[TAG] Issue #106

[Jimmy O'Regan]

John Karns wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Sep 2004, Benjamin A. Okopnik so eloquently said:
> 
>> Conversely, "Governor, we're planning on giving $500,000 to your
>> favorite charity. Sure, it's a tax write-off for us, but we still get to
> 
> 
> ... and his favorite charity no doubt is his campaign fund ... or his 
> family trust fund.  :^>
> 
Not necessarily - a lot of charity money comes from these sorts of 
deals. Government types like to associate themselves with charities, 
because it earns them brownie points with voters. The more their charity 
gets from their involvement, the better their reputation looks.

It's also a great way for the rich to network - companies with cash to 
spare might not need a friendly senator now, but they know they probably 
will at some stage; a senator might not need to know where to find a 
large sum of money now, etc.

It's all based in the simple psychology behind making friends; if you 
act in a friendly way towards someone, they will think favourably of 
you. Where you or I might buy someone a drink or take them to dinner in 
order to get to know someone, the mega rich throw a large sum of money 
at that person's favourite charity - it's the same gesture, but 
translated in terms of bank balance.