By

Andrew DeMarco

 

In a past post, originally written by Cousin Bob over 25 years ago, he mentioned that the rich even then were more than carrying their share of the load, not only in taxes, but also with their charitable donations. This really became apparent to me while my wife and I were hiking in Rockefeller State Preserve which consists of over 1,400 acres of park land 30 miles north of New York City.

This got me thinking of a recent series on The History Channel “The Men Who Built America.”  This show was about a group of men who some might call the “robber barons” who in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries literally made the U.S. what it is today. It showed how their competitiveness with one another drove them harder and further than others. Many will say that they attained their wealth on the back of the less fortunate which in some instances cannot be denied, but these same people fail to look at all the good that they did.

Let’s think of some of the early “robber barons” names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Morgan, Carnegie, and Ford. These families, while still well off, have had their fortunes diluted by distribution among family members and we the people. How you may ask did we the people benefit, well let’s take a quick look at just a few of these families.

J. P. Morgan was known as a financier and banker, but more importantly as a philanthropist. He was a noted collector of art and books and he gave most of his art to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he was the main contributor in the establishment of the museum. Mr. Morgan also was a driving force in the building of the American Museum of Natural History.

He was a huge proponent of the public library system and his book collection helped establish the libraries in New York and other cities. His donations were responsible for the original 39 branches of the New York Public Library.  He helped in establishing the Lying-in Hospital in New York which later became New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center. In addition to this, he increased considerably the endowments at Harvard University and Trinity College. We can go on about Mr. Morgan but let’s take a look at the next family.

It could be said that the Rockefellers were the original conservationists. It was their purchase and later donation of the land that helped establish many of our National Parks.  These include Grand Teton, Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, Shenandoah, and Yellowstone. In fact, although today some may question the wisdom of it, the Rockefellers even donated the land along the East River in New York where the United Nations is headquartered.

What many do not know is that in 1884 the Rockefellers provided major funding for a college in Atlanta for African-American women which became Spelman College. It was named for the Rockefeller in-laws who were abolitionists before the Civil War.

Even today their dedication to others can be seen in their continued support of MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art), The Rockefeller University, a research university in New York, and their commitment to Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center which the family originally helped to establish.

Others have made their contributions too. The Vanderbilt’s established Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee and The Carnegie’s have established Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburg. These families also have made many other contributions.

It should be noted that when these families were making their fortunes there were no income taxes so charitable write-offs were not a motivation. They did it because they knew it was the right thing to do. It was their way of giving to others.

Today’s robber barons are just as generous. Most of us know about the Gates Foundation, where Bill and Melinda Gates along with their friend Warren Buffet, “Take on the really tough problems.”  They are dedicated to alleviating extreme poverty and poor health in developing nations as well as fixing the failures of the American education system.

Recently cosmetics billionaire, Leonard Lauder, gave New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art an astonishing, no-strings-attached collection of Cubist art that he amassed over four decades.  The generous gift is estimated to be worth $1 billion and includes 78 works by Picasso, Braque, Gris, and Leger.

Also in the news recently was the $10 million dollar gift to the Monticello Foundation, the home of Thomas Jefferson by businessman David Rubenstein.  Mr. Rubenstein is the CEO of the Carlyle Group an “evil” Wall Street hedge fund.  This money will go to the restoration and improvement of Monticello, thereby preserving a piece of American History.

So next time you are in a museum taking in the beauty of an art collection  or hiking in a park, absorbing what mother nature has to offer, think of those who made it possible.  When you visit many of our historic sites or grab a book from the library, or think of the education that many have received, again think of those who made it possible. Remember that those that have, made and still make the attempt to give to those who do not and let it fill you with what Cousin Bob would call that… Rosy Glow.

 For more info on billionaire philanthropy see the link below:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-tycoons-who-won-t-leave-their-fortunes-to-their-kids-195610442.html?page=1

 

By

Andrew DeMarco

This August 18^th it will be two years that we lost our cousin Louis. To many of us Louis was more than a cousin, being one of the oldest he was more like a big brother. I know growing up across the street from him on Ellis Ave, and with us always around one another he was indeed that big brother I never had. In fact Cousin Marc, upon learning of Louis’ death remarked, “He was larger than life to all of us.”  Louis’ life can be a source of many Rosy Glow stories, but at this time there is one in particular that needs telling.

It was earlier in that year that my wife and I were planning a party to celebrate our marriage. We had quietly gotten married a few years earlier and never really had a reception so we thought we would have a small one with some family and friends, besides celebrating our marriage it would be a good way to get everybody together. Naturally Louis and his wife Pam were invited, after all what would a celebration be without my “big brother.”   A few weeks after the invitations went out we received a call from Louis, telling us they would be unable to come, which at first I thought was a joke.

Louis, then explained that the family would be in Nepal. You see Louis and Pam’s daughter Eva works in Nepal and they had arranged along with their son Taj for a family trip to see her. The four of them are rarely together and it happened that their schedules worked out, but unfortunately it was the same time our party was planned. I have to admit I was at first upset, but I knew deep down if he could be there with me and my wife he would, and I realized that this opportunity to be together with his family was much more important.

However at that time we did not know that our loss would become Nepal’s gain. While traveling in Nepal in June of that year, Louis was deeply moved by the images he saw of children getting to school by crossing rivers on long ropes. It was during that visit that he read about a tragic accident in the Dhading region in which five people—three adults and two children—died while attempting to navigate a cable crossing approximately 50 feet above the Trishuli River. The ropes snapped and all five plunged to their deaths in the water below. The children who lost their lives were simply trying to get to school, and the makeshift cable crossing was the only way they could make the treacherous trip.

Inspired, Louis came home with the goal of sharing their story and finding a way to make their trip to school safer. Sadly, Louis passed away just two months later and before he was able to realize his dream of building a bridge across those fast moving waters. But the story does not end there.

His family and friends all came together and started raising money for his cause.  And raise money they did. On September 26^th Pam, Taj, Lianna, Louis’ sister Barbara and her husband Don will be going to Nepal and along with Eva will be there for the dedication on not one but two bridges.

I look back at it now and I am sorry I did not get to see him that one last time and he did not get to see me dance with my bride. But more importantly he got to spend time with his daughter along with his beautiful wife and son. So what some would think is a sad anniversary, I prefer to look at it differently. Yes Louis will be gone two years but is he really?  I think of my “big brother” from time to time and the memories always provide me with a sense of warmth and happiness.  I am sure the people and children of that village in Nepal will not think that Louis is gone either but he will always be with them whenever they cross those rivers. I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to visit Nepal and see both bridges. I also know that if I never get there whenever I hear of Nepal, I will think of that “larger than life big brother” and those bridges and it will give me that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that……Rosy Glow.

 

By

Bob LaTorre

 This is another of Cousin Bob’s columns from 20 years ago.

While alive….he lived.  That is the way the tombstone of Mr. Malcolm Forbes reads. This colorful multi-millionaire lived the kind of life which most of us could envy. He made the headlines and found a spot in our hearts. From his two million dollar birthday party to his motorcycle trips with Elizabeth Taylor in the buddy seat he loved life, he knew how to enjoy it and he spent his money his way.

I wonder how many people believe that Malcolm Forbes would have enjoyed life just has much if he had been a hard working guy with a net worth of just fifty thousand dollars when he died… I happen to be one of those people. I also believe that there are millions of Malcolm Forbes’ all around us, who never get the recognition, appreciation or understanding which he got.

As a Matter of fact, men and women who share the “Joy of Life” which Forbes enjoyed and even Malcolm himself, are often the subject of ridicule. In the case of a wealthy industrialist the criticism takes the form of condemning him for not being concerned about his fellow men.

At the time of his birthday party many members of the press thought he should have given the money to help the homeless.

The same thing often happens when people (less wealthy people) express their happiness with life. Family, friends and others confront them with all the ills of the world and question them about their joy of living in a world where so many are less fortunate.

No! Happiness is not an accepted norm in our society. It seems sad somehow that too many people are envious of happy people. And there are a lot of happy people in the world. What’s more most of them are not rich.

Sometimes in conversation I can sense that people hold back that happiness for fear of attracting the scorn of others. I can remember saying to someone just back from even a modest vacation  “you must have had a great time? I bet you are pleased with your trip.” Quite often the reaction is defensive, they will hedge their answer and look for something about the trip which was not pleasant only because they are unwilling to admit they were and are happy out of their minds.

When I look for the  cause of the resentment against joy there seems to be a connection between this attitude and the general resentment against any sort of achievement in the world. I suppose the word jealousy is the one which fits best. But at the same time I am amazed that such feeling should or could exist in today’s world where each of us has so much opportunity to achieve ourselves.

Looking closer at the question it is a bit easier to understand the commandment, now more than four thousand years old which says. Thou shall not COVET they neighbors goods. I guess we humans have changed very little in all that time. It is still a good commandment. What is more we should add to it don’t be afraid to live life to the fullest out of fear that someone will sin against us with their coveting.

I will go one step further we can all gain when we learn to share the joy of others. I can remember how elated I felt in reading about the exploits of Mr. Forbes. He lived high adventure and what is more he did not look the part he looked like just one of the guys. He could have easily been cast as a bookkeeper or an accountant, but he was an adventurer who enjoyed what his money was able to buy.

He should be an example to all young people not as much for his financial success but for his success in living. We should study his life, it will tell us a lot about making money and about how to live. We need to do this not just with Malcolm Forbes but with all who seem to have his outlook. Sometimes I see a couple at a road side picnic table, with a modest car parked nearby. They always seem so happy. Or take the case of the lone fisherman. It is almost impossible to drive over a bridge which crosses a body of water, without seeing one lone person with fishing pole in hand enjoying the day. Don’t you wonder who this person is that seems to have not a care in the world?

These are a lot of men and women with the “Forbes” mentality out there; we should stop envying them and start emulating them. There is no question about what kind of world it would be if all of us could have the same inscription on our tombstone. …While Alive…He lived. It would be a world just filled with…rosy glows.

 

 

By

Andrew DeMarco

 

Just last week we celebrated the 237^th birthday of our country. That same week another key event in our history was being remembered. The Battle of Gettysburg which took place from July 1^st through the 3^rd, and was the turning point in the American Civil War, marked its sesquicentennial anniversary. It also reminded me of a trip my wife and I made to Gettysburg just last summer.

My wife and I are both very much into American History and were on our way back from Charlottesville, VA. after visiting the homes of Presidents Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. We were due to stop in Washington D.C. when a storm literally shut down the city, so we adapted and were able to get a room in Gettysburg. We arrived in Gettysburg very late and very hungry and were told by the people at the hotel that at that hour of the night and it being mid-week not much would be open. We set off into town anyway and found a Bar and Grill right on the square that was still open. With few options we went inside.  Luckily there were a few people still in the place at the time and we were told that we would be the last to be served.

Our waitress was a young college student and she recommended the hamburgers. She told us that the burgers were named after the different generals of the Civil War and when they were served, depending on whether they were Blue or Gray, they would be delivered with the corresponding flag. I ordered a General Jubel Early and my wife ordered a General John Buford. When the burgers arrived hers had the Stars and Stripes but mine did not have the Stars and Bars (the confederate battle flag) but the real Confederate States of America flag. (This flag has three stripes, two red and one white and a field of blue with seven stars in a circle.)  Now most people would not recognize this flag since the Stars and Bars is what is most associated with Confederacy.

After we woofed down our meal, which by the way was delicious, hungry or not it was an excellent burger, we asked our waitress about the Confederate flag. She told us that they use the Confederate States flag, since the Battle Flag offends some people. She then said that “I don’t understand it, after all it is a part of our history, and you can’t change it.” With that some other staff members who overheard our discussion came over and the debate really got started. With my wife and I acting as moderators most of those involved in the discussion were college students and it was very interesting to hear their take on this.

Our waitress was adamant that history should not be revised so as to not offend. Her reasoning was that if that if we keep revising history sooner or later someone would come up with the theory that,” Hitler was just misunderstood.” Our busboy agreed and chimed in that the real fight during the Civil War was over state’s rights and although slavery was offensive and wasn’t the best part of our nation’s history there was something to be learned from it. He mentioned that the founders delayed the slavery issue when adopting the Constitution in order to reach a compromise on the Constitution. Another waitress felt that it was an insult to the over 50 thousand who sacrificed themselves during this battle. She said, “It was something that they truly must have believed in for them to give their all.”  They also found it odd that during the many reenactments which take place at Gettysburg; no one ever seems offended about the use of the Stars and Bars during these reenactments.

We heard the obvious that it is history and it is past, and we should take away something from it and move forward. They all admitted that there are some things about history that are not neat and pretty, but it is in the past and cannot be changed. We heard the clichés that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it and one even quoted the motto of our National Archives, “The Past is Prologue.” Before we left these young people agreed to speak with the management of the establishment regarding this revision of history and maybe they could change their thinking.

On the walk back to the hotel, my wife and I were talking about how these kids were very aware of history and its importance in understanding where we are going forward as a country and society. Sometimes it is good to question present thinking and sentiment and it was good to see the younger generation expressing their feelings on an important issue like revisionist history. We started to think about those over 50 thousand who made a huge sacrifice over those 3 days 150 years ago. Maybe, just maybe, they would be proud of how those waiters and waitresses would remember them and not how some would revise their dedication and sacrifice. My wife and I thought that maybe there is hope for the younger generation (boy do I sound like my parents) and this filled us with that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow.

 

 

By

Bob LaTorre

 

N.B.   This column was written by Bob in 1988.  Amazing how some issues never change.

 

The American Declaration of Independence states that “All men are created equal.” The phrase is much more than just a high sounding cliché. It is an expression of one of the underlying principles on which the country was founded.

In today’s world, the idea that “all men are created equal” has become so well accepted that we simply take it for granted. Two hundred years ago that was not the case. At that time and for most of human history, there were great differences in the value of people. It was accepted that one’s worth as a human was measured by one’s station in life, which was itself determined by the circumstances of birth. The aristocrats were what they were because of who their fathers were. The peasants were peasants because they had been born to parents who were peasants. That was that and nothing an individual could do would make any difference. Wealth belonged to a chosen few and the poor were poor, most believed, because that is what God had ordained.

Suddenly, these American colonials decided that God had really made everyone equal. Sometimes we contemporary Americans forget just who it was that came up with this radical idea. Believe me, it was indeed a radical idea at the time. It does not surprise us that the nobility thought that it was a radical concept, but the poor and lower classes were not keen on the idea either.

Well, just who was it that decided to include the phrase “all men are created equal,” in the Declaration. The answer is: some of the wealthiest men in the colonies, the landed gentry, the American aristocracy.

The one thing that makes the American Revolution unique is that it was brought about by the wealthy, landholding class. As a matter of fact, it took great effort by men like Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry to enlist the average citizen to the fight. It can be hard to believe, but the concept of equality of individuals was not one of the lower classes, the poor, reaching up to tear down the rich. It was instead an attempt by the rich to raise all people up to the same level.

Today in America, we find a total disregard for the concept of equality. Everywhere we look there is an attempt to punish achievers. In schools, we put more emphasis on a young person’s ability to throw a round object than we do on his ability to do math. In life we seek to punish anyone who earns more that an average wage. Our tax structure is designed to punish anyone who succeeds. We have been told that if you participate in the American system and you are successful, then you must be a crook. If you are a failure then you must have been cheated by someone, or that somehow “society” has failed to provide for you.

Over and over, we hear that the rich must be made to pay their fair share of the taxes. Why just the rich, escapes me, since all of us share in the benefits of the nation. I find it interesting to note that we seldom hear about just how much of our taxes are paid by whom. We have been hearing about how during the 80s the rich have been given all of the tax breaks. How many people really know who pays the taxes in this country?

Those people, who are in the highest five percent in earnings, the richest of us, pay about 40 percent of all the taxes. To be in that bracket one needs to earn in excess of $50,000. Who earns that much money?  The answer is: many elected officials, some college professors, many professional, city workers with a great deal of overtime, and some construction workers. Yes, of course, let’s not forget the corporate executives. Interestingly enough, many small business people and women do not reach that level of earning.

Here is another kicker – the richest one percent pay about 20 percent of all the taxes. What was that I read in the Declaration about “all men were created equal.” Sounds to me like some people are created more equal than others. Speaking of others, how much of the taxes do they pay? Those of us in the bottom half of the income scale currently pay about 16 percent of the taxes.

While I do not personally believe that it is possible to have it both ways, that is to declare everyone equal and at the same time have a tax policy that advocates soaking the rich. I guess we have done just that. In addition to the taxes paid, I have noted that when it comes to charity, it is always the richest people to whom we turn. In all of the agencies where I have worked, I always find the people in the areas with the most money at board meetings. It is they who we call upon to reach out to others with money. And they usually come through.

Next time you hear someone say that the rich do not pay their fair share, you can believe it and the thought should give you….a rosy glow.