Joe Biden’s charitable giving
Charity is one of those topics that, almost without exception, is nobody’s business.
Anonymous giving is regarded by some as the highest form of charity.
Judging others by what they give, moreover, is a perilous exercise, as one seldom can be sure of another’s personal circumstance.
The release of Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s tax returns, though, seems to be an exception to the charitable giving is nobody’s business rule.
For all his talk of his hard scrable upbringing Scranton, Pa., it is hard to understand why Mr. Biden’s charitable giving is so small — indeed, microscopic.
Go to the United Way of Lackawanna County’s web site and you will see that it is soliciting what it calls “The Gift of Warmth” — aid for home heating oil especially for the elderly. The charity reminds givers to be generous because a “one-time stipend of $300 will not provide even a single, full tank of oil.”
Over the past 10 years Sen. Biden consistently has earned over $200,000 — means that admittedly are modest by the standards of Washington. But he gave more than $380 in charitable gifts only one of those years, 2007, when he reported $995 in charitable giving out of $319,000 in adjusted gross income.
There’s a lot to like about Sen. Biden, but his level of charitable giving fairly can be seen by voters as troubling.
(Pictured: Pat McMullen watches Democratic vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., during a debate against Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, at a debate-watching party at Pat McMullen’s Bar in Scranton, Pa. on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. McMullen’s is a few blocks away from the childhood home of Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz))
Eddie Roth writes about education, social justice, public safety, transportation, legal affairs and historic preservation. He joined the Post-Dispatch editorial page in 2008 after six years as an editorial writer with the Dayton Daily News. But he is not new to St. Louis. Eddie grew up in Webster Groves and south St. Louis County. He's a lawyer who for many years practiced with a downtown firm, and was active in civic affairs, including serving a term on the St. Louis Police Board. He and his wife, Jeanne, and their three daughters, Emily, Julia and Alice, live in the Shaw Neighborhood.
When it comes to community organizing, he endorses Quentin Crisp's advice: Rather than keeping up with the Joneses, it's better to pull them down to your level. 
Wow, Eddie, are you feeling okay? This is Joe Biden and not Gov. Palin you are talking about. However, this is not news. I wrote to the PD two weeks ago about not covering this when they reported on the release of Biden’s tax returns. This is also not news as this is typical of Democrat politicians. But thankfully with Obama poised to take over in 3 weeks, the US won’t need charities any longer as Obama is going to evenly spread the wealth so we can all live as well as Joe Biden. I hope charities are prepared to take the hit that is coming their way with the new administration.
Come on, Mr. Roth. Give the guy a break. He has been very generous and “compassionate” with the taxpayers’ money throughout his political career. Soon private charities will be as outdated as local schools, personal health insurance, or individual credit ratings.
Whoa — popping out of the Barcalounger and swinging around those 20 oz. sparring gloves like a drunken Truman Capote … Hold yourself back, Eddie. Somebody could get hurt.
Next week’s trenchant report: Eddie Roth savages Barack Obama for failing to hold open the Hyde Park Starbucks door four years ago as Bill and Bernadette entered.
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There is no other way to put it: He’s cheap. I noticed Obama didn’t really give much either until a few years ago. If you have the position that the rich aren’t paying enough taxes, you should have the same view about charity. Both of these guys need to give some of their own money. Giving away mine doesn’t count. Every survey on the subject always shows conservatives are more generous. This is going to be a tough year for charities. Liberals need to dig deep.
Must’ve been a slow news day, Eddie. The returns were released almost a month ago. Your comments are similar to those of the law prof from a Catholic, Jesuit institution. I don’t expect much support for Obama-Biden there.
And you failed to mention from the same report how Palin took over $60,000.00 in per diems and didn’t declare any as income. I guess its nice to be Governor, phone it in and take the taxpayers for $60,000.00!
I know this has been out for a while. I had hoped to have more to say about it, but wanted to register for the record that Biden has a lousy record when it comes to charitable giving.
And I think that when the numbers are this shockingly low it means something — and it’s not good.
It could be worse. He could be one of these guys who makes huge amounts of money and then hands out $50,000 or some such and think they’ve done something. They haven’t.
Biden really should have done much better. But he can still make up for it.
Marley’s ghost, weighted down by his cash boxes, was right:
“We wear the chains we forge in life.”
> Biden really should have done much better.
> But he can still make up for it.
Never fear, Mr. Roth, he’ll make up for it - with MY money.
Notwithstanding my previous quote, I am taking it with me. My wife has promised to put a check for my entire net worth in my casket when that time comes.
Too many ways to begin, but let’s start with Bush’s plan to enlist religious organizations to donate funds and services to supplement government spending. And of course there will be no proselytizing
Try to temember that we are the most charitable country in the world in terms of absolute giving even if we are way behind most other wealthy countries in terms of percentage of charitable giving.
It might also be helpful to remember that many people are not as driven to get a tax right off as some of you “compassionate Republicans”. A large percentage of what I give is not listed on my tax returns. If you get some financial return from giving, is it truly charitable?
I could go on, but let’s compare Biden with the other memebers of Congress. How much does John give as a basis of his “family” income? I would be willing to bet that the “$380″ is still probably more than “big” John.
“A CENTRIST” I am absolutely positive that you won’t reduce your giving inspite of the new administration. Can’t go any lower than zero, can you?
jjk
Smart guy. First you believe a woman, and yes, most are more trustworthy than most men.
But how do you cash a check from the grave? You must like your banker.
As far as the survey. I like that. It makes you guys (conservatives, assuming you are one, and we know what assuming does) seem real generous. The problem is that, as I said earlier, if you get a deduction, is it really charity?