Travel guru Rick Steves gives $1M to arts center

The Seattle Times ^ | August 26, 2011 | The Associated Press

[RitchieAprile]

EDMONDS, Wash. — Travel guru Rick Steves says he's trying to make a political statement by giving $1 million to an arts center in his hometown.

He says the amount equals what he saved from tax cuts approved by former President George W. Bush beginning in 2001. The Herald newspaper of Everett reports ( http://bit.ly/quuOap) that Steves says he's alarmed that the tax burden on rich people has dropped while public funding for important local programs has been slashed.

[SES1066]

I had more than a little respect for Mr Steves in his logical, common-sense approach and research for tourism and travel. Then he did an hour-long pean to travel in Iran (2009) that castigated the US for irrational antagonism towards theocratic Islamic Republic. I may have missed it, but the months-long Iranian protests against rigged internal elections seemed to generate no retraction from the honorable Mr Steves. I would like to ask this idiot his current opinion on touring Iran after the multiple-year sentences for two, very disputable border violations.

Crickets ... /S

[hosepipe]

PBS funding should be stopped.. as well as most of other federal government funding..

[LibertarianInExile]

“But Rick has no problem getting rich himself off of the backs of rich people who take his over-priced tours and buy his travel books...”

Hell, it’s worse than that. Steves has no problem making his videos and selling his books about all these places—places that us overtaxed folks will NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO SEE because people like him are so excited about higher taxes on “the rich.” I’m not at all surprised he wants to tax the stew out of everyone who can afford a plane ticket, so he can sell MORE videos and books.

[NormsRevenge]

Hey Rick.. Send me a few grand and I’ll see what I can pick up in Italy and Greece for ya.. videos too..

getting paid to travel.. what a gig.

[muleskinner]

He is an anti-American Euro-socialist. In some of his travel books he is always taking shots at America and Americans. He even devoted a whole chapter to tell his leftist acolytes that most Americans are mean, GREEDY, narrow-minded poltroons who are barely intelligent enough to breath.

You know, the Tea Party.

I even wrote an email to him and his leftist kingdom of fawning cretins in Washington state explaining that if that is his belief, then end your citizenship and bloody MOVE OUT!

[Hotlanta Mike]

PBS funding should be stopped.. as well as most of other federal government funding..

---

PBS is overpaying him if he is making that kind of coin. Until next time, keep on travellin...

[Dr. Scarpetta]

He is an anti-American Euro-socialist. In some of his travel books he is always taking shots at America and Americans. He even devoted a whole chapter to tell his leftist acolytes that most Americans are mean, GREEDY, narrow-minded poltroons who are barely intelligent enough to breath.

I recently discovered that Rick Steves is a big liberal. He posted some leftist nonsense on Facebook.

[vox_freedom]

This pro-marijuana user liberal has made more than a million $$$ in his “public television” broadcasts. It would be interesting to know exactly what PBS paid him for his travel shows. He’s also made a ton of money in his travel brokerage business and his huge number of book sales.

[Kickass Conservative]

Gee, I wonder if Rick Itemizes when he does his Taxes.

Hey Rick, take the $8,500 Personal Deduction and pay the piper on all that money you earn. I dare you, you lying Libtard.

Anybody here think he doesn't Itemize? I thought not.

[UnwashedPeasant]

"Important to note he didn't write the check to the government!"

Yeah! That money should go to political cronies, union thugs, and Moochele's vacation fund.

[UnwashedPeasant]

"PBS funding should be stopped"

Right! That million he donated came from taxpayer-funded PBS. Rick Steves is robbing from the govt and giving to the private sector to protest low taxes.

[livius]

I have pretty much stopped using his guidebooks because he seems to be unable to prevent himself from making snide comments about churches, particularly Catholic churches, and presenting history from a strange anti-Catholic/anti-Christian point of view. Since most European countries have many churches and a long Catholic history, this gets a little annoying.

Not surprisingly, however, he seems to have a soft spot for Islamic theocracy. All lefties do.

[dennisw]

All this rich lefty dope did was make a $1,000,000 charitable donation. A donation to exactly what he likes, an arts center. What he really should have done was make an additional $1,000,000 to Washington State or the Federales where his taxes get flushed down a rat hole same as mine do. But obviously this guy thinks he knows better where to put his "unfairly earned" money than any government does.

and BTW charitable donations are tax deductible. Paying additional taxes is not!

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I bought Rick Steeves’ DVD set about 5 yrs ago. Needless to say, I’m totally shocked to find out he is a huge liberal. BTW, I read he got divorced last year. Wonder what happened...