At Townhall, Doug Wilson comments on a fringe benefit of the Bush tax cuts (bolds are mine):
Wealthy Americans are becoming increasingly interested in donating to global causes. Since 1997, the rate of global giving has increased steadily at an average of 12.5 percent each year. According to a recent Financial Times story, JPMorgan Private Bank has “noted a rise of about 20 percent over the last year in client interest in overseas donations, with high-net-worth individuals looking to support education, health and economic expansion projects in developing countries.”
And they aren’t alone. Financial planners and international banks have seen similar upswings. It all begs the question—why?
What does this increased giving tells us about Americans?
First, it speaks to the sort of Main Street conservatism that permeates the culture, despite the popular media-driven assumption that conservative values are old-fashioned or even backward. With increasing frequency, Americans are educating themselves about global issues and working to fix the problems they see in concert with private organizations. In so doing, Americans breed a culture of self-reliance by acknowledging that government cannot fix every problem plaguing the modern world.
Second, it proves once again the power of tax cuts. Federal income tax rates decreased significantly between 2000 and 2007, and this has undoubtedly contributed to the rise in charitable giving. You say no way, but we do know from the experience in Western Europe, that as taxes went up, giving went down. Why? Because the state was going to solve the problem – not individuals. This leads some to contend that tax cuts hurt those in need. The truth is though, that when Americans keep more of their money they will often use it to help those in need—sans any governmental mandate to do so. Moreover, private citizens will consistently make more efficient use of their resources than government would because private giving creates partnerships between individuals and organizations and fosters accountability.
The last bolded sentence explains why you will almost never see Old Media acknowledgment of the overall growth in charitable giving. Oh, they will highlight individual acts of giving that fit their politically correct worldview. But in their world, only governments are up to the monumental tasks at hand.
This graphic from the Wall Street Journal over a year ago carried at this post shows just how wrong that point of view is:
How many Americans have even the foggiest idea of the figures just presented? The federal government has never played a bigger role in a disaster recovery than it has with Katrina, especially in New Orleans. Yet almost no one inside or outside of Louisiana is happy with what has been accomplished.
The Bayou State just received billions more in appropriations last week, much of which is related to Katrina relief ($3 billion in home reconstruction aid, plus $7 billion in water resources development act money). Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu called it her state's "$12 billion payday." Why should we think that this boodle will make any more of a difference than the previous money did?
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
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Sick of hearing about Katrina...
November 13, 2007 - 10:04 ET by Six String SpiffThe amount of money that was extorted from the government (That would be funded by TAX PAYERS for those of you in Rio Linda) because of the criminally negligent local LA government is disgusting. I remember Hurricane Andrew and the devastation it left in it's wake. I don't remember people standing around going 'Woe is me, O Government, where art thou?', and the MSM 'reporters' falling over themselves to get down there and accuse FEMA of doing a bad job. I also think race plays a HUGE role with Katrina. I recall show after show of "Do think it's because you are Black?" The race mongering by the MSM was pornographic. Billions spent on a city that should be paved, not rebuilt.
Islamic Religious Services Will Be Held at the Firing Range At 0800 Daily.
Six-
November 13, 2007 - 10:39 ET by ReformedLib Re-FormedConYou don't live here. I do. Well, close enough now, but I lived in St. Bernard, which actually got it as bad as, if not worse than, the city. If it were your city, you'd say to rebuild it, regardless of the fact that it had problems, and what those problems were. I think it's heartless for people to say it should be paved over. This is MY community, MY growing-up years, MY memories. Do I think it should be built back like it was? Hell no! Do I think that the same corruption and crime should be allowed? Hell no! But do I think that one of the most colorful, wonderful, friendly, historic cities in the world should be bulldozed over? HELL NO.
All most people hear about is the bad stuff... typical of the MSM. A lot of the city is back up and running, and as nice as ever. Not everyone down here is a deadbeat looking for a handout. Hubby and I were back to work soon after the storm- he in five days, me in 2.5 weeks. We gutted our house, we cleaned out our yard, we moved about two housefuls of furniture and mess out of our backyard, six garbage cans, three bbq pits, and sifted through a foot or so of mud and muck to salvage things from our son's childhood. We didn't stand around waiting for someone to take care of us; we took care of ourselves. No, we're not all deadbeats down here, and yes, I take offense when anyone says that MY city should be paved over like a parking lot.
Straw Man
November 13, 2007 - 10:58 ET by Tom BlumerRLRC,
The "paved over" debate ended 2 years ago. Move on.
I would estimate that Louisiana received at least $90 billion in Katrina relief. Assuming that 1.5 million people were affected (I think that's high), that's $60,000 for every man, woman, and child affected.
Where did it go?
Dont really care if its
November 13, 2007 - 11:02 ET by Dan The Man 2Dont really care if its paved over or not, but rebuild rthe city from their own funds. It is below sea level, when Galveston was devastated in 1900 they rebuilt an lifted the city out of serious danger from storm surges. New Orleans needs to do the same.
Stop whining and start working.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
Not a native of there
November 13, 2007 - 11:52 ET by Right2thePointNot a native of there Reformed, but I spent 3 years living near the Green Store in a trailer park next to the Shooting Range at the end of St Bernard Highway working at a shipyard right on the parrish line building Casino Boats, just down the road from Elevated Boats.
New Orleans has a chance to rebuild the place with more sense rather than repeat the stupidity of the past.
One thing that could be done is fill in the lower 9th ward with about 15 to 20 feet of landfill before rebuilding. How far is the dropoff from I-10 when you look down into the tub that is that area?
The bridge between Chalmette and I-10 has a road leading to it that even in a small storm system durn near floods over the roadway blocking access to the bridge.
That thing should be raised about 4 or 5 feet as an evacuation route.
The view from Houston
November 13, 2007 - 13:05 ET by UnsaneWe didn't stand around waiting for someone to take care of us; we took care of ourselves. Here in Houston you will find many who disagree.
No, we're not all deadbeats down here, and yes, I take offense when anyone says that MY city should be paved over like a parking lot. New Orleans shouldn't be paved over, however, we need to stop having the national New Orleans Pity Party. I was living in San Antonio when Tropical Storm Allison flooded Houston; I don't remember people here still crying about it two years later. The same with Alicia, which was worse.
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
Don't get me wrong, I
November 13, 2007 - 23:38 ET by ReformedLib Re-FormedConDon't get me wrong, I totally agree that almost everything has been mismanaged. Trust me, I didn't see 180k for the three of us that it equates to per person. I got my insurance money that I paid my premiums for because I had flood insurance. Most of my family did, also. That's why, with the exception of my brother, we all live 90 miles north and 70 feet above sea level now.
I don't need to 'get over it'. I don't stand around with my hand out, and did you hear my whine about the government giving me money? No, what I talked about losing out on is just what I said- the places where I built memories and family moments and the things from our son's childhood that we lost. Family photos, my great grandma's furniture, things that my son made for me when he was in kindergarten. Those are the things I miss. I have a new home, and I'm fortunate enough to work in an industry that's not area-bound, which is why I was able to go right back to work. I did cat claims in Florida in 04 for the first three storms and I remember the devastation those people suffered. I felt bad for them and hoped that I would never go through that. I agree that the pity party needs to come to an end as far as the money goes. Emotionally? Well... wishful thinking. The people who were responsible and took care of themselves before the storm are the ones who feel like I feel; it's the deadbeats and leg-layers who want to sit around and see what someone is going to hand them. I've said that from the beginning, and if you check every post I've made on the subject, you'll find I've been consistent in my beliefs. I think NO needs to be rebuilt into a better, smarter city. I don't know the schematics for elevating a city because that's not my field. I don't know where all the money went. I don't know a lot, but I do know that when someone says to 'pave over' MY hometown, it hurts me. Get over it? I will never 'get over it'. You can get over telling me to get over it and expecting me to.
Right2- You lived about 3/4 of a mile 'down the road' from where I lived. The Green Store is a sandwich shop now, the convenience store across the side street is reopened. There's one of the ubiquitous Family Dollar stores about two blocks past. Did you EVER, EVER, EVER have better, fresher seafood than we had in the parish?
Wake up Republican candidates! This is how you combat
November 13, 2007 - 10:28 ET by Dee Bunkthe liberal portrayal of Republicans as non caring. WITH FACTS. Lower taxes equate to more charitable giving and that is why Americans give more than almost any other country.
This is a major issue that Republicans do not effectively communicate and it needs to change if we will have any chance of winning. The fact is that less government empowers people and people don't waste and embezzle their own money.
All of the candidates need to read "Who really Cares: America's Charity Divide. Who Gives, Who Doesn't and Why it Matters" By Arthur C. Brooks. This concept needs to be driven home over and over and over again. It's the whole key to the Republican philosophy.
Governments as charity
November 13, 2007 - 13:09 ET by UnsaneI wonder why the media never reports on the amounts of charitable giving to private, non-profit organizations in Europe?
To give you an idea: some months ago I was reading the Charlemagne column in The Economist where it marveled at the number of non-profit "think tanks" operating in and around DC, powered by nothing more than charitable donations. The article mused that one of the reasons that this phenomenon is lacking in Brussels and other European capitals is that those who would otherwise have the funds to set up such organizations (and other charities) will whine that they pay enough of their money to the government, which, in European countries, is the charity.
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.