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Little Rock Lands "Biggest" Conference Yet


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Slate philanthropy conference to feature Clinton, Turner

Little Rock has just landed another major conference, and this one may be the biggest yet, in terms of the city punching above its weight.

Former President Bill Clinton, Ted Turner and Bill Gates, Sr. (father of the Microsoft founder) are among the confirmed speakers for the Slate 60 Conference on Innovative Philanthropy, which will take place at the Clinton Presidential Library on Nov. 12-13.

It will be the first event ever associated with the Slate 60 list, which will be celebrating its tenth anniversary, and it will convene America’s most generous charitable donors. This year's conference is co-sponsored by Slate Magazine, the Clinton Foundation and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

According to a press release:

In 1996, Ted Turner suggested that, just as there's the Forbes magazine list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, there should be a list of the Americans who give the most to charity each year. Slate Magazine (www.Slate.com) quickly took up the challenge, publishing a list of the 60 Americans who give the most to charity each year and analyzing their contributions. Since 2001, the Slate 60 list has been compiled by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and published each year by Slate. ...

Invited guests will include all living people named on the Slate 60 lists in the last 10 years; family members of people who were listed and are not alive, and luminaries and experts in the world of philanthropy. The gathering will feature panel discussions, keynote speakers and a dinner honoring the attendees. The conference will be webcast on Slate.com, and a special section of Slate Magazine will highlight innovations in philanthropy.

This was from the Arkansas Blog. I'm pretty impressed with who will be there. Ted Turner is the guy who started CNN and lots of other stations.

I like that the conference honors major donors to charities instead of aggrandizing those on top of the Forbes Wealthiest Americans list.

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This was from the Arkansas Blog. I'm pretty impressed with who will be there. Ted Turner is the guy who started CNN and lots of other stations.

I like that the conference honors major donors to charities instead of aggrandizing those on top of the Forbes Wealthiest Americans list.

I see them more as the top tax dodgers in the country. If you took away the tax benifits how much money would be given to charities? By them avoiding paying taxes then others have to pay more.

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I see them more as the top tax dodgers in the country. If you took away the tax benifits how much money would be given to charities? By them avoiding paying taxes then others have to pay more.

What a poor sentiment.

Uhhh, I can guarantee you that a lot of those other guys on the forbes richest list are tax dodgers. It's just that they don't do it by donating to charities; they dodge by hiring tricky accountants.

And you're very wrong on judging the character of some of these rich people. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, for example, are against getting rid of the estate tax. They are part of the http://www.responsiblewealth.org/ organization--generally for the current tax system and against the tax cuts. That's despite the fact that they would stand to benefit the most.

I'd wager at the very least, the two richest men in America pay their taxes fairly (Buffett and Gates).

There are many, many wealthy businessmen that believe in paying taxes fairly and treating their employees fairly (living wages, benefits, etc.). Though probably not as many as those who chant "maximize profits;minimize costs" as their mantra.

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Sounds cool, byt why Bill Gates' father? Is he taking credit for his son's success?

He's probably going to speak on behalf of his son. I read something about how he influenced his son's charitable donations.....

Bill Gates is a very charitable person. (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives out many scholarships and is at the forefront of the movement to restore proper science teaching in school before we get left behind by India, China, etc.) Just like Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Or Warren Buffett. Interestingly, they tend to be Democrats.

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I see them more as the top tax dodgers in the country. If you took away the tax benifits how much money would be given to charities? By them avoiding paying taxes then others have to pay more.

That may be true of many people but it's certainly not true of people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who are giving essentially all of their fortunes to charity and leaving almost nothing to their own children.

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What a poor sentiment.

Uhhh, I can guarantee you that a lot of those other guys on the forbes richest list are tax dodgers. It's just that they don't do it by donating to charities; they dodge by hiring tricky accountants.

And you're very wrong on judging the character of some of these rich people. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, for example, are against getting rid of the estate tax. They are part of the http://www.responsiblewealth.org/ organization--generally for the current tax system and against the tax cuts. That's despite the fact that they would stand to benefit the most.

I'd wager at the very least, the two richest men in America pay their taxes fairly (Buffett and Gates).

There are many, many wealthy businessmen that believe in paying taxes fairly and treating their employees fairly (living wages, benefits, etc.). Though probably not as many as those who chant "maximize profits;minimize costs" as their mantra.

Well stated. The top 20% of Americans in terms of income pay over 80% of America's taxes. They also produce the most jobs, give the most back, and stimulate the economy more.

I don't believe in imposing penalties for success, or (as socialists do) taking money from the rich and distributing it to the poor. No American has the excuse of "lack of opportunity".

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Here's another large conference coming to Little Rock.

Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC) has picked the North Little Rock Wyndham Riverfront as the site of its annual affair.

The RTC is a national membership organization dedicated to making sure rural areas in the United States have access to the information and support needed

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He's probably going to speak on behalf of his son. I read something about how he influenced his son's charitable donations.....

Bill Gates is a very charitable person. (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives out many scholarships and is at the forefront of the movement to restore proper science teaching in school before we get left behind by India, China, etc.) Just like Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Or Warren Buffett. Interestingly, they tend to be Democrats.

What do you consider proper science teaching in schools? Would that include the teaching of "intelligent design"? The Gates Foundation gives over $1 million a year to the Discovery Institute. The Discovery Institute is one of the main promoters of ID in the country. You can go to their website and sign their petition to keep ID in the Kansas School System.

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What do you consider proper science teaching in schools? Would that include the teaching of "intelligent design"? The Gates Foundation gives over $1 million a year to the Discovery Institute. The Discovery Institute is one of the main promoters of ID in the country. You can go to their website and sign their petition to keep ID in the Kansas School System.

Intelligent design is not science. Even my gideons/choir/super-religious father will tell you that.

In science, you don't say, "This leaf is so marvelously complex that.......there must be an omniscient being watching over everything and designing it all." That's too big of a jump. It's baby steps in science.

So Gates gives $1 million to an institute that promotes intelligent design (a drop in the bucket). So? I'm sure he gives money to those who don't promote it too.

Oh wait, I decided to background check on your statement. It turns out that the money IS NOT for intelligent design, but only for some other project.

From Wikipedia:

Donated US$1 million in 2000 to the Discovery Institute and pledged US$9.35 million over 10 years in 2003, including US$50,000 of Bruce Chapman's US$141,000 annual salary. The money of grant is "exclusive to the Cascadia project" on regional transportation, according to a Gates Foundation grant maker and not to the Institute's other activities, including promotion of intelligent design.

Please, check your sources so I don't have to.

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Intelligent design is not science. Even my gideons/choir/super-religious father will tell you that.

In science, you don't say, "This leaf is so marvelously complex that.......there must be an omniscient being watching over everything and designing it all." That's too big of a jump. It's baby steps in science.

So Gates gives $1 million to an institute that promotes intelligent design (a drop in the bucket). So? I'm sure he gives money to those who don't promote it too.

Oh wait, I decided to background check on your statement. It turns out that the money IS NOT for intelligent design, but only for some other project.

From Wikipedia:

Please, check your sources so I don't have to.

I went to the Discovery Institute website. If they get money from Gates no matter what the reason they can say he supports everything they do. I still stand by statement that Gates gives to avoid paying taxes. How much money has he put in Trust funds for his children? Why not be for the estate tax when you can get around it and never pay taxes?

One of the main supporters of the estate tax is the insurance industry They make a killing selling policies to people to pay off estate taxes. Guess what one of W. Buffett main business concerns is? How about insurance.

Do they allow you at Washington U. to base your papers on Wikipedia? Maybe you should go to the source.

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Here's another large conference coming to Little Rock.

Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC) has picked the North Little Rock Wyndham Riverfront as the site of its annual affair.

The RTC is a national membership organization dedicated to making sure rural areas in the United States have access to the information and support needed

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I went to the Discovery Institute website. If they get money from Gates no matter what the reason they can say he supports everything they do.

It's ridiculous that you're still making this case.

From a Salon interview:

The Gates Foundation responds that it hasn't abandoned science to back intelligent design. Greg Shaw, Pacific Northwest director, explains that the grant to Discovery underwrites the institute's "Cascadia Project," which strictly focuses on transportation in the Northwest. The Discovery Web site lists several program goals, including financing of high-speed passenger rail systems and reduction of automobile congestion in the Cascadia region, which encompasses Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. (The Gates Foundation, which is based in Seattle, gives a small slice of its money -- about $40 million in 2004 -- to groups that aim to improve life in the Pacific Northwest.)

If being wrong costs too much to you, then so be it.

Do they allow you at Washington U. to base your papers on Wikipedia? Maybe you should go to the source.

Hah.

I still stand by statement that Gates gives to avoid paying taxes.

Irrelevant, sir.

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That's a pretty tiny conference, opting for a hotel meeting facility over the Convention Center, compared to one like LULAC but we'll take what we can get. This conference is obviously there because of Alltel and Windstream.

It's still an extra 350+ people in the city, spending $$$$.

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I am hoping someone at this philanthropy conference with a lot of money falls in love with the Heifer Project. It's going to be featured on CNN as part of a special series on poverty with Dr Sanjay Gupta. It's an admirable charity and I would think a few tours of the facility to visiting philanthropists might be enough to secure a big grant.

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