Web Letters: Lifestyles of the Rich and Generous?

Obama's idea of stripping deductibility from the charitable donations of those families making over $250,000 per year is a horrible idea. Charities target their activities much, muh more efficiently than government does, and cutting off those funds is very counterprodeuctive.

John D. Froelich

Upper Darby , PA

You can start by chastising Barack Hussein Obama, who contributes nothing to his poor brother in the African hut. Then you can look at the numbers presented by the author. People who make $145,000 would contribute 5 percent of their earnings, leaving them a comfortable $137,500. This is wrong. The author did not take into account the taxes that that "rich" person pays. At that salary, taxes of 33 percent leave that person with only $100,000 a year. I will also assume that in order to earn that kind of salary that person will be working in a large metropolitan area, meaning the cost of living will far exceed the income they get to retain with out taxes. And if the State takes on income taxes, that person then is reduced to less than what they actually make. So the Third World should be happy with what we in the US give. This does not include all the contributions to the UN, who feeds the despots and tyrannical rulers first before the people it is meant to help. So I say, Enjoy your latte.

Andrew Yañez

Fort Worth, TX

I will never understand this preoccupation with taking care of the world's poor when our own children are so severely neglected. I work at one of the poorest schools in Los Angeles, where 40 percent of the children meet the district's definition of homeless. What I deal with on a daily basis is beyond belief. RFK, MLK, LBJ would all be turning in their graves.

We may all be Thains to the world's poor. However, the suggestion that we have to help the poor overseas reminds me of people who tell of being abused by parents who were the pillars of their community. You can't talk about do-gooding at the local soup kitchen, tithing your church and "pro-bonoing" the poor at work only to go home and beat your own kids. Donating to others will not absolve us of our guilt at home.

We need to help our own first!

Tascha Folsoi

Santa Monica, CA