Conspicuous Charity: Is Dick Cheney more generous than Al Gore

The Wall Street Journal ^ | April 18, 2007 | ARTHUR C. BROOKS

[presidio9]

You might remember the fact, reported ad nauseam in the mainstream press last year, that Vice President Dick Cheney's 2005 tax return showed he had a family income of $8.8 million. This was due in no small part from stock options from a variety of companies, including the much-vilified Halliburton Corp. This fact provoked howls of outrage from many of Mr. Cheney's critics, who claimed it was evidence of what one syndicated columnist has called an "autocratic, plutocratic regime."

Significantly less-frequently reported last year was this datum: Mr. and Mrs. Cheney gave 78% of their 2005 income to charity. That's not a typo -- the couple donated $6.9 million, including the proceeds from stock options and book royalties that Mrs. Cheney routinely gives away. Their giving went to three nonprofit causes in health, higher education and services for inner-city youth.

While the Cheneys might look like elite philanthropists, Mr. and Mrs. Bush were no charitable slouches either. Foursquare tithers, they gave away 12.2% of their adjusted gross income in 2005, and similar percentages in past years. Their giving tends to go to more middle-class causes, including their church, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

How does the current administration compare with the previous one? In 1999, the Clintons gave away a solid 9.4% of their income, while the Gores gave 5.1%. Two years earlier, however, the former vice president's giving had earned some special attention. In 1997, the Gores only gave away $353 of their income of $197,729, or 0.18%. Mr. Gore's spokesman deflected criticism by pointing out that, "To truly judge a person's commitment to helping others, you need to consider what they have done with their lives and how they have spent their time -- and by that standard the Gores are extraordinarily

[eyedigress]

Sounds like Spotted Al Gore needs some charity offsets.

[SuziQ]

Heh, Gore has made a pretty penny on his Chicken Little act, hasn't he? He's got a great scam going, going everywhere wringing his hands and crying that we're destroying the planet, trying to make others feel guilty about their energy use At the same time, he's getting rich selling his wealthy friends and hangers-on 'carbon credits' so they can continue to use all the energy they always did, they just don't feel guilty about it any more.

With all the investigative reporters trying to make their chops in the world, it's a wonder SOMEONE doesn't look into this. I guess, though, they'd never win any sort of prize by exposing one of their own as a fraud. Now if President Bush or VP Cheney were doing something like this, I can guarantee you they'd be all over it like white on rice!

[Suzy Quzy]

ALGORE gave LESS than a dollar a day to Charity....HYPOCRITE....typical Democrats want OTHER people to give!