New York’s new Governor David Paterson is in the news today. Like other prominent Democrats, his donations to charity are stunning:
Gov. Paterson and his wife last year gave a shockingly low $150 to charity, despite a combined income of nearly $270,000, the couple’s income-tax filings show. The $150 went to the Salvation Army in the form of used clothing, a Paterson aide said… A Paterson spokesman would not discuss his meager charitable giving.
It’s really not fair to expect Paterson to have given more than that. After all, Democrats tend to be more supportive of taxes on the wealthy to take care of the poor — not charitable contributions. Further, the plan among Democrats who seek high office seems to be to ramp up your donations a year or two before you go for the brass ring. Paterson didn’t expect to be governor so soon; he probably didn’t expect real scrutiny on his tax returns for a couple of years. To borrow a phrase from Jammie Wearing Fool ‘He spent more for the cheap hotel rooms with his myriad girlfriends.’
