They’d rather give away your money
It seems to be do as I say, not as I do. Or, I know better than you.
Many of our elected liberal elite would rather give away your money than their own as evidenced by their (un)charitable giving. While I cannot fault a person for what he gives or doesn't give to help out those in need, this sheds a light on a tenet of the left: it is the government's job to spend your money because you can't be trusted to do it right.
In 1999, then President Bill Clinton responded when asked about cutting taxes in wake of a surplus: "We could give it all back to you and hope you spend it right."
So let's see how some folks are spending their own money:
- According to USAToday, Vicepresident Joe Biden and his wife averaged just $369 per year in charitable giving over the last decade. Each year they gave between 0.1% and 0.3% of their income to charity. Note the decimal point – that is less than 1/2 a percent.
- Joe Biden's boss, President Barack Obama hasn't done much better.In teh years 200, 2001, 2002 he managed to give less than one percent of his income to charity and in 2003 and 2004 he upped it 1.4% and 1.2%, repectively.
- In 1997, Vice president Al Gore gave $353 ($.97 per day) to charity from income of $197,729. He paid $4,500 for preparation of his 30-page tax return, surely taking advantage of as many loopholes as possible.
- Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Secretary of State Clinton, made over $109 million over the last eight years and donated a hefty $10.2 million to charity. However, most of that went to the Clinton Family Foundation. Bill Clinton serves as the foundtion's president, Hillary Clinton as secretary-treasurer, and Chelsea Clinton as a director. The foundation was often used for what would appear to be political gains. During the Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, she appeared at news conference in South Carolina to announce the foundation was giving $100,000 to a library. This, the day after a debate held leading up to South Carolina's primary. The foundation gave $25,000 to a library bearing the name of former Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern, before he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
Then there are issues like Obama's choice for Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner. Mr. Geithner failed to pay payroll taxes until immediately before he was nominated to lead the department that includes the IRS. Mr. Geithner was notified several times in writing and acknowledged he would need to pay the taxes, but failed to do so.
Who knows what is best for you and me? Not these folks!
