Skip Navigation
Conor Clarke

Conor Clarke - Conor Clarke is the editor, with Michael Kinsley, of Creative Capitalism. He was previously a fellow at The Atlantic and an editor at The Guardian. More

Conor Clarke is the editor, with Michael Kinsley, of Creative Capitalism, an economics blog that was recently published in book form by Simon and Schuster. He was previously a fellow at The Atlantic and an editor at The Guardian. He is also on Twitter.

So what doesn't count as a "class issue"?

By Conor Clarke
Mar 10 2009, 9:52 AM ET Comment

I'm confused by the The Wall Street Journal's editorial on the Obama administration's plan to cap charitable deductions:

In defense, White House budget chief Peter Orszag wrote on his blog: "If you're a teacher making $50,000 a year and decide to donate $1,000 to the Red Cross or United Way, you enjoy a tax break of $150. If you are Warren Buffet or Bill Gates and you make that same donation, you get a $350 deduction -- more than twice the break as the teacher." This Administration wants to turn even philanthropy into a class issue.

I think it would be difficult to come up with an interpretation that is more wrong. Isn't the administration is trying to make charitable deductions less of a class issue by reducing the disparity in deduction rate? Put differently: Would having a flat deduction rate be a class issue? Or is having  system in which you receive bigger subsidies as you get wealthier a "class issue"?


Presented by

More at The Atlantic

Is Financial Aid Really Making College More Expensive? Is Financial Aid Making College More Expensive?
The 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World (and How They Got That Way) The World's Most Expensive Cities (and How They Got That Way)
Michigan: A Firewall for Romney—or the Bonfire of His Hopes? Will Michigan Sink or Save Mitt Romney?
A Hauntingly Beautiful Zombie Love Story A Zombie Love Story
Our Aging Prison Population: Should Criminals Die Free? Should Aging Prisoners Die Free?

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Special Report
Beyond the BRICs Reuters Beyond the BRICs
A look at the next big global economies—and the rise of a global middle class. Read more ›
View All Correspondents

The Biggest Story in Photos

World Press Photo Contest 2012

Feb 15, 2012

Subscribe Now

SAVE 59%! 10 issues JUST $2.45 PER COPY

Facebook

Newsletters

Sign up to receive our free newsletters

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)