Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change • Hacker News Board

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#181

Post by chki » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:12 PM UTC

ukoki wrote: post #167

entangledqubit wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't make money this way but you can still argue that money that would have gone to taxes has now been redirected by an individual to a cause they solely decided is worthwhile.

> You can't make money this way Are you sure? What about something like this: 1. Buy art for $1M 2. Get your friends to bid up the price of the art by selling other works from the artist to each other at inflated valuations 3. Donate art to art gallery with a valuation of $10M 4. Deduct $10M donation from your taxes

I've seen this (exactly this, actually) line of reasoning regarding taxes and art before. While I think that it is somewhat relevant it's still not legal to do that, at least not where I live.

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#182

Post by inerte » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:13 PM UTC

BurningFrog wrote: post #162

inerte wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This "single" central power is actually 250M potential voters, 130M actual voters, 20M workers, 90k, 50 states, and 20k cities / town / villages. On the other side, 600 billionaires. Which because they figured out how to earn and keep a lot of money somehow makes them capable of fixing women's issues, racial conflicts, climate change, mass incarceration, homelessness, education, hunger, and healthcare problems. Someh…

The US federal government is absolutely a single central power. That its leadership is selected democratically is good, but doesn't change that. I don't expect billionaires to be perfect, but so far none of them has invaded countries for mistaken reasons, killing hundreds of thousands of people, or locked up millions in a War on Drugs.

I think we can quibble on what central really means, but the fact that they're democratically elected is the important part here. We make the government, and can direct its actions to what should benefit us the most. None gets a saying on what the Koch family or Bezos do with their money other than themselves.

> I don't expect billionaires to be perfect, but so far none of them has invaded countries for mistaken reasons, killing hundreds of thousands of people, or locked up millions in a War on Drugs.

I know a lot of people that would pin the gratuitous invasion of other countries on the industrial-military complex and control of oil and all the money that depends on it.

The War on Drugs is a shame, and harder to blame on rich people, probably with the exception of private prisons, which is a relative recent development. Are there any billionaires trying to solve this problem? Spending money to change policies so drugs get treated as a public health problem? Fighting against police brutality and racism? Curbing sales of opioids?

And inversely, are any billionaires fighting for the police state? Militarizing the police? Putting more and more opioids on the streets? Privatizing prisons? Selling junk food? Cigarettes? Animal factory farming? Massive student debt? Destroying elections? Fighting against unionization? Any of them against climate change?

Is all that we have left the hope that Bezos has more money than someone who owns a coal mining company so we get the climate change efforts we want? Are we betting the future of the planet on a hope that the richest people alive will be on our side?

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#183

Post by toomuchtodo » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:13 PM UTC

codekilla wrote: post #180

toomuchtodo wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get mixed reactions from potential wealthy benefactors when I discuss these ideas. Some definitely shun them and would rather play a clean ballgame, but I have had exactly two who have asked who to make the check out to. In front of the right audience, there is an appetite.

I wrote [1] a couple of months ago, a sort of 'clean baseball' version, under the overall auspices of a fund. I've also recently pitched an idea to win Senate seats, but haven't heard anything back on that one (major funding needed). Anyway, if there is interest, or just to brainstorm (as I enjoy this sorta thing), please drop me a line. grant AT eonias DOT (typical non-profit top level domain) [1] http://d28jgulqbmb…

I appreciate the share. I will be in touch!

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#184

Post by wmf » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:29 PM UTC

loeg wrote: post #174

wmf wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The IRS still makes case-by-case decisions about which organizations are legally charities so there is oversight.

You're not wrong, but I don't think this is responsive to my comment. Maybe replying to the wrong one on accident? (Also: any organization can claim religious status and becomes essentially exempt from IRS review of charitable status. See: Scientology. Not that I expect Bezos' fund to do that.)

You make it sound like "decides which donations are tax deductible" was done 100 years ago and never changed which isn't the case. Now if you'll excuse me I have to file some paperwork for the Church of the V8...

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#185

Post by admiral33 » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:30 PM UTC

Ididntdothis wrote: post #142

jdminhbg wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The post you’re replying to already explained where the democratically elected government is choosing to spend the money. Billionaire seems to be making better decisions.

“Billionaire seems to be making better decisions.” Don’t buy into that. Otherwise we’ll soon have a dictator who gets things “done”. Part of the problem with democratic governments not working well is that the system gets manipulated by rich guys pushing their personal agenda.

So you suggest taking power away from CEOs, putting into the hands of the government (effectively making it the CEO) which has police, military, and prisons? That is how you get a dictator.

Between CEOs and governments, which has a historically higher body count? Who's jailed more people for not agreeing with them?

You say the problem with democratic governments not working well is that it gets manipulated by rich guys.

What happens when big business and government are the same thing? That makes for even easier corruption.

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#186

Post by tetris11 » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:32 PM UTC

smallgovt wrote: post #133

humbledrone wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I frequently see the "they're just doing this for the tax breaks" sentiment for these kinds of donations (especially when the donor is a corporation or hyper-wealthy individual) but I don't understand the reasoning. From what I understand of tax deductions, a donation of $X basically means that the donor can skip paying taxes on $X of income. This results in a savings of tax% * $X, which is always The tax deduction a…

I think ultimately this cynicism is born out of envy/jealousy for the good will that such a donation engenders. As you've pointed out, any logical analysis would conclude that, even in the most extreme cases, there's still a sizable positive benefit to society. People have a problem with "undeserved" good will as if good will is some scarce resource that's limited in supply. I think the reality is they're envious.

Angry. The word you are looking for is angry.

Its just a constant reminder that we live at the mercy of these elites, that our tax dollars don't appear to have any effect in bringing about the change that we want because these scumbags have rewritten the laws in their favour so that the money only concentrates towards them.

What can we do about it? Absolutely nothing, but I'm sure as hell not going to pander to their 'benevolence'

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#187

Post by UnpossibleJim » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:51 PM UTC

rhoyerboat wrote: post #106

UnpossibleJim wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's also switching majority (I'm unsure as to the amount and the timeframe of his delivery trucks to electric). With pressure from someone like Bezos putting vehicle fleets on electric, that could put the US on the path to build a much needed electric vehicle infrastructure.

;) Maybe given Bezos' character, the endowment and the fleet upgrade is actually, well aside from being more cost effective for a lot of reasons .. also .. his best vehicle for scoring some long term points against the Saudis, since they 'didn't hack his phone, or whatever.

So then, at this point, there's nothing he can do to win you over that you can't come up with some conspiracy theory with an ulterior motive where he's bent on world domination?

Let me ask a more clarifying question, then, I guess? What could he do where you wouldn't think he was up to no good?

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#188

Post by anonuser123456 » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:56 PM UTC

rpiguy wrote: post #2

Billionaire invests $10B dollars to virtue signal and control the behavior of the poor, while not changing his lifestyle at all. 165M dollar environmentally excessive mansion, private jets, and a rocket program that dumps carbon into the air. I’ll be impressed when billionaires actually make sacrifices themselves, rather than just write checks. Checks are important, but let’s be real about these people.

It must be sad being a jealous faux woke person.

Here, by your own admission, Bezos spent 165M on a mansion and 10B on climate funding, ~70x his personal outlay, and you chide him from not making sacrifices. He did make sacrifices. You just refuse to acknowledge them because 'evil rich people'.

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#189

Post by oarabbus_ » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 10:58 PM UTC

inerte wrote: post #20

After reading Winners Take All my level of cynicism is through the roof with headlines like this. $10b of his own personal fortune? That won't results in tax breaks / deduction because can be considered a donation? Or does that include money Amazon-the-company is spending on "climate change" efforts, such as buying electric delivery trucks instead of gas ones? Investments in "green datacenters"? Is any of this new in…

>Is Bezos, worth $130b today be worth $120b tomorrow because of this? Or do we have to add up a hundred different things with some creative accounting and lots of goodwill?

If ($10B to address climate change) is true, then why should anyone care if Bezos' $130b today becomes $120b tomorrow, or $200b tomorrow?

I care about whether the $10B will be spent effectively and efficiently to combat climate change, and that's it. Full stop.

Re: Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change

#190

Post by inerte » Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 11:10 PM UTC

m-watson wrote: post #135

legitster wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're pretty light on details. I take it as he will probably gift $10 billion dollars worth of stock from his personal portfolio to a 501(c), which they will use as an endowment. I think this would bypass capital gains altogether? But 'pledge' could mean any number of things, like selling stock slowly over time.

For sure light on details but it seems like he (or a family office) will be grant making and it is coming from him not his foundation or Amazon. https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/17/jeff-bezos-announced-a-10-...

Thanks, that's useful information in the context of this thread. Looks like the money will come straight from him and not any foundation - something unusual these days, but it does show his level of commitment.