Obama failed Sandy victims.

[Freeper]

Maybe I am being petty, but I refused to watch because on stage were a bunch of rich people aka 1 percenters who were asking middle class and poor people to donate money. How many of the stars opened their own checkbooks for this?

[diesel driver]

I watched Pink Floyd for a while, before I went to sleep to "Another Brick In The Wall".

[Freeper]

I watched Pink Floyd for a while, before I went to sleep to "Another Brick In The Wall".

That wasn't Pink Floyd it was just Roger Waters. 

[Alpha Mare]

Memorabilia from the event is now being auctioned off on the website CharityBuzz.com. Some of the top bids so far include $36,000 for a Fender guitar autographed by Paul McCartney, Springsteen, Roger Daltrey, Billy Joel, Dave Grohl, Chris Martin, Michael Stipe, Eric Clapton and Jon Bon Jovi. (Someone clearly thought to capitalize on the rare occasion of having so many legendary musicians in one venue.)

 As of Thursday afternoon, a sweatshirt worn on stage by Kanye West had attracted exactly zero bidders, which just seems like something worth mentioning.

Maybe he should auction his skirt. 

[GOBUCKS]

Maybe I am being petty, but I refused to watch because on stage were a bunch of rich people aka 1 percenters who were asking middle class and poor people to donate money. How many of the stars opened their own checkbooks for this?

Well, the performers probably weren't paid, but when they do benefits they get a deduction equal to their normal concert fee.

So they'll open their checkbooks to enter a deposit.

[Lacarnut]

If the victims of Sandy were black...would the outcome have been different?

They voted for Obummer so they can eat cake.

[Kyle Ricky]

Well, the performers probably weren't paid, but when they do benefits they get a deduction equal to their normal concert fee.

So they'll open their checkbooks to enter a deposit.

Yeah, none of the performers were paid to be there last night.

[Chris_]

Yeah, none of the performers were paid to be there last night.

I would not be surprised if they all claimed it as a charitable contribution... those go a long way to putting off the tax man.

[zeitgeist]

I would not be surprised if they all claimed it as a charitable contribution... those go a long way to putting off the tax man.

Exactly my point up thread.  They use a loophole not available to the middle class to shelter their vast wealth from the tax man.  /DU   Ironic isn't it that the Boss daughter is a horse person just like Ann Romney and he a wealthy dude who sings the middle class 'blues'.  DUmmies are just, well, so DUmb as to lap this right up and beg for more.  Please spare me.  They open their pie holes and sound comes out which they exploit for money.  Idolatry and narcissm for profit is what it is, little more.  It is time to tax the shit out of these bastards like the Brits did the Beatles. Ditto movie stars. I won't be happy until they are all shopping at Goodwill and burning their furniture to heat their mansions.      

[GOBUCKS]

I would not be surprised if they all claimed it as a charitable contribution... those go a long way to putting off the tax man.

They would be foolish if they did not.

The tax code tries to encourage charitable giving by making it deductible.

Any change would be devastating to churches and thousands of legitimate charitable organizations.

There's constant whining about "loopholes", but most of them were put in to the tax code for very positive reasons.

Tax "loopholes" are among the very few instances where government can encourage behavior that's beneficial to everyone.

I think the "zero deduction flat tax" would be catastrophic - but it's as likely to happen as a Martian invasion.

[jukin]

They would be foolish if they did not.

The tax code tries to encourage charitable giving by making it deductible.

Any change would be devastating to churches and thousands of legitimate charitable organizations.

There's constant whining about "loopholes", but most of them were put in to the tax code for very positive reasons.

Tax "loopholes" are among the very few instances where government can encourage behavior that's beneficial to everyone.

I think the "zero deduction flat tax" would be catastrophic - but it's as likely to happen as a Martian invasion.

I disagree. The Hollywood Illiteratti get to take "in kind" deductions (write off for what they would have charged) which is much different than actually giving money to a charity. It is a loophole that only benefits the entertainment industry. I do not get to deduct my hourly consulting rate when I volunteer hours at my church or any charity. This is a place where the republicans should come out and hit the Hollywood Illiteratti .001%ers in public discourse and stop that which is a real LOOPHOLE.  This is how may B, C, D listers screw the benevolent government. They would never have sold the hours that the donate because they can't.