maybe it is better classified as a "stupid question".

    There are always exceptions to the rule, but diners who participate in this program are going to give to the schools their hearts are most affiliated with because their children attend(ed) them, they attended, children of their friends or relatives, etc.

    The MAIN point that is totally lost here is that this is called Dining for DISTRICTS. If I donate to the Portland School DISTRICT, I am donating to ALL schools in the DISTRICT!

    This is a great idea and I'd love to see it expanded, rather than questioned by people who can't even bother to THINK past the headline...

  3. Sam on 30 Jun 2003

    The fact of the matter is anyone can donate to anything they believe in but this program is different because it is directed to the schools, the consumer has the power to designate the funds and these businesses invloved are taking a proactive approach to keeping their doors open.
    I wish more businesses would do something to help unemployment in this state and still find a way to give back to those that support them. Now that's recycling!
    PS I have looked at the changing list of restaurants and they are not all "high end". I would imagine you could call the bank and ask which districts are faring better? Just a thought.

  4. The One True b!X on 30 Jun 2003

    Speaking of reading beyond the headline, did you somehow miss this bit:

    Patrons who dine at one of the restaurants pick which school they would like 10 percent of their bill to benefit.

    It doesn't matter what the program was called, it matters how the program was structured. And I never questioned the program as a general concept, nor did I say that all the establishments involved were "high-end" although the original article does state that KINK "purposely targeted higher-end eateries."

    Whose reading comprehension is really in question here?

  5. The One True b!X on 06 Oct 2003

    Yes, that's more comment spam. I'm loathe to pre-restrict commenting here, but I think it might be time to look into some of the solutions people have developed to block comment spam under Moveable Type.