Today’s editorial cartoon was inspired by a blog post from Jeff Jena that blasted Billionaire Warren Buffet for his pittance of a challenge to Republicans in Congress.   Now on one hand, I agree with Buffet that certain tax shelters need to be right sized.  CEOs who take little salary yet rake in stock options because Capital Gains are charged at a lower rate than income.    In the late 80′s and 90′s that rate was closer to 30% and now it is somewhere around 15% so there is precedent for a higher rate.  And we are familiar with the notion that Buffet paid less as a percent of income in taxes than his secretary.  Maybe Warren should start paying her in stock instead.

A Republican pushed through the Buffet Rule Act that gives individuals an option on the tax form allowing them to give more to the IRS to lower the national debt.   Buffet responded saying he would match any Congressional Republican’s donations to the debt dollar for dollar.  While it can be looked at as a “put your money where your mouth is” bet, it is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP on his part.

Based on recent data, Buffet’s net worth is somewhere around $50 billion and the entirety of Congress is around $2 Billions (well overpaid but still 25x less than Buffet).  Let’s put that in perspective you and I could understand.  It would be the same as someone earning $100,000 a year (Person A) saying he would match dollar for dollar in donations that someone earning just $4,000 (Person B) did.  Let’s say they each donate $1000.   That is only 1% of Person A’s income while it is 25% of Person B’s.  $1000 to Person A is nothing so even if all the Republican’s in Congress donated 100% of their yearly income, it wouldn’t even put the slightest dent in Warren’s pocketbook.

Here is another weeks tally for the Charity Challenge. The Charity Challenge, for the uninformed allows you to do things like blogroll me, follow me on twitter, tweet about the challenge or post a blog about it. Details here. Any of those activities would raise money for the local FreeStore Foodbank to help those in need.

Here is a list of all the activity that was generated in the last week thanks to your efforts. Please let me know if I missed anyone on this list. I know there have been several people who have added me to their Twitter accounts but haven’t updated me here so please do so I can give you credit.

$10 for Posting about the Challenge:

• Nate at the Frustrated Cartoonist
• David at Urban Jungle Comic  (bonus for being a fellow Cincinnatian)

$10 for Adding me to their Blog Roll:

• Spilled Ink Cartoons
• Big Hollywood
• Toonstopia

$2 for Following me on Twitter: (if there were any that followed b/c of the challenge let me know)

• @spilledinkguy

$2 for each day You Tweet about the Challenge (up to 5x):

• 1x – @hilbury
• 1x – @lifewithkreg

For a Week Three total of $56 & a Grand Total of $268.  Spread the word so I can make it at least $300 in the last week.  Thank you all.

If I inadvertantly missed your efforts from last week, please indicate in the comments section so I can correct.

Follow me via TWITTER updates.

Don’t forget your efforts cost me money… so spread the word about my charity challenge. Click the image below for details.

Well week one was a great success and I thank all of you for your efforts.  Keep it going because the challenge runs till the end of June.  Here is a list of all the activity that was generated thanks to your efforts.  Please let me know if I missed anyone on this list.

$10 for Posting about the Challenge:

• NobblySan at the Mad Hatters Blog
• Christina Bledsoe at The Star Celeb Blog
• Clair Collins at Claire Collins Blog
• YorksNBeans at Two Yorks and a Bean Blog
• Tannerleah at the Stop Annoying Me Blog
• GrumpyGeek at The Grumpy Geek Blog
• And even though it wasn’t a true post (because it wouldn’t fit into the style of his fictional life blog) Alan at the Sick Days Blog did fit my challenge into his comments on at least 3 different occassions this week so we’ll add him to the list.

 $10 for Adding me to their Blog Roll:

• Soupalaxy
• Claire Collins
• The Star Celeb
• Two Yorks and a Bean

$2 for Following me on Twitter: (if there were more that followed b/c of the challenge let me know)

• @AmericanHell
• @thegrumpygeek
• @clairecollins
• @mekellie
• @hilbury
• @frustratedfakes
• @cooldads

$2 for each day You Tweet about the Challenge (up to 5x):

• 5x - @cooldads  the first to post on 5 different days about the challenge.  Thanks Jim
• 1x – @thegrumpygeek
• 1x – @thestarceleb
• 1x – @barelyknit
• 1x – @hilbury
• 1x – @addanaccity
• 1x – @AmericanHell
• 1x – @cincybeacon
• 1x – @clairecollins
• 1x – @spudcomics
• 1x – @I_am_Raven

 For a Week One Grand Total of $156.  Thank you all.

If I inadvertantly missed your efforts from last week, please indicate in the comments section so I can correct. 

 

 
Follow me via TWITTER updates.

Don’t forget your efforts cost me money… so spread the word about my charity challenge. Click the image below for details.

Readers from early on here will remember back in November I reported on some local bloggers (Cincinnati Blog and Cincinnati Beacon) throwing down challenges to other bloggers to raise money for the FreeStore FoodBank.  The FreeStore does a lot of great things locally to help families in need.

With so many people out of jobs, I have been fortunate to keep working.   So while I am by no means a rich guy, I felt it was important to do something to help others.  The FreeStore is a great beneficiary because donors tend to forget about them unless there is a holiday coming up.  So in honor of the launch of my new website URL, beartoons.com, and the celebration of another decade type birthday milestone this month, I am issuing this challenge to help raise money.  I will donate the indicated amount for each thing that you do in the month of June:

$10 – Add http://beartoons.com to your blog roll (for those who don’t already have it)

$10 – Blog about my challenge to your readers and link back to this entry in your post – http://beartoons.com/2009/06/01/beartoonscharitydrive/

$2 – Follow me via TWITTER updates. (if you aren’t already)

$2 – For each Tweet that you include a link back to this challenge (once per day up to 5x)

If you add me to your blog roll, include this challenge in a post, or start following me via twitter because of this post please indicate in the comments.  If you tweet, just make sure to put @bearmancartoons somewhere in it and I’ll be able to account for it.

I am going to give a minimum of $100 so if no one takes me up on the challenge, at least someone will benefit with a maximum I am looking to do is $500, which I hope you will help me achieve.  I’ll post a weekly update of the money raised and who did what to raise the money with links back to your site if applicable.

Given that I have started archiving my toons here, I put out my own challenge to the bloggers. The first ten blogs that link back to my site in their blog roll, I will donate $20. Just email me if you do. Hoping to be able to donate $200.