The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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March 18, 2010

Your View: Need, not greed, should drive charities

By Robert A. Swart, Mankato

Isn’t it amusing that Republicans have no issues or original ideas. Years ago we liberals decried the dramatic skyrocketing pay the charities in this country started paying people. Now, Senate Republicans, needing an issue that might make them look like they are doing something, have stumbled on that issue. Where were they when it started?

We were told the private sector could outperform the public sector in caring for the poor, the unfortunate and the needy. Nonprofits and so called “charities” exploded in numbers. People found they could make good money on the generosity of Americans. In many cases, the main function was to support a grandiose lifestyle of the founder or executive.

We are told the people running large charities are like CEOs running large companies. We now know some companies are too large to fail. Apparently, some charities are now too large to succeed.

In tough times programs are cut, never greed. Years ago, I stopped giving to charitable organizations that didn’t meet my greed meter. If any person in the organization was making over $100,000, they didn’t get my dime.

It would be nice if our governments would have a similar standard. If an organization has anyone on its payroll with compensation that exceeds, say $500,000, it is no longer a charity. No tax deduction, no public money, no access to employees' contributions.

Then, need, not greed, will again drive charities.

 

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