Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/2...nation-to.html
Posted on Sat, Jan. 29, 2011
Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
BY JULIE BROWN
[email protected]
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CHARLES TRAINOR JR / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Joe Rodriguez, owner of The Cheetah gentleman's clubs, has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to schools and charities across South Florida under the name of his charity. Now a school in Palm Beach has discovered what he does for a living and wants to return the money.
Over the past five years, Joe Rodriguez has donated tens of thousands of dollars to charities for at-risk and underprivileged children.
He has helped keep parks open, bought uniforms for a high school football team and supported bands across South Florida.
Now an elementary school in Palm Beach County is considering returning a $20,000 gift because the district learned that the donor, Rodriguez, is not just a wealthy businessman who gives to charity.
He is a strip club owner.
Rodriguez, who rose from a scrappy shoe-shine boy in New Jersey to become a wealthy strip-club king, owns Pure Platinum in Fort Lauderdale and the Cheetah gentlemen's clubs in Hallandale Beach, Pompano Beach and Palm Beach County.
Until now, Rodriguez's gifts have largely remained anonymous because he didn't want what he does for a living to smear his charitable efforts.
``I've been doing this for years and I always do it quietly,'' Rodriguez said. ``Now, for some reason they want to make a big deal out of it.''
MONEY MAKER
He formed a legal foundation, Rodriguez Charities, and estimates he has raised at least a half million dollars, primarily through charity car washes and golf and poker tournaments. The events feature scantily clad women.
Three months ago, his golf tournament raised $82,000 -- 90 percent of which will be donated to causes such as sending disabled kids to Dolphins games, money for Toys for Tots, police charities, Haiti relief, the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross, he said.
IRS records show that his charity raised $66,000 in 2009, $91,000 in 2008 and $245,000 in 2007.
Last week, Rodriguez Charities cut a check for $10,000 -- the second time in two years -- for a West Palm Beach school, Roosevelt Elementary, which has a high percentage of students who live in low-income neighborhoods.
Shortly after, Jose Lambiet, a Palm Beach Post columnist, learned that the school's benefactor runs amusement establishments where grown-ups play.
The Palm Beach School District was not aware of Rodriguez's occupation.
Citing policy, the district said it would ask Roosevelt's principal, Glenda Garrett, to return the money, Lambiet reported.
But district spokesman Nat Harrington insisted district officials haven't discussed the matter -- and the decision whether to return the check rested with Garrett.
She could not be reached for comment.
Rodriguez said he hasn't heard from them so far.
`SMALL-MINDED'
``I think it's very small-minded,'' he said. ``If you ask someone who has cancer if the money to help them is coming from a strip club, I don't think they would care.''
There is concern in some quarters.
The school district should consider what the decision will teach its students, said Anthony Verdugo, executive director of the Christian Family Coalition.
``It came from someone associated with the exploitation of women -- and that demeans half the population,'' Verdugo said. ``If you do that, where do you draw the line? That's not the message to send to kids -- that it's OK to exploit women.''
Rodriguez, who has been married 30 years and has six children, grew up in Elizabeth, N.J. He began cleaning and doing odd jobs in bars when he was 10. He dropped out of school in the 10th grade -- his only regret, he says -- and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. When he was discharged in the 1960s, he bought into a club in Elizabeth.
He realized pretty quickly that the bars that were making money were, as they were called at the time, ``Go-Go'' bars.
He bought into several clubs, opened one of his own, and the rest is history.
West Park Mayor Eric H. Jones Jr. said he appreciated the $50,000 Rodriguez donated three years ago to keep a Broward County-funded park, primarily for at-risk teens, from being closed.
At the time, the 18-acre McTyre Park was about to be closed because of county cutbacks. The park, 3501 SW 56th Ave., is now supported by the city.
Jones, who's also pastor of the Koinonia Worship Center in West Lake, did not learn until later who the park's savior was.
While he does not condone what Rodriguez does for a living, he said the donation kept 300 to 400 kids off the streets.
``One has to look at the broader picture,'' Jones said. ``This is a business that is legal, even though, in a lot of circles, it isn't fully received by society. But we're not living in a world where anyone is on a perfect pedestal. You have to ask `Does the good outweigh the bad?' ''
Another school that benefited from Rodriguez's charity is Blanche Ely High in Pompano Beach.
Several years ago, the school was struggling to raise money to visit Washington, D.C.
Rodriguez helped them, as well as the school's football team, which needed -- and couldn't afford -- uniforms. Since Rodriguez operates a legal business and a legal charity, Broward has no qualms about the donation, said Marcy Smith, Broward schools' spokesperson.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/2...#ixzz1Ca6oyZ2n
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
What bullshit. Only in America. The guy is a legitimate business owner for Pete's sake. This article angers me on more levels than I can articulate right now
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
OMG THIS GUY GAVE MONEY TO EDUCATE CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!
WHAT A HORRIBLE PIECE OF SHIT! HE SHOULD BE KILLED FOR TRYING TO HELP CHILDREN! WHAT KIND OF SICK BASTARD TRIES TO DO NICE THINGS FOR HIS COMMUNITY AND FOR CHILDREN?
/sarcasm
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
I am all for it, seems like a stand-up guy. But discussing where the money came from is legitimate. Wouldn't be important if the money came from a company trying to influence an upcoming referendum? What is it came from a company that polluted?
Just because a business is legal does not mean it cannot be something government wants nothing to do with.
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Paul in Saudi
I am all for it, seems like a stand-up guy. But discussing where the money came from is legitimate.
But it seems like the money's been coming from charity events that he hosts... not from the strip club itself.
So I don't see where it should be a problem.
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
It's not like by giving back the money it'll make it as though it was never earned. Giving it back helps absolutely no one, and no one needs to know it came from a strip club. God forbid someone in an adult industry do something nice and help society!
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
I think they should probably just kill all of the children who were helped by this awful tainted money. It's not like we can undo the damage that was done by using evil, dirty money to help children so the only logical solution is to kill the children who have been permanently stained by this horrible deed and pray to God that it never happens again.
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
This is silly... So much money and business is tied, in one way or another to porn. It would take an ENORMOUS amount of time and energy to sift through all the corporate donors to make sure they have not profitted somehow from the "exploitation" of women. Even the most respected hotel chains make a LOT of profit offering porn to their guests. Internet porn drives people to the internet, so it also drives profits for internet service providers. Dish, Satellite and Cable service providers make BIG bucks off of porn. Etc.
I'd be more concerned about the companies that are exploiting children in third-world countries, but even then, I wouldn't turn away their donations to good causes.
Re: Strip club owner's donation to Roosevelt Elementary causes stir
Florida is the last freaking state that should be turning down money. The schools here are a joke, some of the worst in the country and I'm appalled by this. How dare they not accept this donation?
Schools should not have classrooms in trailers and a 50% droppout rate. The schools down here don't even have windows, they look like prisons. I went to Highschool out of this state and dropped out/got kicked out in the 10th grade.
I moved down to Florida, took the GED test and scored in the 98th percentile. What does that tell you about the quality of education kids are getting down here?
I would never send my children to a public Florida school because I would be robbing them of a proper education. These folks should be ashamed of themselves.
Florida education is the worst in this country, this is a damn shame. Take the money!! Build proper classrooms >:(