Warning - pet peeve rant ahead

Chron.com | Katrina funds earmarked to pay for Neil Bush's software program

It has always bugged me when people make a charitable "gift" with strings attached. If you're still controlling it, then it's not a gift. It's a bribe. An attempt to control the "receiving" organization. If you're going to give a gift, then give it. Don't use it as bait to get what you want. Even if "all you want" is recognition.

Or, as in this case, funding for a specific company. For those who don't want to take the time to read the article:

Former first lady Barbara Bush donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund with specific instructions that the money be spent with an educational software company owned by her son Neil.

If Barbara Bush wants to fund her son's company, that is of course her right. I'd have no problem with her buying the software and donating it to the schools. But this looks more like nepotism and money laundering than it does philanthropy.

To be completely fair, the article does go on to say that the "remainder" of her donation had no such earmark. But that's beside the point. None of it should have been earmarked. Especially not like this.

(Thanks to The Carpetbagger Report for this)