Gates foundation injects 750 million dollars for infant vaccination

[seriousstan]

GENEVA (AFP) - The foundation run by American computer software multi-billionaire Bill Gates (news - web sites) is to donate 750 million dollars (575 million euros) over 10 years for worldwide infant vaccination.


The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (news - web sites) said the money would go to the Geneva-based Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI), a partner of the World Health Organisation.


"In just five years, GAVIs efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of childrens lives, and its work in the coming years will save millions more," said Bill Gates, founder and president of the software giant Microsoft.


"GAVI will use the funds announced today to support national immunization programs in 72 of the worlds poorest countries," he said in a statement. "Supporting childrens immunization is undoubtedly the best investment weve ever made."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1508&u=/afp/20050125/hl_afp/whohealthgates_050125020334&printer=1

[Dookus]

1. Good for Bill and Melinda....

whatever Gates' faults, he is a first-class philanthropist.

[BayCityProgressive]

2. that was pretty good of him.

[Dookus]

3. furthermore

the vast bulk of his fortune will go to charity when he dies. He's said he'll leave his children well-off, but the bulk of his billions will go to help others. Can't argue with that.

[DBoon]

5. As high tech entrepreneurs go, he is a decent guy

You'd never see Larry Ellison do something like this.

[montana_hazeleyes]

4. I love stories like this,

where people who have big money use some of it to help others.

[Damien]

6. and i stop and think....

about our esteemed president giving 10k to Asia recently. That's almost as much as some middle schools raised.

It is good to see Gates doing this. He never used to give much, but the last few years that has changed.

[oneold1-4u]

18. More than you know

Gates has given freely to many things that are never known about and the amount would total more than bush and cheney will ever touch in their lifetime! If he pays no taxes, it's OK by me. One nerd that could be a president and run the world from a laptop! LOL

[jonolover]

19. I'll tell you why...

All this donation money is his outlet for tax exemption for all his income. Imagine if he didn't donate any of this money, how much tax would he owe. I am just saying. I do think he's a good philanthropist. Good for him, all those poor kids, and the world in general.

[420inTN]

21. He's still out more money...

Let's say that his adjusted gross income is $1,000,000,000,0000 ($1 billion). By law, his tax exempt contributions is limited to 50% of that. let's say that he donates the max. His taxable income is now $500,000,000. at the max tax bracket (35%?), he pays $175,000,000, leaving him with *only* $325,000,000.

now, had he just kept the $1 bil, he would have paid $350,000,000 in taxes and would be left with $650,000,000.

at least more people are directly helped this way.

[artemisia1]

7. He's old school...

He's from the Andrew Carnegie and 19th century industrialist school. Earn first, sometimes ruthlessly, then give back to society. It's a very different philosophy from the Enron, Halliburton, etc. type people. Whatever one's differences with Gate's business decisions (and boy do I have some - anyone remember GeoWorks Ensemble? Win Crap 3.1 and MS licensing schemes killed that great program) - you can't argue witht the fact that he has a social conscience superior to most entrepeneurs.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. kick

[orpupilofnature57]

9. god bless the child that's made his own,all industrialist are not pigs

Especially ones that didn't have it handed to them, how to go gatesy

[wicket]

10. kick

:kick:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

11. Nice work Bill.

:thumbsup:

[truthpusher]

12. Gates' way: $750 m for kids

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1001433.cms

Gates' way: $750 m for kids

PTI TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005 11:12:17 PM

LONDON: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has announced a $750-million donation to an alliance dedicated to ending deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases among the poorest children in the world.

Gates had donated $100 million to fight HIV/AIDS in India in November 2002

The gift ranks as one of the largest donations made by a living philanthropist, and it brings the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's donations to Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to more than $1.5 billion. Gates helped set up GAVI in 2000.

Bill Gates' announcement coincides with the decision of the Norwegian government to grant $290 million to bring GAVI's new money to more than $1 billion.

In an interview with the Guardian published on Tuesday, Gates called for more governments to help, and praised the UK.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1001433.cms

[phusion]

13. Say what you want about M$

Say what you want about Microsoft, but Gates is a good business leader and philanthropist. And, he treats his employees well.

Better than Tyco/worldcom/et. al!

[mdhunter]

14. A billion here, a billion there, and soon you're talking serious dollars.

The man may not be able to write particularly effective operating systems, but he can run a company and he is doing better things with his money than any other living person.

And, for that, he has my respect.

[mdhunter]

15. Another thought. Walton family, are you listening?

[Catch22Dem]

20. Yeah, good call!

I doubt they are though.

[seriousstan]

16. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1180059&mesg_id=1180059

[truthpusher]

17. oopsy!

[RawMaterials]

22. Great until you find out that the vaccination

include Microsoft's new microscopic tracing devices that he will make billions on. :)

[oscar111]

23. Rubes: you fell for a false front

IIRC, gates gives far less than the average millionaire.

He is also a GOP donor.

The charity is a tax shelter.. complex arrangement, but a LW lawyer on the radio rips those shelters as overall bad deals for the public.

Gates gives what to him are pennies, to create a false front as a good guy, and i see most DU'ers fell for it. Sad.

Summary: Grab billions with a monopoly overcharging.. return pennies, and rubes will think you are great.

A pattern that is centuries old.. kings did it, and the trick worked then too.

Local polluters donate a bit to local charities, and locals love them. Same pattern. Trick the rubes.