[pyrelight]

She's able to do all this and still live comfortably and live her dreams. I wonder why more wealthy don't do things like this. It seems most just write a check to Charity X for the tax break and the ego boost.

The things Dolly does seem to lend themselves to legacy, and what could a rich man/woman want more than their name immortalized in a social program that helps people.

[LocalH]

Dolly Parton embodies everything good about the Southern US, in an age where there's not really much in this area that gets the public eye for being a good, wholesome thing. I have a lot of respect for her, quite honestly in my mind she's up there with people like Fred Rogers and Bob Ross.

[celticninja]

Dolly Parton embodies everything good about people.

[avidphantasm]

She grew up very poor. I suspect many wealthy people didn’t. Also, she made her money working for a living, not through financial BS.

[082349872349872]

see Coat of Many Colors

[pmorici]

Not to detract anything from her contribution but she isn’t funding the whole thing. The way it works is a local nonprofit for a geographic area partners with the Imagination library and funds them to offer the program in that area.

Their website explains how you can become a partner for your area and the costs involved.

In some places it is government funded. The program in Baltimore City for example appears to be largely funded by Maryland State government via a yearly grant to a nonprofit.

https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/

https://goccp.maryland.gov/the-governors-young-readers-progr...

[pbj1968]

$2.20 per child, per month. That’s the partnership contribution. Please reconsider where you place your time and outrage.

[peterleiser]

A big motivation was that her father was illiterate. We live in Tennessee and this program is amazing. Dolly Parton is great to Tennessee and her reputation here is stellar.

[glass_of_water]

If you find the right organization that uses the funds effectively, what's with donating your wealth as opposed to creating your own charitable organization? Also, I'm sure the tax deduction for donations is exploited when the receiving organization is non-profit in name only, but if the receiving organization really is an effective charity, what's wrong with the donor getting a tax break?

Or is the claim not that one approach is more effective than other in terms of positive impact, but that the wealthy, for their own sake, would be better off founding their own organizations?

[massysett]

This is Warren Buffet’s approach. He figured Bill Gates is better at giving away money than he ever would be, so he simply gives his money to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

[mc32]

Are there no profit charity organization where everyone is a volunteer and no one draws a salary?

Lots of these orgs often seem like they exist to maintain the organization than benefit their cause.

[harimau777]

Good point. Even from a purely selfish perspective, I would think that being universally loved would have more utility than a few more millions in the bank.

[melling]

“I wonder why more wealthy don't do things…”

I wonder why so many people want the wealthy to do more things to make the world a better place when the United States has a GDP of $23 trillion dollars.

Everyone wants to pay little taxes, have a cheap gallon of gas, and tax the rich to solve our problems, while kicking the can as far down the road as possible.

How many problems could have been solved with $32 trillion

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikepatton/2023/04/25/the-natio...

[harimau777]

Can you explain what you are advocating?

It's not clear to me what connection you are making between America's GDP and wanting the wealthy to do more. The wealthy capture the largest portion of the GDP, so America's high GDP would seem to support the idea that the wealthy can do more.

It seems like you are criticizing tax rates but then you talk about how much can be done with the money that makes up the national debt. Are you advocating more or less government spending? Are you advocating more or less taxes?

[anonymouskimmer]

The comment you're responding too was wondering why more wealthy people aren't building well-regarded social legacies. Not why rich people weren't solving society's issues.

> How many problems could have been solved with $32 trillion

How many problems were solved with that $32 trillion?

To nitpick, the current US GDP estimate is $26.49 trillion. https://www.bea.gov/news/2023/gross-domestic-product-second-...

In general, I agree with your gist. Hagiographies turn me off, particularly in a republic of citizens (not Great Men).

[croes]

What do you think why the rich are so rich? How much of the tax money lands in their pockets because they don't pay their employees good enough?