More on Gates, Buffett on 'This Week'

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/11/more-on-gates-buffett-on-this-week

A couple more points about that ABC 'This Week' show featuring Bill and Melinda Gates, Ted Turner, and Warren Buffett talking about their "Giving Pledge":

ABC is touting the episode with the headline "Billionaire Chokes Up," reporting that hedge fund manager Tom Steyer became emotional and had to pause to regain composure while calling for higher taxes on rich people such as himself.

Christiane Amanpour tried at times to play devil's advocate, but there was no one on the show to disagree with the idea of higher taxes on the rich, or to point out that the "giving pledge" is itself a way to reduce the tax obligations of the rich by directing into tax-exempt charities money that would otherwise be subject to estate tax and taxes on growth.

If Messrs. Buffett or Gates had had to confront, say, a member of Patriotic Millionaires Against Coercion and Socialism rather than just sympathetic Ms. Amanpour, maybe they'd have gotten choked up, too.

by Editor  |  Nov 28, 2010 at 10:02 pm Related Topics:  Non-Profits, Taxes, Warren Buffett receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list