Microsoft's Bill Gates gave his father a wonderful 80th birthday present yesterday: eighty years worth of full scholarships, including room and board, for five students a year to the UW Law School, the school named for Bill Gates Sr. The only caveat: recipients must commit seven years of public service after graduation. The Seattle Times has the full story: Gates birthday gift is the kind that will keep on giving.
The gift highlights a major reason that American universities are the most successful in the world. Donors, knowing that their money will be spent to further education rather than a political agenda, generously support higher education. The giving isn't limited to elite private institutions. Even public universities can take private money to improve the lives of students. It is a shame Washington doesn't have the will to expand the benefits of such a system to cover primary and secondary education through the use of vouchers which could be supplimented with private scholarships.
Cheers to both Bills, father and son, for highlighting how private resources can benefit the public good.
"Do what I do, not what I say."
Despite being advocates of many a liberal policy, They themselves avoid B&O, income and estate taxes like bandits, but give generously.
They are ruthless with their competition, but internally look for more and more ways to help their partners make money.
While I agree with some of what you've written, I've never heard about the Gates trying to avoid Estate Taxes. It's my understanding that both are in favor a fairly robust estate Fed/State tax. Didn't Bills say it "only" wanted to leave his children with 40 Million or so?
Posted by: Robert on December 1, 2005 01:15 PMAnd don't we have enough goddamn lawyers already?
Why didn't Gates offer a scholarship in something useful like Electrical Engineering or Computer Science?
How much will any of them pay?
Goose Egg.
(of course I'm mystified how anyone with $ enough to be subject to it fails to plan for avoiding it...)
Posted by: Andy on December 1, 2005 11:25 PMThanks a lot. :-(
R
Altrusim rears its ugly head again.
Posted by: Jeff B. on December 2, 2005 12:58 AMBut, for those that express the sentiment that WA state has more than enough lawyers, I have to agree. I've been comparing medical product and procedure costs between the US and other countries, and it is amazing how much more expensive everything is in the US. A large part of this is product and service liability cost.
We had a great opportunity to limit some of this excess, at least in our neck of the woods. WA state voters were too foolish to take advantage of it.
Posted by: BananaLand (aka Iguana) on December 2, 2005 01:36 AM