Instead of giving to charity Warren Buffet should pay his share through estate taxes.

[dkf]

Why is the US Treasury aka We the people not a good enough charity?

We need to cap that deduction.

[midnight]

1. True, and so should the rest of the 1 percent...

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. have you SEEN what 'we the people' DO with money when we get it?

we piss it away on foreign adventures (wars) and just give it right back to people who don't need or deserve it (corporations). at least a charity MIGHT do something worthwhile with it...

sP

[Proud Public Servant]

3. You beat me to it

Donated to charity, 100% of Buffet's money will go to humanitarian causes. Taxed, a least 25% of it (depending on how you measure) will go to the Pentagon.

[dkf]

6. But the Gates foundation isn't focused on the problems of Americans.

Yes they do valuable international work but it's Americans that are giving the break and losing out.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. the gov't will piss it away...

either do some good work with it...or not. that is what i think the choice is. i think they should pay something too, but if a charity they are supporting or funding is doing SOME good work...then so be it.

sP

[dkf]

10. Then why should we be okay with paying taxes at all?

Yes the government wastes a TON of money but that doesn't relieve anyone of having to pay them. Why isn't this a valid reason for the rich wanting to avoid paying what they can? And hey they are by using the charitable deduction.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. i don't think ANYONE should pay more in taxes

until we clean up some of our mess. it's like giving a crack addict money before they've managed to give up the crack. you KNOW there going to go piss it away. first, you need to get them off the crack and THEN we can let them start taxing to pay down debt and do GOOD thing with the money.

if you give the government more and more money they have no incentive to clean up anything...and then we WILL end up like Greece...it may take a while but we will get there. if they don't straighten out the spending and wastefulness it is only a matter of time. to bad we can't get someone in there with the balls to put a stop to this bullshit...

sP

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Simplify the tax codes

Not to the level of the Forbes Farce, but in mostly well meaning attempts at social engineering we have a horribly complex code that encourages avoidance. A clean well structured system is long overdue

[dkf]

5. Yes I wish.

Taxes are ridiculous.

[meaculpa2011]

11. Complexity in the tax code...

empowers the politicians and the oligarchs. It's unrealistic to expect them to surrender their power voluntarily.

[lumberjack_jeff]

7. Eliminating estate taxes starves both the treasury and charitable causes. n/t

[dkf]

8. Well the charity I'm most concerned about is the financial stability of this country.

What good is the health of a private foundation in Greece? Their country is so messed up that the needs are overwhelming I am sure.

[Swede]

13. "It's sort of a touching response to a $1.2 trillion deficit, isn't it?

That somehow the American people will all send in checks and take care of it?" - Warren Buffet.

[2ndAmForComputers]

14. That's almost as old as the Cadillac driving "welfare queens." You can do better.

Try something new. Maybe something about how Michelle Obama want to take away our freedom to eat burgers.