One of the hottest San Diego DUI links on Google is the list of Mothers Against Drunk Driving / MADD DUI victim panel meetings here, San Diego County DUI Law Center’s attorney Rick Mueller reports.
Thousands of folks ordered by San Diego courts to attend the victim impact panel meetings as a result of a California DUI related conviction has meant mucho dinero for those MADD folks, lawyers are told.
This even though the $20 or $25 is a voluntary contribution, not a court-ordered required fee. The MADD panel must be completed by the San Diego DUI probationer but the cost is supposed to be optional. It’s unlawful to require payment by a San Diego or California DUI probationer, attorneys say.
Specifically:
MADD makes $2,800,000.00 every year from these “Victim (impact) Panel” (meetings).
MADD makes $301,000.00 per year in income from “Court ordered Income.”
MADD has $24,000,000.00 in assets.
MADD receives $141,000,000.00 in annual contributions.
MADD’s CFO’s and COO’s “earn” up to $350,000 per year!
MADD claims they are a “non-profit” organization. Ha!
MADD, in reality, is a powerful lobby in Sacramento California and every capital of the country.
Outrageous? Yes!
Does it make you MADD? No. But it should make one mad.
Why is everything about money?
So MADD can lobby. And pay off politicians.
[Source: MADD Organizations 2011 tax returns (53 pp.)]