Stan Geiger

Billary's Big Bucks

I'm sure everyone has heard the report of the staggering and absurd $109 million the Clinton's have made since leaving the White House. Gee, no wonder they want to get back in so badly. Ex-presidents seem to do rather well for themselves. Dubya must be licking his lips.

About half of the money---over $50 million---came from Bill's speaking engagements. How silly is that? I mean Bill "I Feel Your Pain" Clinton can make a couple of personal appearances and put a couple of million in the bank anytime he chooses, it seems. Dude, I shoot my mouth off on this blog, allowing anyone that wants it access to my sparkling insight on a nearly daily basis. Where's my 50 mil?!

As a further point, and a more serious one, why is a guy that can pull down millions a year making speeches drawing a government pension?

Some people make more money than other people. And in many instances that is wholly justified. If I, for example, drive, say, a delivery van, I make little money. If someone else goes through the work and expense to graduate med school, pass the boards and become a learned physician, he or she makes good pay. If I, in my job, screw up, somebody gets their stuff a day late. If the doctor screws up, somebody might die. So sure, in my example, the doctor should make a better living than I.

Even billionaires can be defended. Aubrey McClendon, CEO and chairman of Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy is a guy at whom I've taken a shot or two. He is worth well over a billion dollars, and he makes many millions more every year. Is that okay with me? Yes.

Aubrey and a partner, Tom Ward, the story goes, formed a partnership about 20 years ago with 50 grand. That company is now Chesapeake, the largest independent nat gas producer in the U.S. The company has a market cap of more than $20 billion, employs some 6,000 people and is, I'm sure, whether directly or indirectly, responsible for producing a large portion of the money butt-headed politicians in OKC squander every year.

Aubrey may sit on top of the mountain today, but he put in 20 years of work and risk taking to get there. I may believe Aubrey's personal wealth should be taxed a wee bit more than it is, but I have no problem with him having what he has.

But then one hears reports. One hears reports about basketball coaches making million-dollar salaries, and football coaches making even more. One hears reports of university presidents living like kings in exchange for their grand efforts in the areas of spewing forth platitudes, passing out awards, shaking hands and patting backs. And one hears of the Clintons.

There are an awful lot of people in this country making huge sums of money that do little of anything to get it. This I find incredibly aggravating. Hearing some argue that such people should not be taxed I find even more aggravating.

On the subject of taxes, the Clintons have reportedly paid $33 million of their $109 million in federal income taxes. That puts them in a 30 percent tax bracket. I bet you wouldn't have to walk too far to find someone doing real work that pulls down a fraction of what the Clintons make that has coughed up, or does cough up, 30 percent to Washington.

I suppose the Clintons could pay less in taxes if they chose. They could give more money away. Reports say they have given about $10 million away to charities. That comes to about 9 percent of their gross for the period. I know damn well you wouldn't have to walk too far to find people grossing but 20 or 30 grand a year that give a greater percentage of their incomes to their churches alone.

Beyond that, "charity" is a pretty broad term. I've heard no specifics. In the Clinton's case, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that their $10 million in "charitable" contributions went to the Clinton library.

And while reports of the Clinton wealth were hitting the news, Hillary got busted telling yet another lie on the stump, claiming a hospital left a woman to die because she didn't have insurance. More of the "I-feel-your-pain" message---coming from a woman that is filthy rich.

If I were in the medical biz, I would find Clinton's tale incredibly insulting. We have problems to address, but I don't think one of them has to do with medical professionals leaving people in hospitals to die because of a lack of ability to pay.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm sick of the Clintons. I look forward to seeing them marginalized.

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