Beto O’Rourke Donated Just 0.7% of His Income to Charity Since 2008

[GURPS]

O'Rourke earned $366,455 in 2017, according to his tax returns, which he posted on his campaign website on Monday. That same year, he reported charitable donation of just $1,166, or 0.3 percent of his total income. That's even less than rival Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand reported giving to charity on her 2018 tax return. Gillibrand, who earned $217,634 last year, donated just $3,750 to charity, or 1.7 percent of her total income.

O'Rourke, who released ten years worth of tax returns, has done well for himself over the years, but has not made a habit of donating a significant portion of his income to charity. Despite reporting an average annual income of $340,613 between 2008 and 2017, the candidate donated an average of just $2,430 to charity per year during that time, or 0.7 percent.

That's considerably less than the average donation by Americans in lower income brackets. According to IRS data from 2016, Americans earning between $200,000 and $250,000 reported an average of $5,472 in charitable contributions, or about 2 percent of total income. It's also less than half of what Joe Biden reported on his 2011 tax return (1.5 percent of total income in charitable donations), which resulted in the former veep being ridiculed as a cheapskate.

https://freebeacon.com/politics/beto-orourke-tax-returns-charity/

 

[TCROW]

Oh dear! Lock him up!

 

[GURPS]

Spin-tastic! Beto O’Rourke explains ‘meager donations to charity’ (Hint: ‘Public service’ for the charitable WIN)




Beto O’Rourke defended his meager rate of charitable giving on Tuesday night, saying that he doesn’t report all of his donations to the IRS and in any case, he contributes in other ways through his work in politics.

“I’ve served in public office since 2005. I do my best to contribute to the success of my community, my state and now, of my country. There are ways that I do this that are measurable. And there are ways that I do this that are immeasurable,” he said.
[…]
“There are charities that we’ve donated to that we’ve recorded and itemized, others that we’ve donated to that we have not,” O’Rourke said. “I’ll tell you, I’m doing everything I can right now, spending this time with you, not with our kiddos, not back home in El Paso, because I want to sacrifice everything to make sure that we meet this moment of truth with everything we’ve got.”



https://www.dallasnews.com/news/pol...10-years-tax-returns-shows-366000-income-2017

 

[Hijinx]

Ya know I am not one for knocking how much one gives to charity, that is a personal decision.

But when a Congressperson is making $300,000 dollars a year and claims his being a Congressperson and running for President is a charitable contribution------somebody is full of sh1t.

 

[GURPS]

well it makes perfect sense people like Beto don't believe in 'Personal' charity

No It is the JOB of Uncle Sugar to take care of folks but then the SAME Rich Progressives demand EVERYONE Else PAY More in Taxes, while their accounts and tax lawyers take every cut they can


which is perfectly legal, but more than a little hypocritical

 

[RoseRed]

He serves?

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Take away the tax breaks for charity and see who contributes then.

 

[officeguy]

Take away the tax breaks for charity and see who contributes then.

The new tax law already did.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

The new tax law already did.

It did? Where?

 

[Clem72]

If you're a politician and know you may be pressured to make your finances public one day, then making charitable donations is probably a good PR move.

That said, being charitable is not the same as claiming a tax break. I rarely claim very much on my taxes because I don't ask for receipts when I contribute to the collections plate or give 5 bucks to the guy ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, and I rarely fill out the form for item donations to Habitat or the Center for Life Enrichment.

 

[officeguy]

It did? Where?

According to the democrats the increase in the standard deduction will lay waste to charitable donations across the land. Made no sense, but that has never stopped them.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

According to the democrats the increase in the standard deduction will lay waste to charitable donations across the land. Made no sense, but that has never stopped them.

Oh, because that's clearly the same thing we were discussing.

 

[transporter]

O'Rourke earned $366,455 in 2017, according to his tax returns, which he posted on his campaign website on Monday. That same year, he reported charitable donation of just $1,166, or 0.3 percent of his total income. That's even less than rival Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand reported giving to charity on her 2018 tax return. Gillibrand, who earned $217,634 last year, donated just $3,750 to charity, or 1.7 percent of her total income.

O'Rourke, who released ten years worth of tax returns, has done well for himself over the years, but has not made a habit of donating a significant portion of his income to charity. Despite reporting an average annual income of $340,613 between 2008 and 2017, the candidate donated an average of just $2,430 to charity per year during that time, or 0.7 percent.

That's considerably less than the average donation by Americans in lower income brackets. According to IRS data from 2016, Americans earning between $200,000 and $250,000 reported an average of $5,472 in charitable contributions, or about 2 percent of total income. It's also less than half of what Joe Biden reported on his 2011 tax return (1.5 percent of total income in charitable donations), which resulted in the former veep being ridiculed as a cheapskate.

https://freebeacon.com/politics/beto-orourke-tax-returns-charity/

But...but...but...

1. according to Mensa member Gilligan, nothing can be determined from tax returns...
2. according to Trump's press secretary tax returns are too complex for anyone to understand.
3. according to comrade GURPS and every other member of the 35%, the public has no need or reason to see a Presidential candidate's tax returns!

Oh...and of course the stunningly obvious and most priceless point is: NONE of those listed in 1-3 believe they are hypocrites! ONLY those who think or prey differently or whose skin pigmentation is different are capable of being hypocritical! AND since they think differently, pray differently and have different skin pigmentation, they all are--by definition--hypocrites!!

As I said...PRICELESS!!!

 

[GURPS]

 

[This_person]

Take away the tax breaks for charity and see who contributes then.

Take away the jail time for not paying taxes and see who voluntarily pays.

Makes as much sense

 

[vraiblonde]

I really don't care how much politicians give to charity UNLESS they are trying to confiscate my money for their various foreign and domestic "charities". Then it's like, well how much do you cough up?

 

[Tech]

Take away the tax breaks for charity and see who contributes then.

Raising the standard deduction $24K for married has effectively done this.

 

[Tech]

O'Rourke earned $366,455 in 2017, according to his tax returns, which he posted on his campaign website on Monday. That same year, he reported charitable donation of just $1,166, or 0.3 percent of his total income. That's even less than rival Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand reported giving to charity on her 2018 tax return. Gillibrand, who earned $217,634 last year, donated just $3,750 to charity, or 1.7 percent of her total income.

O'Rourke, who released ten years worth of tax returns, has done well for himself over the years, but has not made a habit of donating a significant portion of his income to charity. Despite reporting an average annual income of $340,613 between 2008 and 2017, the candidate donated an average of just $2,430 to charity per year during that time, or 0.7 percent.

That's considerably less than the average donation by Americans in lower income brackets. According to IRS data from 2016, Americans earning between $200,000 and $250,000 reported an average of $5,472 in charitable contributions, or about 2 percent of total income. It's also less than half of what Joe Biden reported on his 2011 tax return (1.5 percent of total income in charitable donations), which resulted in the former veep being ridiculed as a cheapskate.

https://freebeacon.com/politics/beto-orourke-tax-returns-charity/

Give him a break, he is poor and has been reduced to eating dirt.

 

[littlelady]

Beto is a has been before he even got started. Bye, bye.

 

[officeguy]

Oh, because that's clearly the same thing we were discussing.

It is. The increase in the standard deduction and the limitation on the SALT deduction increases the percentage of people who will take the standard deduction instead of itemizing. Once you take the standard deduction, there is no tax benefit to charitable donations. You can be as cheap as Betto or Bernie* and it makes no difference on your tax bill.



* I mean you have feel for the man, if you have to pay rates on your third home on the lake, you can't throw away money on charity.