Ends there too, for some folks:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made considerably less money than rival Sen. Joe Biden, but the Palin family gave more to charity in the last two years than Biden has in the last eight combined, according to Palin’s tax records released Friday afternoon.
In 2006, the Palins paid $11,944 in taxes on $127,869 in income. In 2007, they paid $24,738 on $166,080.
But in 2006, they donated $4,880 to charity, and in 2007, they donated $3,325.
By contrast, Biden (D-Del.), Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s running mate, has donated a total of $3,690 since 1998 despite his higher Senate salary, according to an analysis posted by National Review.
It really isn’t a fair comparison: Congressmen and senators don’t have to spend any of their own money on charity. They spend yours.
Not surprising. The data out there on charitable giving consistently shows that people with traditional values give much more than the liberals. Can’t put my hands on it right now but I recall seeing some stats from a study in the past year that the people of Mississippi (Red State), one of the poorest states in the union give the most to charity while people in Massachusetts (very Blue State) give the least of any state. Libs use OPM (Other People’s Money) from taxes to do “their” giving via the gov’t entitlement programs.
Kind of like the speech “The One We’ve Been Waiting For” made about being our brother’s keeper, yet his brother George subsists in a hut in Africa on $1 a month. He must be waiting to implement some sort of taxpayer aid program for his dear brother after he assumes the throne.
I’m kind of disappointed in both of them. I’ve given more than that each year, and we don’t make nearly as much money as the Palin family.
Biden’s charitable giving is truly pathetic, though. During the 1992 presidential campaign, George Bush had given a million dollars to charity in 1991..exactly and entirely every dollar he made that year.
Wonder if this also count’s the Palin’s tithe to their church?
You must be Mother Theresa Liz I am sure, God bless you, but what the Palin’s gave is about 30% higher than the average for that income in 2006.
I am not disappointed in Palin at all. Think of all the kids she has vs. Michelle Obama working as a lawyer….
The O’Biden’s are beyond pathetic, the word anemic isn’t sufficient, either. Why has this comment only gotten 4 hits here? Is it because the folks that visit here we are so jaded we expect this kind of thing from Democratic national leaders? Methinks yes.
Even reflexive Obama-Biden boosters and Kool-Aid drinkers like OP and flit won’t touch it.
b2
PS- re O’Biden- did you hear Sarah say that during the debate?
bb- I did notice “O’Biden” – I wasn’t sure she actually said it because it came out almost as a slip of the tongue – but I said to my wife, “did you hear that?”
The disparity in giving between conservatives and democrats overall has been studied and well-documented. I think Lex linked to that at one point. There appears to be a strong linkage between the attitude that the government should take a stronger hand in redistributing wealth and the attitude that charitable giving is for somebody else not me.
There appears to be a strong linkage between the attitude that the government should take a stronger hand in redistributing wealth and the attitude that charitable giving is for somebody else not me.
Flatlander — When I lived in Germany, one of the interesting conversations I had with my German friends was on the subject of charitable giving. Having read the incessant IHT blabble on how evil the US is over the medically uninsured, they were amazed at the level of charitable giving in the US vs. Germany. Didn’t fit the “evil, selfish American” template. Such giving is almost unknown in Germany — no hospital buildings named for benefactors, no named scholarships. No charity galas, no Jerry Lewis telethon. Their attitude is the corollary to what you opined — pay that much in taxes, they have no responsibility to give. Except here, it is anticipatory — if some day your politics may hold sway, and you get to enact punitive taxes, then don’t get in the habit of giving now. When you can’t afford it later, then you won’t feel so guilty.