Farrell Keough December 30, 2011
The University of Maryland Carey School of Law Environmental Law Clinic's pro bono legal services for the Waterkeepers Alliance are supporting organizations that would qualify as 1 percenters if they were individuals. Associate Dean Teresa LaMaster defended this action in a recent radio interview, stating that the Waterkeepers Alliance "don't really have the resources to fund a case," and their "local organizations are not well funded and don't really have the resources to bring a case like this."
The evidence portrays a very different scenario. The 2010 tax returns from the Waterkeepers Alliance confirm that their New York organization had over $400,000 in cash, generated $3.6 million in revenue, and over $16 million in contributions over the last five years.
They also provide their organizations, including Assateague Coastal Trust (co-plaintiffs in this suit), "with a wealth of resources including a team of experts in environmental law." The New York organization also spent over $300,000 in 2010 on one of their annual conferences in La Paz, Mexico.
The group's annual fundraiser is Skifest — a celebrity filled event hosted in Deer Valley, Utah. This fundraiser brings in $435,000 for the title sponsor and $135,000 for corporate sponsors. The 2010 tax forms for Assateague Coastal Trust shows over $333,000 in cash and investments and $336,057 in revenue generated.
With millions in cash and revenues, the justification by Ms. LaMaster for pro bono support has no merit. By this logic…
And oh, read the Waterkeepers’ response here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-waterkeepers-letter-20120106,0,1528058.story
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