Dan Costello:

So indie artists are donating 100% of their profits –
but what if Kanye West donated $1 for every copy of LATE REGISTRATION sold in its first week of release.  That would be $849,000 – and would make a statement that he is willing to
back up his beliefs with his considerable wealth.  How about two weeks sales, to push over $1M?  The exposure he’s provided to the controversy that many of us see at the center of this relief crisis – disparity between rich and poor and the racial divide that confounds the problem – is priceless.  But now, that exposure should be utilized to fuel a donation drive and outpouring of support which (much like the hurricane itself) we’ve never seen the likes of.

Maybe Mitch Bainwol is from the same tree Michael Brown fell from.  It turns
out, on Wednesday August 31st, while the country was focused on New Orleans,
the RIAA filed 754 more lawsuits against P2P users.

How insensitive can you get?

Well, it turns out more.  Go to riaa.com.  Look for a mention of the
hurricane.  Not only are no donations trumpeted, there isn’t even a SYMPATHY card.

I went to the Google news.  I went to Hitsdailydouble.  I searched for
hurricane relief donations from the four major label groups.  I found none.

Isn’t this the way it ALWAYS is?  The labels make their money on the backs of
their STARS?  Yup, every act with a profile is playing a benefit, asking the
public to contribute money, and their bosses aren’t coughing up A DIME!

Really, maybe I missed it.  Maybe their efforts eluded the web crawler.  Then
again, don’t these labels hold press conferences to spread the word on the
most infinitesimal events?  You’d think I’d turn up SOMETHING!

I’d be glad to find out I’m wrong.  That the label groups have banded
together, or even individually have coughed up millions of dollars.  Yes, the
corporate press information officers can e-mail me.  Maybe with even a scanned copy of a check to SOMEBODY!

It’s not good enough to say employees donated individually.  Even WAL-MART is
coughing up.  The labels sell at Wal-Mart, can’t THEY cough up?  Can’t they
even donate all the money they’ve collected from sued file-traders previously? 
Can’t they put at least a good SPIN ON IT?

No, the labels hired a right wing crony.  Who seems to be just as insensitive
as his ultimate party boss in D.C.  George Bush apologized today, he’s taking
responsibility.  How about some responsibility from Mitch Bainwol?

Or at least Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Andy Lack and Jimmy Iovine.  God, these guys
are usually foaming at the mouth to do photo-ops.  Why can’t I find a picture
of them handing over a check?

And, like Dan Costello says above.  Can’t they cough up SOME of their sales? 
A buck a record for a week?