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Current Events » in reply to I'd be a lot more sympathetic to the plight of Big Business...

Charity
Tom Brosz — (archived)

I will not argue that there are CEOs who by any objective standards are grossly overpaid for what they are accomplishing. But if you actually look at all the news stories, you could easily count on a couple of hands the CEOs who are paid millions and then running their companies into the ground.

On the other hand, if other CEOs are earning their company billions every year, the stockholders may think they are well worth it. Most of the huge amounts of money made by CEOs are not salaries, but bonuses based on performance, or an increase in the value of their stocks (most of Bill Gates' wealth is the latter). In any case, that's not for you and me to decide, unless we're stockholders or employees. Or both.

I have the highest respect for those who give of themselves one hell of a lot more than I do. People who volunteer regularly at retirement homes or hospitals. People who work for nothing at shelters, or counseling places. "Big Brothers" and "Big Sisters." Mentors. School volunteers. Library volunteers. Guys who pick up the glass from the playgrounds. People who can afford to give more money than I do (those bastard "rich").

According to this article, which is worth a read anyway, the private sector gives about $300 billion to charity each year in money and services. While the government easily outstrips this...hey, it's not THEIR money...it's not chopped liver either. Remember, nobody is forcing this generosity from them.

There is no compassion in spending someone else's money--even for a good cause. True compassion depends on personal involvement.

Wish I could carve that into the foreheads of some people in Washington.

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