General Discussion Thread No. 18

[gord]

I wouldn't have as much of an issue if these were lower or middle class folks that live paycheck to paycheck, but 2 doctors ?
One doctor's salary is usually enough to live a pretty good upper middle class to wealthy life, but 2 doctors salaries....??
and you need to take money from a fund that is set up to help find your daughter...??

1. They have both been on unpaid leave for the last 6 months

2. This is not the US - doctors do not make millions here - Kate was on a part time salary of about £39000 - which does not go that far - I dont know what Gerry earned - it would have been above average of course - but not the mega bucks you imagine - he worked in the NHS so make your own judgement

3. The fund was set up to help them if needed - it has already been clarified that they have not had any money since being made arguidos .They had two months mortgage paid that was it

 

[ThoughtFox]

I wouldn't have as much of an issue if these were lower or middle class folks that live paycheck to paycheck, but 2 doctors ?
One doctor's salary is usually enough to live a pretty good upper middle class to wealthy life, but 2 doctors salaries....??
and you need to take money from a fund that is set up to help find your daughter...??

Well, yeah, but they stayed in Portugal all those months, and still had to take care of two young children who needed diapers, clothes, food, etc.

I'm usually not this sympathetic, haha, so don't think I've had a personality change or anything, but even though they are doctors, the money might slip away since neither of them were working.

And they spent plenty of the funds money running around Europe, meeting the Pope, going on tour, etc. I'm not really sure what good that did. At least the mortgage payment was something practical, and means their other children keep a roof over their heads, since they are innocent bystanders to all this - poor kids. :twocents:

 

[emery]

hmm whats your point - are you saying the fund is in some way a ruse to make lots of money for the Mcaans - I am not sure what you are trying to imply

the charity things is explained here

In England & Wales, registered charities are required to demonstrate public benefit. Because Madeleine’s Fund is currently focussed on searching for one child, Madeleine McCann, it cannot register as a charity. However, it may be able to register as a charity in the future.

At the point the Fund starts to focus on abductions generally, public benefit may be demonstrable and the Fund may be able to register as a charity.


In my mind the fund was set up as quiclk as it was in order to gain maximum impact in the early days - everything I have ever read says that as early as you can and as loud as you can - the mcaans with help decided they were not going to sit back and just wait - they were going to do something - or at least try - what is so wrong with that ?

From what I can see - the directors of the fund are independent and following very open and clear guidlines - with auditors as all limited companies HAVE to do when they register their accounts .

There is an article on the front page of THIS site that says if the unimaginable happens and a child of your goes missing then it is up to YOU to do what you can - do everything possible -

I concur completely Gord. I don't fault the McCanns for setting up the fund and trying to maximize their efforts to keep Madeleine in the headlines. I also can see why the parameters as originally set up included supporting them financially. This freed the McCanns up to stay in Portugal as long as necessary and to devote 100% of their time to searching for Madeleine and keeping her in the headlines by traveling to various countries, meeting with various dignitaries, etc. Otherwise, the McCanns would have had to return to work so they could pay the bills.

Somewhere I read what the McCanns made as doctors in the UK. It wasn't actually all that much, not really comparable to what doctors in the US make. I wish I could find the article again. I believe it was in the London Times. Anyway, it isn't so much what you make. Lots of white collar professionals also live paycheck to paycheck. If they don't have a reserve of money to fall back on, they'll need help paying the bills while they focus on spearheading a campaign to find their daughter.

However, IF they return to work, they need to start paying their own bills.

 

[Rino]

the charity things is explained here

In England & Wales, registered charities are required to demonstrate public benefit. Because Madeleine’s Fund is currently focussed on searching for one child, Madeleine McCann, it cannot register as a charity. However, it may be able to register as a charity in the future.

At the point the Fund starts to focus on abductions generally, public benefit may be demonstrable and the Fund may be able to register as a charity.

"When I was praying I started thinking of all the things that were happening. There were lots and lots of ideas in my head and how we could make things better and I was really feeling very down and not sure which way to proceed. I had this mental image of being in a tunnel and instead of the light at the end of the tunnel being extremely narrow and a distant spot, the light opened up and the tunnel got wider and wider and went in many different directions. I talked to you [Kate] about it and said, ‘I am not prepared to pursue one path. We are going to do everything in our power to influence things.'

"It was almost like something - I am not saying it was the Holy Spirit - came into me and gave me that image. That is when I really felt I had a clear path."

Was it a religious experience?

"I can't say it was a vision because I am not clear what a vision is but I had a mental image and it certainly helped me decide. I became a man possessed that night. The next day I was up at dawn, making phone calls." (snip)

The McCanns' campaign has involved every possible avenue being used to raise the profile of Madeleine. There has been a certain resentment about it but Kate McCann says they have been careful to stress they are not the only parents who have suffered in this way.

"Madeleine is incredibly precious to us. Since this happened we have been made more aware of how many missing children there are. It is awful that we didn't know the scale of it before. Madeleine is as special to us as other children are to their parents." (snip)
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/articles/9930/

Bolding mine. They could have as they indicated in this interview, Maddie is one of many. They chose not too. Again nothing in his vision mentions his daughter, therefore a charity would have been more than appropriate without Madeleine being forgotten in the least.

In my mind the fund was set up as quiclk as it was in order to gain maximum impact in the early days - everything I have ever read says that as early as you can and as loud as you can - the mcaans with help decided they were not going to sit back and just wait - they were going to do something - or at least try - what is so wrong with that ?

Nothing, I just don't buy it . Millions of dollars (pounds) were donated by famous and mega-wealthy Brits, a separate fund seems self serving imo. Also there was a fight fund set up by the 17th of May for legal aid why and was it separate from the find Madeleine fund? I don't know, but will find out

 

[JMCDAD]

1. They have both been on unpaid leave for the last 6 months

2. This is not the US - doctors do not make millions here - Kate was on a part time salary of about £39000 - which does not go that far - I dont know what Gerry earned - it would have been above average of course - but not the mega bucks you imagine - he worked in the NHS so make your own judgement

3. The fund was set up to help them if needed - it has already been clarified that they have not had any money since being made arguidos .They had two months mortgage paid that was it

OK maybe its the US/UK difference that is throwing me off, I just couldn't see 2 doctors here being in need of money to pay their mortgage after 6 months.

 

[colomom]

I concur completely Gord. I don't fault the McCanns for setting up the fund and trying to maximize their efforts to keep Madeleine in the headlines. I also can see why the parameters as originally set up included supporting them financially. This freed the McCanns up to stay in Portugal as long as necessary and to devote 100% of their time to searching for Madeleine and keeping her in the headlines by traveling to various countries, meeting with various dignitaries, etc. Otherwise, the McCanns would have had to return to work so they could pay the bills.

Somewhere I read what the McCanns made as doctors in the UK. It wasn't actually all that much, not really comparable to what doctors in the US make. I wish I could find the article again. I believe it was in the London Times. Anyway, it isn't so much what you make. Lots of white collar professionals also live paycheck to paycheck. If they don't have a reserve of money to fall back on, they'll need help paying the bills while they focus on spearheading a campaign to find their daughter.

However, IF they return to work, they need to start paying their own bills.

They may be in better shape financially than we know.....:waitasec:

http://forums.mirror.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=23793

 

[colomom]

Oh no IW, I don't think so. I am getting the impression that she has been recovered. I wrote to CNN and asked them to check it out.

I just hope that we get more details before this story gets out here in the states. They need to confirm her identity immediately and then broadcast that information.

This better NOT be a hoax!

***UPDATE***

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/30/mccann.mortgage/index.html?iref=topnews

"In a further development, it was reported that private investigators hunting for Madeleine had found a blonde girl who had been kidnapped by a Moroccan family."

You will notice the absence of the child's nationality.....:waitasec:

 

[colomom]

http://www.express.co.uk/ourpaper/view/2007-10-30

Golf?

:silenced: :silenced: :silenced:

 

[colomom]

http://forums.mirror.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=24330

PJ Have ONE irrefutable piece of evidence of McCanns guilt

Interesting post on the MF....

 

[colomom]

McCanns admit using Madeleine fund to pay mortgage
I don't think that was the purpose of this fund
Why would 2 doctors needs money to pay their mortgage anyway ?

That is a good question JMCDAD.

http://forums.mirror.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=24358

"It does vary from Trust to Trust, however in extreme cases (such as this) where it is unlikely that someone else will later try and claim the same benefit, it would not be unusual for 6 months PAID leave on full pay and then 6 months on HALF pay."

Perhaps they did not need the fund, we do not know for sure.

 

[Tuba]

Quite an assertion! I have read other posts by that Mirror forum member who works at a golf course in the Algarve. It is hearsay even less reliable than the leaks to Portuguese newspapers. There may be something in it.....or nothing. An old leak is that phone taps have provided the best evidence PJ has. No details given except that the taps indicated a belief that Madeleine was dead.

 

[colomom]

http://sic.sapo.pt/online/scripts/2007/videopopup.aspx?videoId={0FE3FD33-3906-43DE-8F39-440EF7F2C6F9}

Video of the investigators checking out the area. Worth watching even if you don't understand Portuguese, for the footage of Rebelo with a colleague walking by relevant scenarios in Praia da Luz yesterday; nothing much is revealed in the report, and Rebelo refuses to make any comments at all, namely when a journalist asks him twice if the Birmingham results have arrived yet.

 

[emery]

***UPDATE***

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/30/mccann.mortgage/index.html?iref=topnews

"In a further development, it was reported that private investigators hunting for Madeleine had found a blonde girl who had been kidnapped by a Moroccan family."

You will notice the absence of the child's nationality.....:waitasec:

What really bothers me about this is that it's buried in an article rehashing arguably trivial information relating to the McCann case. I mean, shouldn't it be newsworthy enough to be its own story? Or is the fact that the child isn't Madeleine McCann the only one of any consequence?

 

[Rino]

What really bothers me about this is that it's buried in an article rehashing arguably trivial information relating to the McCann case. I mean, shouldn't it be newsworthy enough to be its own story? Or is the fact that the child isn't Madeleine McCann the only one of any consequence?

"The fund has always had the ability to assist the family financially if necessary, and they've only used it to pay for two mortgage payments, earlier this year," Clarence Mitchell said. (snip)

I don't find it trivial that the fund was being used to support them in the absence of their earning a living.

If not having been named arguido the indication is they would be supported from this fund indefinately.

 

[ThoughtFox]

colomom: Gosh that thread about the phone calls on the mirror forum is twelve pages long, and it would almost seem to be another tricky poster pretending to have insider knowledge.

However, I believe the phone evidence is there, and we know the PJ checked phone service on the beach with cell phones for some reason.

Those phone calls to England before the police were called are very strange, if true. There has to be a clue there. What I read the other day was that the British phone services are not cooperating and sending the records to Portugal, and that's just wrong.

What really bothers me about this is that it's buried in an article rehashing arguably trivial information relating to the McCann case. I mean, shouldn't it be newsworthy enough to be its own story? Or is the fact that the child isn't Madeleine McCann the only one of any consequence?

Maybe she's so young that she doesn't even know who she is? Wouldn't they have to check fingerprints, documents, databases, etc? That could take days or weeks, if this is even true.

If I lived in Morocco and had a semi-blonde child, I'd probably be keeping her in the house right now for fear someone would dispute my parenthood or splash her picture on the internet. I don't see how more publicity there is going to help them track down Maddie, because if kidnappers had her there, they'd be even more careful after these high-profile stories.

 

[emery]

"The fund has always had the ability to assist the family financially if necessary, and they've only used it to pay for two mortgage payments, earlier this year," Clarence Mitchell said. (snip)

I don't find it trivial that the fund was being used to support them in the absence of their earning a living.

If not having been named arguido the indication is they would be supported from this fund indefinately.

I find it trivial in comparison to the news that another english-speaking child has been discovered in Morroco and is believed to have been the victim of a kidnapping, which is buried in one sentence at the bottom of the article. That, to me in any event, is an example of not having one's journalistic priorities straight.

 

[emery]

If I lived in Morocco and had a semi-blonde child, I'd probably be keeping her in the house right now for fear someone would dispute my parenthood or splash her picture on the internet. I don't see how more publicity there is going to help them track down Maddie, because if kidnappers had her there, they'd be even more careful after these high-profile stories.

I am not suggesting this information deserves its own article because it will help find Madeleine McCann. In fact, I'm suggesting just the opposite. That something that has nothing to do with Madeleine McCann's parents can still be legitimate news deserving of coverage, and, in fact, may be more important news.

 

[Squishified]

I am not suggesting this information deserves its own article because it will help find Madeleine McCann. In fact, I'm suggesting just the opposite. That something that has nothing to do with Madeleine McCann's parents can still be legitimate news deserving of coverage, and, in fact, may be more important news.

I understand what you mean emery.
This little girl is just as worthy of our attention as Maddie.
Prayers for this little girl.

 

[colomom]

Happy Halloween Maddie.....wherever you are!

 

[CaliKid]

1. They have both been on unpaid leave for the last 6 months

2. This is not the US - doctors do not make millions here - Kate was on a part time salary of about £39000 - which does not go that far - I dont know what Gerry earned - it would have been above average of course - but not the mega bucks you imagine - he worked in the NHS so make your own judgement

3. The fund was set up to help them if needed - it has already been clarified that they have not had any money since being made arguidos .They had two months mortgage paid that was it

That means that for part-time work as a doctor, Kate's salary is US dollars is around $80,000 a year. And of course, Gerry being a heart specialist and working full-time would probably make a lot more.

Sorry to tell you, gord, but that in my book that makes the McCanns wealthy by most standards.