Huffington on Private Giving

In her Column Right on April 28, Arianna Huffington criticized Newt Gingrich for summarizing the Republican agenda as “Earn more, keep more, do more.� She feels that instead of being so frank in stating that the core beliefs of his party are totally egotistical, he might have at least replaced the “do more� by “give more.� Good for Huffington. At least she, unlike Gingrich, realizes that there are severe problems in our society that require compassion for their solution.

However, Huffington’s solution of such problems is private giving instead of government programs sponsored by the taxes we all pay. She should know better. When her husband, Michael Huffington, was the congressman from our 22nd Congressional District, he and his wife generously donated his salary for the two years of his tenure to funds set up in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to benefit needy children.

The Huffingtons have considerable private wealth. He spent approximately $30 million of his own money in an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate and about $5 million for his seat in Congress. Even though the Huffingtons were generous and persuasive and had the ear of other prosperous people, their attempt to establish funds for needy children foundered. It did not outlive Mr. Huffington’s senatorial campaign.

This does not speak well for plans to replace government programs by private philanthropy. Lots of needy children and adults could starve waiting for private philanthropy to step in to fill the void that the Republicans wish to create by removing the government from the care of those who can’t help themselves.

HENRY P. KRAMER

Santa Barbara