D.A.R.E. and Planet Aid Respond to Goodwill’s Efforts to Advance S.B. 450 – A Fatally Flawed Bill Goodwill Seeks in Order to Make It Impossible for Charities to Place Clothing Donation Bins in California

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This morning, Goodwill Industries had a press conference to highlight a study on the positive economic impact of their operations in California in terms of job creation and the millions of dollars of economic activity they bring to the California economy. D.A.R.E. and Planet Aid commend them for their work on that front; however, that announcement, made in Sacramento, has a complex backdrop: Goodwill’s attempts to prop up S.B. 450, the latest iteration of a bad bill they’ve fronted through an infamous California political consultant. This effort is directly anti-competitive and is bad for California on a number of levels. The bill seeks to, in essence, create a de facto ban on collection boxes placed by charitable groups like D.A.R.E. and Planet Aid by making it easy for property owners to tow them.

“Property owners aren’t asking for the protections in this bill – it’s a bold-faced, anti-competitive measure fronted by a team of lobbyists and political consultants.”

“Despite Goodwill’s solid contributions, we think it’s worth pointing out an alternate headline on job creation: Some Goodwill affiliates have a problem with the disability community. These affiliates are allowed to pay wages staggeringly lower than the minimum requirements, with some employees reportedly earning as low as $0.22/hour. This is occurring while Goodwill’s top executives are making mid-six-figure salaries.

“It’s unfortunate that Goodwill has devoted so much money to a statewide attempt to make it impossible for legitimate charities like D.A.R.E. and Planet Aid to place clothing donation bins in California,” said Jonathan Franks, a spokesman for both organizations. “We believe Californians should have the right to choose the cause they donate to, and it’s unfortunate that Goodwill doesn’t share that position. The only inference that may be drawn is that this attempt is about cornering the clothing donation market to make more money.

“The notion that clothing donation boxes are such a problem that a measure like S.B. 450 is needed is unsupported by the facts,” said Franks. “Property owners aren’t asking for the protections in this bill – it’s a bold-faced, anti-competitive measure fronted by a team of lobbyists and political consultants.

“Both D.A.R.E. and Planet Aid support common sense legislation with respect to collection boxes and look forward to working with the bill’s sponsor to that effect. We think a requirement that organizations placing boxes have written permission from a person in control of the property will benefit all stakeholders. S.B. 450 is simply a bad bill. We hope the sponsor will work with us to find common ground, as a vote for this bill in its current form is a vote against third-world development and the critical fight to keep our kids away from drugs,” concluded Franks.