Comments about ‘Utahn Brandt Andersen replacing Haiti orphanage’

It is commendable that Mr. Andersen is interested in helping the orphans of Haiti. However, I am confused about how Mr. Andersen is funding this venture.

On January 17th, the DNews ran a story about property tax delinquencies in which it identified Mr. Andersen as being over $60,000 delinquent on property taxes in Utah.

Mr. Andersen has an obligation to his fellow citizens to pay his tax debts prior to pursuing other ventures (particularly in a foreign country), no matter how noble the cause.

Is now forgiven.

It would be nice if Mr. Andersen could do this without any publicity using him as the main item.

Agreed. This guy is all about putting himself in the middle of the universe. At least this time something positive can come out of it this time.

I am impressed. This man must be a very good person or he would not do something like this.

Keep up the great work!!!

Give me a break. This is a great story about good people. Take a break from the hate for one story. Have you seen the pictures of what is going on in Haiti? You could not do this without great love for people of all races.

Great Job Brandt!!!! We donated to this at the Flash game on Saturday. GREAT STORY!!!!!

What about all the kids in our own country who need parents, who go to bed hungry each night, who have no guidance and wind up on the streets with serious social issues because nobody came to their aid? Is Haiti a tragedy...yes it is, but acording to LDS doctrine, "Love starts at Home"?

Get off of the negativity guys!!! This was a great opportunity to serve and give back. He was asked by LDS leaders to use his talents. I and my wife are grateful to Brandt for his charitable service. Thank you Brandt for your example.

Are you serious? Could you honestly look at these children in such dire straights and do nothing? This man was in a position to help these children at this specific point in time when their needs were overwhelming and immediate. Yes, there are many needs in our own country, and there are also many agencies, organizations and volunteers who are reaching out to those in need. Being kind hearted and giving is a good thing, no matter who the intended receiver is. The situation in Haiti, you must admit, is pretty unique.

Very commendable behavior from Mr. Andersen. Hopefully he'll realize there is NO line between work and personal ethics, the two are inseparable.

Brandt has started other projects, like the Lehi-Gehry project, that have never been finished. I sincerely hope he sees this one through to completion; it will go a long way to regaining trust with me.
I am happy to see his desire to help, and now, I hope he can persevere for the sake of these children.
Perhaps, Brandt has more of a heart than I originally suspected after the Flash hoax, and I wish him all the best in these efforts.
I will pray for his success in this good cause.

He was not even eligible to adopt from Haiti even before the quake. Both parents MUST be 35. If one is less than 35 than the couple needs to be married for 10 years.

Because of the quake NO kids proven orphan or not before the quake can be adopted, no new adoptions can begin. NONE. For years.

Prequake adoption took 18 months and immigration steps 6 months or longer. But this process can't even start for years into the future.

There are financial requirements in any adoption but that is between the social worker doing a home study, the US government who will want to know before they allow a family to bring in an adopted child as immigrant and the government of birth of the child to be adopted: not the news.

Have they contact an agency about doing a homestudy yet?

Kristine

Kristine and others that care about him adopting. Why do you all care so much what he is doing? Are your lifes so bad that you have to worry about others. If, he wants to save a life here or there, what does it matter. It is a life. Building an Orphanage will save many more lives. It is easier to condemn and complain about others then it is to get off the couch and do something ourselves. Why don't you ask him if you can go down and help out. We should support and help one another. Wouldn't you want people to jump in and help you, if something bad happened here.. Don't complain, just say Thanks and then tell us what you are doing to help and let us comment... Good Luck to all of you, including Brandt.

Anyone who saw what he saw, would do exactly what he did if they had the ability to do so.

May the good this man can do with his money be something more than pay taxes. (and before you say it, yes, paying his taxes here would eventually mean money for some government program here.)
But there are more important things in the world than paying taxes.)

Good luck--and the money will come. There are powers in the universe that are more interested in humanitarian aid than in taxes.

To tell a child who lost their parent's some time ago after an earthquake that they are about to get you yourself as a parent without that actually being a real possibility is cruel and irresponsible. You will be crushed yourself when you find that not to be possible.

Before the quake the child may have been eligible for adoption but the quake has changed that. Even before you couldn't just show up at an orphanage and pick one out to start the process to adopt. This is an important point because readers see stories like this and believe that adoption of these children orphaned before the quake is possible. It's not unless you were deep in process before the quake.

I would be pleased as punch if he sought out a social worker and began looking into the adoption process for any country where he meets the requirements and that has an open program that is taking applicants. Haiti isn't a possibility for him or anyone currently.

Adopting builds family, it doesn't save a life. Building an orphanage will improve a life.

I'm an adoptive parent myself. It is good.

Are you actually advocating tax evasion?

The comment from "Confused" at 1:52 PM on Feb 1 is very valid. If he does not have enough money to pay his obligations as a US citizen, how is he able to invest in a project in a foreign country?

Paying taxes is not about funding government projects...it is about abiding by the law.

Building an orphanage is an honorable and admirable thing to do. Conversely, there is no honor in evading taxes and cheating honorable tax-paying citizens out of what is rightfully theirs.

Kristine - Stop, take a breath. It will work out.

You are looking at the negative...I know, you are a realist. But in cases like these, one has to look at what is possible with a little faith. Brandt is one of those people that look beyond here and now and achieves the near impossible. This is one time he can do some real good so let him at it.

So please....don't be so negative...even if you think you are right. He needs your support and prayers not someone to tell him what is wrong with his plans.

When you skip steps in the adoption process you end up with a broken heart and empty wallet and in some situations like those folks from Idaho, arrested.

The child he has told he is going to adopt and can't needs our prayers. He seems fine to me.

Adoption is possible for most people. But they must be eligible and in an honest program. Now is not the time to play with the rules and get a child's life turned upside down for naught. He may well accomplish an adoption from somewhere. Doesn't give him cause to hurt others along the way.

You do not understand when a natural disaster or war breaks out in a country you can't take children across the border even in legitimate programs without special permission. If the adoptions weren't already final those children who have been brought into the US would have had to stay, that is why they got special permission. ALL intercountry adoption stops. Agencies with current Haiti programs halted applications. There is much concern over trafficker's and international practices means they may not do adoptions. Positive thinking isn't going to change anything.