Tea Party Republican Uihlein. Democrats Tullman and Griffin.
This morning’s topic is giving.
If you are like Anne and me you probably give charitable donations through the year. Then in a mad rush in the final week of the calendar year you make out a few more checks. For tax purposes.
Although at our level of income and tax deductions it doesn’t really make a difference in our taxes.
It is sort of like changing the batteries on the smoke detectors when we change from daylight savings time to standard time and back again.
The end of the year is a reminder to do some good with our few dollars.
We don’t give to the big umbrella charities that pay their CEOs $400,000 salaries.
We mainly go for the small ones. Local. And a few big ones too. Like Partner’s in Health and the Rehab Institute of Chicago.
Our choices are arbitrary and personal.
And in the world of philanthropy and giving, our contributions are quite small.
Did you happen to see the report on Bruce Rahmer’s fundraising efforts this last quarter?
He raised $4 million dollars.
$1 million was his own money.
Then he got $255,000 from capitalist mogul Richard Uihlein. Uihlein is known as the “Little Koch Brother of Illinois.” He is a major Tea Party backer. At the invitation of Scott Walker he recently moved his corporate headquarters from Illinois to Wisconsin.
Bruce Rahmer also got another half million bucks from two donors.
Democrats.
Ken Griffin. Illinois’ richest man.
And Glen Tullman. He owns Argo Tea among other things.
Both are friends of Rahm. Both gave to Squeezy’s campaigns in the past.
Bruce Rahmer is definitely the man who can bring people together.
Rich people, that is.
And then there is Jessica Klonsky.
Trust me. She’s not rich.
I know, because she’s my daughter. She teaches at the International School at Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. She and her colleagues teach immigrant kids. Because of their students’ legal status many do not qualify for financial help even if they are accepted to college.
And many are.
Teachers at the school got together and established the International Dreamers Scholarship Fund. Last year they raised nearly $40,000.
Today Huffington Post recognized their efforts as among the six most inspiring of 2013.
If you are inspired as well, make a contribution.
Fred Klonsky 
Well, there goes Argo Tea for me. Thank you. I was spending way too much money there.
Griffin is an executive at Citadel, and the boss of Dan Wisnewsky, Rahm’s newly appointed hedgefunder/comptroller. DW is listed as being a board member of Lincoln Elementary, which recently got bumped to the top of the overcrowded list and given 20 million to build an annex.
http://www.familiesoflincoln.com/board-members-efac
Very inspiring, Fred, and a daughter after your own hearts. Also–for those who don’t know–Jessica had an essay–“Test Prep and the War” published in the book Educational Courage: Resisting the Ambush of Public Education. You & Anne have every right to be so proud. And, yes, glad to contribute–even after December 31st!
Congrats on the recognition of your daughter and her colleagues’ effort. I can see that doing good deeds runs in the family!
Boycott business that do not support the middle class and support local charities – two ideas that deserve movements of their own. I remember when I was a young teacher in CPS, that the CTU paper listed businesses that paid union wages and encouraged member to support them. Using our dollars for change is a powerful way to make an impact.