Earlier this week, UPI reported Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife released their 2008 tax returns and while the Second Couple had an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $269,256, they gave a mere $1,885 to charity. Not quite the Biblical standard of a tithe. According to a statement by the White House, the charitable donations are “NOT (my emphasis added) the sum of their annual contributions to charity. They donate to their church, among other contributions.” Then what is the sum of their contributions to charity? Inquiring minds want to know.
I realize many recent political appointees have had tax avoidance issues but no one has yet been accused of understating their charitable contributions. Even Turbo Tax encourages you to take full advantage of charitable contributions in several different ways, as I’m sure the Treasury Secretary can attest. But on the bright side, the Biden Family increased their charitable givings fifteen-fold compared to a decade ago.
During the election, Biden released his tax returns for the years 1998 through 2007. In 2007, he and his wife gave $995 to charity on an AGI of $319,853. In no other year in that decade did they give more than $380 to charity–their stingiest year being 1999 when on an AGI of $210,797 they claimed a $120 charitable deduction. When those tax returns were released, a spokesperson commenting on the family’s lack of largess said Biden and his wife “do volunteer work with military families.”
What a person gives to charity is a personal decision. I’m not suggesting otherwise. But when the main thrust of the political campaign is to “spread the wealth,” it seems obvious the Vice-President and his wife had no intent to spread their personal wealth, just everyone else’s.
At least he pays his taxes, which according to him is a patriotic act, and for that our nation should be grateful.