Exactly how much help does Haiti need?

President Obama has promised a $100 million relief effort. Several countries around the world are also promising help.

So why do we Americans have to do anything else? It is our tax money that is part of that $100 million relief effort.

If our government is helping the Haitians, as are the governments of several other countries, again, why does the "little person" have to do anything (except continue to pay our taxes, of course.)

I'm not saying that the little person shouldn't help out people in need, I'm saying that the government has already got this under control. (And of course, much hay will be made out of how efficiently Obama is reacting to this as opposed to how Bush handled Katrina, but then, Obama had the Katrina debacle to learn from.)

The reason I bring this up is because of a Gossip website called Celbrity-Gossip.net.

If you read the headline, it's Tiger Woods: $3 Million for Haiti? If you read the first sentence, you get "People all over the world are scrambling to help the rescue effort in earthquake-torn Haiti, and Tiger Woods may be joining the cause."

But if you read the entire article, you find out that the whole thing is just made up. A hip-hop mogul is going to ask Tiger Woods to donate $3 million. He's going to do this tomorrow. (Does this mean this guy actually knows where Woods is? Or is he just going to ask Woods people?)

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons told press, “Tiger is working on sending a mobile hospital with 50 EMTs to go set up a triage. I am just asking for his heart and his hand. Just to meet the needs of the people.”

Simmons continued, “I am just reaching out to him as a human. I am waiting to have the conversation with Tiger tomorrow morning. I am hopeful that it is a yes.”

So what this Simmons guy says in the first para is that Tiger is doing this, the second paragraph is that he's going to ask Tiger to do this tomorrow.

Why is this even being reported. Why is Simmons going to the press and saying he's going to ask Tiger for money?

Well, it's a form of blackmail. You tell the press you're going to ask Tiger for money, if Tiger says no he'll come across as even worse of a jerk than he is now. But consider.... Tiger is losing endorsements left right and center...so he has no new money coming in. His wife is going to take him for half of the money he has now.

A man in such straits can't afford to send $3 million to Haiti, especially when, as stated before, the US government is already committed to spending $100 million!

All these people who are saying they're going to donate a million - the MLB, probably soon the NFL and NBA - blackmailed into it, I"m sure - will go for good PR, but what's the point. HOw much money over $100 mil do the Haitians need? And why not wait until that $100 mil is spent before you donate, so you can make sure your money is going to Haiti and not to some other part of the world that whatever charity you're giving to, will divert funds.