Joe Biden and American Charity: National Review.com

[TrumanB]

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTZiY2EyNjllZmI3MjBiODdiM2ViNjc5ZmYxNjI1Zjg=

I guess Biden and the liberals don't mind taking our money, but when it comes to their own giving, well ...

Joe Biden and American Charity

What his tax returns mean.

By Byron York

It has become a common practice, when a presidential candidate releases his or her tax returns, for reporters and pundits to examine how much the candidate gave to charity. In September 1992, for example, when the Washington Post reported that Al Gore, then the Democratic candidate for vice president, had released his tax returns, the second paragraph in the story noted that out of income of $183,558, Gore “donated $1,727 — less than 1 percent — to charity.” Other stories about other candidates routinely included figures on charitable giving.

Last Friday, Sen. Joseph Biden, the Democratic candidate for vice president, released his tax returns for the years 1998 to 2007. The returns revealed that in one year, 1999, Biden and his wife Jill gave $120 to charity out of an adjusted gross income of $210,979. In 2005, out of an adjusted gross income of $321,379, the Bidens gave $380. In nine out of the ten years for which tax returns were released, the Bidens gave less than $400 to charity; in the tenth year, 2007, when Biden was running for president, they gave $995 out of an adjusted gross income of $319,853.

Here is a chart of the Bidens’ giving for the years covered by the tax returns:

Adjusted

Gross Income Charity

1998 $215,432 $195

1999 $210,797 $120

2000 $219,953 $360

2001 $220,712 $360

2002 $227,811 $260

2003 $231,375 $260

2004 $234,271 $380

2005 $321,379 $380

2006 $248,459 $380

2007 $319,853 $995

Total $2,450,042 $3,690

To take Biden’s worst year, 1999, one percent of his adjusted gross income would have been $2,100. One half of one percent would have been $1,050. One quarter of one percent would have been $525. One eighth of one percent would have been $262. And one sixteenth of one percent would have been $131 — still a bit more than the Bidens gave.

To take Biden’s best year, 2007, one percent of his adjusted gross income would have been $3,190. One half of one percent would have been $1,595. One quarter of one percent would have been $797 — a figure Biden surpassed by nearly $200.

Looking at the ten-year total of Biden’s giving, one percent would have been $24,500. One half of one percent would have been $12,250. One quarter of one percent would have been $6,125. And one eighth of one percent would have been $3,062 — just below what Biden actually contributed.

“The average American household gives about two percent of adjusted gross income,” says Arthur Brooks, the Syracuse University scholar, soon to take over as head of the American Enterprise Institute, who has done extensive research on American giving. “On average, [biden] is not giving more than one tenth as much as the average American household, and that is evidence that he doesn’t share charitable values with the average American.”

A spokesman for Biden, David Wade, says the figures on Biden’s tax return do not reflect the true extent of his giving. “The charitable contributions claimed by the Bidens on their tax returns are not the sum of their annual contributions to charity,” Wade said in a statement to NRO. “Like most regular churchgoers, they contribute to their church, and they also contribute to their favorite causes with their time as well as their checkbooks, whether it’s [Jill] Biden’s volunteer work with military families or the Biden breast-health initiative, or the way in which the family pitched in driving supplies to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, or the ways Sen. Biden has supported charities that help women, police, and veterans.”

Wade also suggests that Biden, who is famous for being the least wealthy member of the U.S. Senate, simply doesn’t have piles of money to give. “Like a lot of families that put three kids through college and have an aging parent move in with them, the Bidens aren’t divorced from the realities of everyday life,” Wade says. Still, Wade continues, “finding ways to give back is important to them.”

So far, at least, Biden’s tax returns have attracted little attention. On Saturday, the Washington Post published a 468-word story on the subject, the main point of which was that the release of Biden’s returns was an effort by the Obama campaign to pressure the McCain campaign to release Sarah Palin’s returns. After a few brief paragraphs on Biden, the rest of the story concerned Palin, reporting that “progressive groups” are eager to find out whether Palin “skirted tax obligations” on the per diem payments she received from the Alaska state government. The story made no mention of Biden’s charitable giving.

But for people who have studied the impressive generosity of the American public, there is news in Biden’s returns. “I’m not going to say he’s a bad guy,” says Arthur Brooks. “My only point is that his values are not typical American values when it comes to charitable giving. Americans in general are very generous.”

[TrumanB]

Bump, for those of you that were not on last night to see this.

[airborneskins]

Why should he give, when he can force the rest of America to give?

[TrumanB]

In 10 years, Biden has only given one-seventh of one percent of his income to charity. In other words, about 13 times less than what the average American gives. Nice job, Senator.

[Henry]

My wife and I don't declare any of our charities. That's not why we give.

[TrumanB]

My wife and I don't declare any of our charities. That's not why we give.

I'm not sure what your point is.

[Destino]

I'm not sure what your point is.

Think real hard.

[Henry]

I'm not sure what your point is.

That if you looked at my tax returns you'd think I gave 0% of my money to charity.

[TrumanB]

Think real hard.

Well, here you go: Biden does declare his charity contributions and it's only one-seventh of one percent. It is estimated that your average American gives 2% of their income to charity.

So, once again, what's his point? Try real hard on this one.

[TrumanB]

That if you looked at my tax returns you'd think I gave 0% of my money to charity.

And how is this relevant? Biden does declare his charity and it is only one-seventh of one percent of his income. And the average American gives 2 percent of their income to charity.

[Henry]

Well, here you go: Biden does declare his charity contributions and it's only one-seventh of one percent. It is estimated that your average American gives 2% of their income to charity.

So, once again, what's his point? Try real hard on this one.

What part of “The charitable contributions claimed by the Bidens on their tax returns are not the sum of their annual contributions to charity” don't you get?

[TrumanB]

What part of “The charitable contributions claimed by the Bidens on their tax returns are not the sum of their annual contributions to charity” don't you get?

Oh, please. What, you can't recognize spinning by a "spokesman"?

So, the Bidens are only disclosing "some" of their contributions, but not "all" of them? And why would they do that, knowing that he has to disclose his financial records and that this is obviously a sensitive issue.

I love these two parts by Biden's spinmeister:

"they also contribute to their favorite causes with their time" - well, let's erect a monument.

"simply doesn’t have piles of money to give" - uh, I don't think most of us made 2.5 million dollars over the last 10 years. And yes, many of us are also trying to put kids through college too.

[Henry]

If you don't like Biden's policies, don't like them.

But this is a non-story. Even if you personally decide not to believe his spokesman.

[TrumanB]

If you don't like Biden's policies, don't like them.

But this is a non-story. Even if you personally decide not to believe his spokesman.

It's a story because he and Obama support Robin Hood government policies. It's hypocritical. He needs to put his money where his mouth is.

[Predicto]

Hmmm. Joe Biden's net worth is the lowest in the entire Senate. Basically, all he has is the equity in his home.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php?type=W&year=2006&filter=S&sort=A

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/CIDsummary.php?CID=N00001669&year=2006

Now, that is not to say that he couldn't donate a little more than he has. On the other hand, it is pretty easy to see what a partisan argument this is.

[Destino]

"they also contribute to their favorite causes with their time" - well, let's erect a monument.

I love how you downplay this. I've work with charities in the past and let me tell you from personal experience, a popular politician becoming personally involved is worth far more than a person earning an average of less than 250k a year could give. FAR FAR FAR WE ARE TALKING MILES AWAY FAR more.

Also from personal experience I can tell you a lot of people give and don't declare the gifts on their taxes. I saw a lot of very large checks that even though we knew who the donor was we were asked to note it as anonymous.

Like Henry said this is a non-story. Not everyone is motivated purely by the tax implications (I'm sure this is hard for you to grasp).

BTW - thanks for pointing out where Biden is financially. Doesn't hurt to see that Biden isn't all that far from me personally and he has a heck of a lot more to pay for than I do.

[TrumanB]

Hmmm. Joe Biden's net worth is the lowest in the entire Senate. Basically, all he has is the equity in his home.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php?type=W&year=2006&filter=S&sort=A

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/CIDsummary.php?CID=N00001669&year=2006

Now, that is not to say that he couldn't donate a little more than he has. On the other hand, it is pretty easy to see what a partisan argument this is.

I'm not sure why it matters what his worth is compared to other Senators. The issue is that his charitable contributions are far less than what the average American gives.

[TrumanB]

I BTW - thanks for pointing out where Biden is financially. Doesn't hurt to see that Biden isn't all that far from me personally and he has a heck of a lot more to pay for than I do.

Well, considering that the average American made $32,000 last year, I'd say Biden is substantially better off financially. Let's see, he makes 8 times more than the average American and gives 13 times less. Interesting.

[Destino]

Well, considering that the average American made $32,000 last year, I'd say Biden is substantially better off financially. Let's see, he makes 8 times more than the average American and gives 13 times less. Interesting.

I said "from me" and I earn a great deal more than the average in the US. You are still ignoring the fact that it's already been said that not all gifts are declared and that he donates time - which as I told you is in his case far more valuable.

It's also important to note that he's in the middle class. There is no "pretending" with "Joe the Senator".

[TrumanB]

I said "from me" and I earn a great deal more than the average in the US. You are still ignoring the fact that it's already been said that not all gifts are declared and that he donates time - which as I told you is in his case far more valuable.

It's also important to note that he's in the middle class. There is no "pretending" with "Joe the Senator".

Well, Americans give their time to charity too. He's not unique in that respect. And, once again, Americans give financially 13 times more than Biden does, even though he makes 8 times more.

[Predicto]

I'm not sure why it matters what his worth is compared to other Senators. The issue is that his charitable contributions are far less than what the average American gives.

No. That is not necessarily the "issue."

That is how you are framing the issue. That is what you WANT the issue to be.

Hey! I want the issue to be this: "John McCain is a multimillionaire, married to a multi-multi millionaire! How can it be that they don't see fit to donate a larger amount of their obscene wealth to charity than they do? Isn't a 100 million dollars enough for them to live on? Raaaar!"

The difference is that I don't start threads like that. Because I know they are partisan nonsense.

[TrumanB]

The difference is that I don't start threads like that. Because I know they are partisan nonsense.

I didn't write the article exposing him. It is what it is. You're just too partisan to see an issue here.

[Henry]

It's a story because he and Obama support Robin Hood government policies. It's hypocritical. He needs to put his money where his mouth is.

Facts can be pushed in any direction we want. All that article PROVES is that Biden doesn't declare as many tax deductions as a regular person in that area. It doesn't say anything about actual charities or charitable work. You're making those assumptions yourself.

For someone that advocates paying more taxes it actually would be consistent for him to make fewer deductions. Not hypocritical.

[Heisenberg]

I didn't write the article exposing him. It is what it is. You're just too partisan to see an issue here.

You accuse someone else of being "too partisan" after posting this article from the never partisan National Review.

Nice logic.

:applause::applause:

[Predicto]

I didn't write the article exposing him. It is what it is. You're just too partisan to see an issue here.

LOL.

No, you didn't write the article "exposing him" - the non-partisan National review did.

And you, you poor innocent, you were only the guy who started this thread, which you were compelled to do by Federal Law, of course. I know you didn't want to do it.