Biden and charity
Delaware's gift to the nation, Vice President Joe Biden, is supposed to be the voice of the working man but his own commitment to charity comes up short.
There is much to admire about Vice President Joe Biden. Delaware Joe is direct, honest, passionate and, selfishly speaking, a reporter's dream with a gift for good quote.
Annnointed the White House's point man for the middle class, now struggling in a difficult economy, Biden has demonstrated a rather miserable record on charity.
President Obama and Biden released their tax records this week. While the Obamas gave $245,075 to charity from an adjusted gross income of $1.7 million (mostly from book sales), the Bidens contributed only $5,350 (and $950 was used clothing and household goods to Goodwill) on $379,178 in gross income.
Many Americans donated more to charity making considerably less.
The average taxpayer with a gross income comparable to the Bidens contributed almost $10,000 to charity, according to this Forbes blog post.
The Obamas gave away five times the average for their income.
The Bidens were even less charitable prior to the 2008 election, when they donated a measly annual average of $369.
What gives? How can Biden be the voice of the working man, saying such things as "it is our charge to get the middle class -- the backbone of this country -- up and running again" and then do so little personally to help others who are less fortunate?
-- Karen Heller