The Skeeter Daddle Diaries

Philanthropy 101 might not have been on the list of classes at Trump University. But the man the university is named after has always declared he gave heavily to his favorite charities. Trouble was, at least according to the court settlement that found him and his bogus tax exempt foundation, his favorite charity was — I know you’ll be surprised — Donald J. Trump. But what was surprising was that in the end, he admitted guilt and agreed to pay the 2 million dollar fine. You might think this is a slap on the wrist to a man who’s a self-reporting billionaire, but then, you don’t know how much money means to Donald. He didn’t run for President out of civic duty, mister.

It’s comforting to know that the Leader of the Free World is really Scrooge. A man so divested of philanthropic impulse that the idea of giving to the poor or the needy or the downtrodden is completely outside the perimeter of his fiduciary calculus. He might as well toss money out the window of Air Force One. If the guy had any moral compass at all, which he does not, it would be Make More Money for Me. But let’s be fair, plenty of folks walk the streets of America with only a cash register for a brain. It’s just that they usually don’t see the Highest Office in the Land as a cash cow.

And they aren’t so shameless in their greed that they can’t imagine camouflaging it a bit. Or waiting to leave office to reap the rewards. Course, that was then, this is Trump Time. Emoluments shmoluments. No penny is too dull to leave on the sidewalk of potential profit. The old saying, Follow the Money, pretty much maps out presidential policies. The guy is even talking to executives about a sequel to the Apprentice … and the White House. You might think he’d be consumed with China trade deals, impeachment perils, Syrian fallout, North Korea, Iranian nuclear proliferation, stuff other Presidents considered priorities. But not Donald. He’s working on his favorite charity. Even got his kids on the board and on board.

Jared, for instance. Ever wonder why he’s the Go-To Guy in the Middle East? Follow the money. He needs financing for his New York high rises so underwater they could be the next Sea World. First folks Trump met in the Oval Office were the Saudis. They’re diversifying.

The bizness of America is bizness. You know that, I know that, the lady with the alligator purse knows that. But even Rockefeller, even Carnegie, even Gates know that philanthropy is good for business too. We even give them a tax break for charitable contributions. Easier than taxing them more heavily, just one more example of trickle down voo-doo economics. Donald Trump sees that as one more example of a sucker’s game. Better to give to yourself. Give until it hurts.

Hits: 23