BILLIONAIRE PHILANTHROPY WILL NOT SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS

OPINION BOWMAN: BILLIONAIRE PHILANTHROPY WILL NOT

SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS

Opinion: Our current charitable deducation system is designed to allow the rich to avoid taxes and increase their influence.

BY SHELTON BOWMAN

For most Americans, donating to charity is a selfless act. The bottom 99% of earners receive nothing more for their generosity than the warm glow that comes with giving to an important cause and, if they’re lucky, the opportunity to write a small amount off of their taxes. However, now more than ever, donations to charity and nonprofits come from the uber rich. As the wealthy 1% fork over billions of dollars to nonprofit organizations every year, the gap between rich and poor grows steadily wider. Charitable tax deductions might seem like a great way to encourage giving, but they are doing us more harm than good. Not only do charitable deductions allow the rich to participate in their favorite pastime, tax avoidance, but they give them the power to decide which problems to solve and which to neglect, robbing the American people of the ability to vote on where that money should go.

In July 2021, the Knight family donated $500 million to the University of Oregon. While many have applauded the Knights for their generosity, the decision seems more questionable when you consider that, assuming the Knights are taxed at 37%, this allowed for a $185 million tax write off. This is money that should have belonged to the American people. What makes Phil Knight qualified to decide where that money should go? Why should taxpayers foot the bill so the Knights can have their name plastered to yet another university building?

The richer an individual, the better able they are to take advantage of the United State’s system for charitable deductions. Tax deductions work by reducing the amount of money the government considers taxable income. Since the wealthy pay the highest marginal tax rate, they are the ones with the most to gain from these policies. Let’s say Fred makes $9,000 in a year, and Janice makes $600,000 dollars in a year. Fred pays a marginal income tax rate of 10%, whereas Janice pays a marginal income tax rate of 37%. Despite Fred being the lower earner, he saves less on his taxes. Every $10 that Fred donates to charity costs him $9, but Janice is able to make an equivalent contribution for only $6.30.

Proponents of our current system would argue that it's good Janice can write off more money than Fred for an equivalent donation. The wealthy have more money, they argue, so it is beneficial to encourage them to donate more to charitable causes. While this may be true in some cases, we must ask ourselves if these charitable causes are really worth contributing to.

For instance, the rich frequently exploit the art industry, manipulating the purchasing and donating of art into a saving mechanism come tax season. It’s not an uncommon practice for a wealthy donor to buy a painting, have it appraised for far more than they paid for it and donate the painting to a museum or gallery. Then, come tax season, they write the appraised amount off of their taxes, profiting at the cost of our tax dollars.

When the ultra wealthy write off their charitable deductions, that is money that can no longer go to infrastructure, public education or social security. While philanthropy is commonly understood as a way to transfer the wealth from the rich to the poor, that is not how it operates in practice. Billionaires are statistically more likely to donate to the arts and higher education and are far less likely than the average person to contribute to causes that help to feed and house those in need.

The wealthy will always have more money to funnel into various causes –– meaning they will always have a disproportionate amount of power and influence. Unfortunately, the rich will never have a meaningful incentive to solve the world’s problems or fix broken systems, considering they are the ones who benefit the most from them. If not for poverty, who would be willing to work in factories for just pennies on the dollar? Why would a billionaire, who has made his money off of oil and gas, want to see the country move toward renewable energy? Why would a class, made up of mostly white men, want to abolish the system of patriarchy and white supremacy that allowed them to gain power in the first place?

Ending tax deductions for charitable donations is a baby step, but it’s one in the right direction. We should no longer allow the wealthiest Americans to siphon away tax dollars in order to increase their own influence. Those who profit off of the world’s inequities will never have a true incentive to end them. Instead, it should be up to the American people to democratically decide where our tax dollars should go.

(University of Oregon/Bruce Damonte)

Shelton Bowman is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a third-year psychology student who enjoys reading and crocheting in her free time.

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Dead Games

BY GREEN JOHNSON

Green Johnson is a first-year editorial cartoonist for the Daily Emerald. With a major in Art and Technology, they love to analyze trends through the lens of drawing. He will take any opportunity to talk about his favorite cartoons, so be warned!

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For the first time in the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, University of Oregon’s South Asian Cultural Alliance held Utsav on April 24. In Hindi, Utsav means “celebration” and is a day for the community to enjoy South Asian culture.

The event, held in the EMU Ballroom, was packed full of students and members of the Eugene community enjoying food from local restaurant Taste of India and watching performances on stage.

The showcase featured 12 performances, from vocal solos to traditional dances from different regions of South Asia. The event featured many groups within the Eugene community, including various dance groups that are centered on South Asian dance styles, like The Bhangra Monkeys. The local kids dance group kicked off the event with energetic performances of Bhangra dance, a dynamic style that originates from Punjab, India.

A highlight of Utsav was the fashion show, which featured students and community members strutting and striking poses in traditional South Asian wear. Shreya Shettigar, third year major in art and technology and vice president of SACA, explained how she loved the energy of the crowd throughout the performances and the fashion show.

“I just love like, every time someone does something really cool on stage, everyone's like ‘Wooo’ clapping and supporting them,” Shettigar said. “I felt that was so fun, just everyone as a community coming together and being excited.”

The crowd was especially hyped as the UO Bollywood Medley, featuring students in SACA, took the stage as the finale. The medley was student-led and highlighted three different songs from new Bollywood movies from the past year.

Senior and co-director of the group Jaya Das explained how Bollywood films feature item songs that the characters dance to and are original to each movie, making it “iconic to do those dances.”

Sarvesh Upadhyay, senior and double major in public relations and humanities, is the co-director of the organization and has been dancing at Utsav since his freshman year.

“Most of the choreography was either from traditional Indian dances — like the first [song], we used a lot of elements of Garba, which is a folk dance that's done in a specific region in India,” Upadhyay said. “For the other two, we used choreography from the movies that they were from because a lot of the choreography is very iconic to those songs.”

Senior Ria Bhatt, who is an ethnic studies major and secretary of SACA, explained how this year’s Utsav caused her to step out of her comfort zone through her involvement in the medley.

“This year for me was more special because it was my last Utsav, of course, but then I performed for it for the first time dancing,” Bhatt said.

Utsav brought fun and liveliness to celebrate South Asian culture. It also brought awareness to SACA’s presence and impact on the UO campus, as well as the broader Eugene community. SACA has been organizing events that are open to the community since its founding. Shettigar said one of the board members has been attending events organized by SACA since she was a kid.

When it was formed in 1999, the group was originally Students of the Indian Subcontinent. This year, SACA’s board decided to change their name to the South Asian Cultural Alliance to create a more inclusive environment for students.

Aleena Khurana, senior and publicity chair of SACA, explained more about what drove the group to make this change.

“We're not celebrating just Indian culture, but South Asian culture as a whole, whether it be Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, all of that. So it's a safe space for anyone who identifies with those cultures to join, but also [for] anyone who doesn’t to just come and learn more and immerse themselves in the culture,” Khurana said. “We want people to know that we exist on campus.”

Members of SACA emphasized how important it is that all South Asian students are represented at the University of Oregon, a PWI, or a predominantly white institution. Both Das and Shettigar came to UO from the Bay Area, which has a large South Asian community, and like many other BIPOC students, they experienced what is known as “culture shock.”

This challenge students of color face as they arrive on the UO campus emphasizes why SACA’s presence on campus is so valued.

“We want to make a safe space for students of South Asian heritage to come together and bond over shared experiences, shared culture,” Upadhyay said. “We are not the most visible on campus, so this kind of space exists for us, and for people who want to learn about our culture.”

As the organization continues to grow and diversify, Bhatt explained the group has organized more activities for members this year alone than they have in the past six years.

Past events this year for members have included bonding activities like boba nights, a Bollywood x Hip Hop dance workshop and discussions addressing issues of discrimination in the South Asian community through a colorism workshop. In the upcoming weeks, SACA has a collaboration with the Muslim Student Association for Iftar, the evening meal Muslims eat to end their daily Ramadan fast through April and May.

“We're just like a big loving family,” Bhatt said. “The best part of University of Oregon was literally just this club for me.”

For more information about SACA’s upcoming events or just to get involved, check out their instagram at @uoregonsaca.

A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE

BY CELESTE GRIFFITHS

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Utsav, organized by University of Oregon’s South Asian Cultural Alliance, filled the EMU with vibrant energy through performances and food.

We want to make a safe space for students of South Asian heritage to come together and bond over shared experiences, shared culture.”

SARVESH UPADHYAY UO Student

A CONCERT WORTH THE $10 WHITE CLAWS

Automatic and Parquet Courts make a stop at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom.

BY MALENA SAADEH

Ever since the start of April I’ve been anxiously waiting for the month to end, and no, not just because the weather has been downright ungodly here in Eugene. I’ve been ansty all month, standing by for a show that I’d expected to be the major thing of the spring — New York based rock band Parquet Courts touring with LA post punk trio Automatic.

I usually am running too late to catch the opener, but I wasn’t going to pass them by this time.

Automatic’s sound feels like a more lowkey take on Le Tigre’s self titled 1999 album.

It bites. It’s got the same chick punk flavor, but this time more coy and less Rocky Horror.

The sterility of the synth and drone of Izzy Glaudini’s vocals feel like polished chrome, and it dips into pleasantries of the robotic and mechanical, but a reliable bassline appears to keep a head bob about the whole thing.

In short — I wanna get messy to this music in a German discotheque. Tonight however, Portland’s Crystal Ballroom will have to do.

The LA based trio formed in 2017 and put out their first full length “Signal” in 2019 on Stones Throw. Automatic has released two singles, “New Beginnings” and “Venus Hour,” off the band’s upcoming album “Excess,” set to release in June. Drummer Lola Dompe described the album as coming from a similar place as “Signal,” but this time more evolved.

The June release was recorded on tape by Joo-Joo Ashworth at the Los Angeles analog studio, Studio 22. Completed in late 2021, “Excess” is still a fairly new record for everyone involved. Dompe, Glaudini and bassist Halle Saxton crack a smile at the fact that they're not sick of it yet as most bands get after playing the same 10 tracks as they hit a tour.

As Automatic played, the venue started packing in.

When Automatic neared the end of its set, squeezing myself from the side of stage to the bar was a 5-minute ordeal full of “so sorry’s” and dirty looks from territorial 20-somethings who thought I was trying to steal their spot. Enter Parquet Courts.

Parquet Courts started their set with “Application/Apparatus,” and the tight bodies packed even tighter as the guitar heavy intro synced up with an orange strobing light.

Like the first track, the bulk of the songs they played came off of their 2021 album “Sympathy For Life,” but it was no debate that the crowd shook the floor the hardest when they threw their classics into the mix. The band played their set super tight, but they bantered so casually you’d think it was just another Monday night to them.

Between songs, the boys would pull all the classic out-of-towner bits like, “Why are your liquor laws so medieval here when mushrooms are legal?”

It's corny and endearing which is exactly what I’d expect from Courts. There's this wholesome anecdote I’ve heard passed around that frontman Andrew Savage first met Austin Brown, guitar and keys player, back in college at a meeting for a record listening group called “Knights of the Round Turntable.” Totally cheese and totally sweet.

Speaking of the frontman, one of the things that struck me was Savage had this killer, powerful voice that sounds much more combed through and tamed on record than it does in person. I love the rawness of his live performance. It was dripping with vibrance.

I’ve been trapped by too many bands that I like on record that were a total waste of time live. Parquet Courts is not one of those bands.

Like I said before, the whole thing was tight. I suppose that's what you get when your band has been together for the better part of 10 years. Their first album “American Specialties” — what the reddit lore calls their “lost” album — came out in 2011. For perspective, I was a chunky 10- year-old who talked to my Joe Jonas poster in 2011. These guys have been around for a damn long time.

What other band is still relevant 11 years later with the same lineup, the same exciting live performance and, most importantly, decent albums still coming out? Not many.

All in all, I’ve got no complaints about the Automatic and Parquet Courts show this past Monday, and I’m looking forward to another total powerhouse bill like this to come.

Parquet Courts stopped in Portland on their North American headline tour supporting their seventh studio album, “Sympathy For Life.” New York rock band Parquet Courts headlines the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Ore., on April 25, 2022. (Ian Enger/Emerald) Parquet Courts is made up of Andrew Savage (vocals, guitar), Austin Brown (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Sean Yeaton (bass, vocals) and Max Savage (drums). (Ian Enger/Emerald) Parquet Courts formed after Andrew Savage and Austin Brown met while studying at the University of North Texas. After college, the duo relocated to Brooklyn, New York along with Andrew's brother and dummer of Parquet Courts, Max Savage. (Ian Enger/Emerald)