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

[SamSpade]

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

That's - - ridiculous. I really wonder who in their right mind contributes to charity for the SOLE PURPOSE of writing it off.

Most people I know give to church because they believe in giving to God, and they participate in charitable events for the same reason.
They give to the poor because they need it; they give to things like battered women's shelters and the homeless - sometimes - because
they've BEEN there.

Jesus told his disciples to be as shrewd as snakes but as innocent as doves - don't do wrong, but make the best of your resources.
It's foolish to NOT claim deductions if they're made available. I get deductions for my kids - do I kick 'em out if I can't claim them?
I did once have a roommate who had to re-do his taxes, because he didn't know you can't deduct more than half your income - you
read that right. He was an electrical engineer at MITRE, and he gave more than half his money away. He told me it was easy - determine
just how much you need - and he was very frugal - and give everything else away.

If someone were to claim "I don't give much of my income to charity but I volunteer 20 hours a week at...." I'd be fine with that.
Or if a doctor claimed he didn't, but worked for free at a clinic occasionally - sure. But public service at his OWN JOB? Please.

 

[Midnightrider]

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.

Except for the fact that anyone who is making charitable deductions at a high rate is going to itemize. I know we did. Charitable contributions were one of the few unlimited deductions.




It’s fun watching Trumpers spaz over tax returns when they aren’t interested in everyone’s.

 

[SamSpade]

It’s fun watching Trumpers spaz over tax returns when they aren’t interested in everyone’s.

You'll of course notice that the only thing this thread is looking at is charity.
It's consistent with typical liberal hypocrisy that they want to be charitable with other people's money,
but not so much with their own.

Moreover, it's hypocritical for a rich person to criticize others for not "paying their fair share" but -
in lieu of the fact that they can give more if they believe they should - they don't actually do it.
They're quick to condemn others, but not at all willing to lead by example.

 

[TCROW]

That's - - ridiculous. I really wonder who in their right mind contributes to charity for the SOLE PURPOSE of writing it off.

EVERYONE. There’s and old saying: “Scratch an altruist and watch a hypocrite bleed.”

There are precisely two reasons people give to charity: tax write-offs and it makes them feel good because they think they are doing something by throwing money at a situation.

Then they get invited to all the swanky parties at the end of the year and swill cheap Chardonnay.

 

[SamSpade]

EVERYONE. There’s and old saying: “Scratch an altruist and watch a hypocrite bleed.”

There are precisely two reasons people give to charity: tax write-offs and it makes them feel good because they think they are doing something by throwing money at a situation.

Then they get invited to all the swanky parties at the end of the year and swill cheap Chardonnay.

Well then I'm certain I've never met such a person. And I don't know someone who gets invited to a party because they
were generous.

 

[GURPS]

That's - - ridiculous. I really wonder who in their right mind contributes to charity for the SOLE PURPOSE of writing it off.

Must be some 'rich' folks .... people in my Social Circles tithe because it is required / supports the church

 

[GURPS]

and it makes them feel good because they think they are doing something by throwing money at a situation.

that is a sad commentary ion your life

 

[SamSpade]

Must be some 'rich' folks .... people in my Social Circles tithe because it is required / supports the church

I should be so lucky as to know people that rich. As many people I know who give generously, I know a lot who volunteer their time in a way I envy.
I admire such people.

 

[GURPS]

Beto Gives the Gift of Beto

There comes a time in every political campaign where Democrats have to explain why they don't give money to charity. They want you to vote for them so they can spend your money on their whims, but they don't like parting with their own cash.
Their excuses for this hypocrisy are never good, but sometimes they can be revealing. Joseph A. Wulfsohn, Fox News:

2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke was confronted by a voter at a town hall on Tuesday about his charitable giving, after recently released tax returns showed he and his wife gave away a tiny fraction of their income.

The filings show the couple had given $1,166 to charity in 2017 despite having a combined income of $370,412...

"I do my best to contribute to the success of my community, of 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... I’m doing everything that 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 that we've got."

https://pjmedia.com/trending/beto-gives-the-gift-of-beto/

 

[Midnightrider]

You'll of course notice that the only thing this thread is looking at is charity.
It's consistent with typical liberal hypocrisy that they want to be charitable with other people's money,
but not so much with their own.

Moreover, it's hypocritical for a rich person to criticize others for not "paying their fair share" but -
in lieu of the fact that they can give more if they believe they should - they don't actually do it.
They're quick to condemn others, but not at all willing to lead by example.

And how do you know about his charitable contributions in the first place? That’s right he released his tax returns.

If, as trumpers have been claiming for theee yeats now, taxes are no ones buisness the. You shouldn’t care what is in Betos. If you do care then you should want the same level of disclosure from all candidates, including the orange one

 

[GURPS]

Beto made his Choices ... there is NO Requirement for releasing Tax Forms ... if you do, you invite criticism


typical limousine liberals .....

poor .... helping others ....


Oh look mr 'lets help others' gave $ 1000 out of 370k .. now he is stepping and fetching

but I give my time ....

 

[SamSpade]

You shouldn’t care what is in Betos.

I don't care. I didn't ask for them, and I didn't insist on them, and I wouldn't support kicking him off the ballot if he had not.
But if he puts them out there for me to read, like his college grades or his thesis - I'll read it.
If his thesis was something really stupid, I'll comment on it. That's the way it works.

 

[Clem72]

There are precisely two reasons people give to charity: tax write-offs and it makes them feel good because they think they are doing something by throwing money at a situation.

Maybe the people in your circle are dumb enough to think a tax writeoff by itself would warrant a donation. If I give $100 to charity, and write off $100 of my income I save.......$40 (or whatever, it's in that ballpark) on taxes but still LOSE $60 overall. As a purely financial proposition it's never a win. Unless you lie or cheat. Perhaps that's your angle.

 

[This_person]

And how do you know about his charitable contributions in the first place? That’s right he released his tax returns.

If, as trumpers have been claiming for theee yeats now, taxes are no ones buisness the. You shouldn’t care what is in Betos. If you do care then you should want the same level of disclosure from all candidates, including the orange one

You're conflating "have an opinion about" with "care about".

Personally, I've repeatedly said there's no good reason to release the tax returns for ANYONE. But, never stop an opponent when they're making a mistake.

 

[Yooper]

EVERYONE. There’s and old saying: “Scratch an altruist and watch a hypocrite bleed.”

I find myself in strong agreement.

Beto, Sanders, etc. (I'm sure we could find some Repubs, too, but these two are currently in the news for being, well, hypocrites). All talk a great game so long as it's with other people's money. "Do as I say, not as I do" and all that....

#Pharisaic

(a) There are precisely two reasons people give to charity: tax write-offs and it makes them feel good because they think they are doing something by throwing money at a situation.

(b) Then they get invited to all the swanky parties at the end of the year and swill cheap Chardonnay.

(a) Very Objectivist of you! Lol.

(b) Very "Atlas Shrugged"! Lol #2

---

Spoiler: How much do I give to charity?

None of anybody's bees wax. This is something between me, the Lord, and the IRS.

(MCP)

 

[BOP]

The new tax law already did.

I contributed more afterward. I was dismayed to see that I was still under 10%, which is my goal.

 

[BOP]

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.

I stopped asking for receipts 3 years ago. I was close to 10% then, even without the donations, but still haven't managed to break the threshold.

 

[BOP]

But...but...but...As I said...PRICELESS!!!

 

[BOP]

Well then I'm certain I've never met such a person. And I don't know someone who gets invited to a party because they
were generous.

I actually agree wth T-crow. I don't believe in such a thing as altruism. There's no such thing. I will allow as how the way they parsed it was pretty crude, but in the rational self-interest department, people only act when there's a perceived benefit to them (if only in the hereafter). Even Mother Theresa did not act out of some kind of altruism, but rather a belief system that said that her reward for her charity was laid up in heaven.

 

[officeguy]

Except for the fact that anyone who is making charitable deductions at a high rate is going to itemize. I know we did. Charitable contributions were one of the few unlimited deductions.

That's why the argument didn't make sense when the democrats were making it. But the reality remains, for the large group of taxpayers that now fall under the standardized deduction, it makes no difference whether they give 1,2 or 5% of their income, their tax bill remains the same. But they give because they want to give, not to do cheat on their taxes.

Oh, and here you get a gold star for being so generous and talking so freely about it