[Northern Light]

So, I see this morning that the late Ralph Wilson's estate is giving the Buffalo area and the Detroit area, 100M US each for 'signature' parks.

https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/17/...100-million-dollar-grant-lasalle-park-trails/

While I happen to be in the camp of folks who suggest higher taxes are an important thing and philanthropy shouldn't be necessary, neither of these conditions exist today.

In the interim between now and utopia its nice to see a very well off family giving back a substantial portion of that wealth for the the public good.

What got my attention in all this was simply the scale and the thought that we rarely, if ever, see philanthropy on this scale in Canada, including from much more affluent families.

In reading the article, it appears the estate is dedicating to giving away over 2B US by 2035.

That's over 2.5B CAD.

It wouldn't take that many of Toronto's affluent families to bring many great things to our City, Province and Country.

 

[PinkLucy]

Not in the billions, but Judy and Wil Matthews have been generous.

 

[Northern Light]

Not in the billions, but Judy and Wil Matthews have been generous.

I agree, they have.

Can you imagine if the Thomson family were comparably generous. They are worth in the range of 30B.

The Westons give few million here and there every year.......but with a net worth greater than 10B......

If you imagined these 2 families alone, giving away even 1/2 their net worth.............

20B for good causes.

Enough to build/replace 3 hospitals, a subway line, housing for 10,000 people, pay for rail deck park in its entirety and endow AGO and ROM sufficiently that they can waive all admission fees and expand hours, and there's still money leftover.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Canadian donors tend to go for hospitals first and foremost; public parks is almost off the radar.

AoD

 

[Filip]

The Canadian ultra rich are stingy.. That's the unfortunate truth.

Even when you look at blockbuster donations (hospitals, museums, etc) - they are far below what an equivalent American family would give.

 

[SunriseChampion]

The Canadian ultra rich are stingy.. That's the unfortunate truth.

I can attest to this. I have worked with/for both the Thomson and Weston families (as well as many others in the 0.1% and 1%) and I don't mind telling you that the people who freely offer beers, food, coffee, etc to us are the 1-10%. Anyone wealthier and you are treated like an automaton.
That being said, they are still more down-to-earth than the nouveau riche who are much more likely to be complete dickheads.
"Wow, look at me, I'm so important, I have money. Look at me! Like me! You wish you could be me."

As I always say, "Man, make sure you lock your car doors. I don't trust these rich folk. How do you think they got their money? Stealing it from people like us."
Of course, how do you think they kept their money and multiplied it? By not giving it away.

 

[SunriseChampion]

While I happen to be in the camp of folks who suggest higher taxes are an important thing and philanthropy shouldn't be necessary, neither of these conditions exist today.

Necessary for what?

It can be argued that neither high taxes nor philanthropy are necessary for a functioning state.

I think philanthropy should be actively encouraged. Give back to the society from which you made your money so that the people on whose backs you made that money can get something out of it other than the obscenely miniscule pay packets relative to yours.

Also, question:

Does Detroit really need a "signature park" or does it need to cover its municipal employees' pension obligations?

 

[Northern Light]

Necessary for what?

It can be argued that neither high taxes nor philanthropy are necessary for a functioning state.

I think philanthropy should be actively encouraged. Give back to the society from which you made your money so that the people on whose backs you made that money can get something out of it other than the obscenely miniscule pay packets relative to yours.

I was meaning that in my ideal world, government would raise the money it required to provide top-quality public services and needed social supports, and would not need to go cap-in-hand to would-be patrons. But as taxes are insufficiently high for that purpose, many great ideas end up deferred or watered down. Large-scale philanthropy could allow more great projects to come forward and to maximize their potential.

Also, question:

Does Detroit really need a "signature park" or does it need to cover its municipal employees' pension obligations?

Last first, no not really, since the strange US system that allow cities to go bankrupt has already shed much of those pension obligations. To be clear, yes they should honour the deal they had w/their employees, but since a court has
altered that deal, they no longer have a financial need or political one to fund pensions, beyond what remains and is funded.

First last, Detroit does have a really ugly waterfront, and even though its downtown is back from death's door, its still small and relatively speaking, struggling. A signature park that will offer swimming, picnic space, sports amenities etc. will be
a quality of life boost, but also a boost in 'hope' for a beleaguered city.

There are certainly compelling arguments as to whether that should be the highest priority; but its also what the charitable foundation is offering to fund.

It also arguably frees up money that would otherwise have been budgeted for parks to go to some other priority.

 

[Admiral Beez]

In the interim between now and utopia its nice to see a very well off family giving back a substantial portion of that wealth for the the public good.

I support giving back of course, but I disagree with re-naming our hospital wings, departments or the entire building after whatever rich guy donated the most. I'd like to think if I had millions to donate I'd do it without conditions that my name or even worse my image were splayed across the front of the building.

I found it frustrating when, for example, recently trying to reach Toronto East General and all documentation and online info referred to the Michael Garron hospital. I was thinking, where's is that?

http://healthydebate.ca/2016/06/topic/hospital-medical-school-renaming
From DeGroote to Michael Garron: why more medical institutions are selling their names

Of course hospitals needs the cash, so they're compelled to whore out their names to the highest bidder. But that provokes another question. Why do hospitals need donations? We have public healthcare, the tax revenue should be paying the full freight. Can another provincial departments seek donations, how about private donations for sewers or the DVP?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Of course hospitals needs the cash, so they're compelled to whore out their names to the highest bidder. But that provokes another question. Why do hospitals need donations? We have public healthcare, the tax revenue should be paying the full freight. Can another provincial departments seek donations, how about private donations for sewers or the DVP?

Tax revenues/government does not pay for the full amount of hospital capital expenditures. It's publicly funded, privately (non-profit) operated health care we have here.

Tend to agree the general "tastelessness" of having one's name slathered all over. The ones who always impresses me most are the anonymous donors.

AoD

 

[Filip]

Tax revenues/government does not pay for the full amount of hospital capital expenditures. It's publicly funded, privately (non-profit) operated health care we have here.

Tend to agree the general "tastelessness" of having one's name slathered all over. The ones who always impresses me most are the anonymous donors.

AoD

Wholeheartedly agreed.

 

[Northern Light]

Tax revenues/government does not pay for the full amount of hospital capital expenditures. It's publicly funded, privately (non-profit) operated health care we have here.

Tend to agree the general "tastelessness" of having one's name slathered all over. The ones who always impresses me most are the anonymous donors.

AoD

Even major cap-x, such as a new wing or total hospital rebuild is typically 70% provincially funded with a mandate on the hospital board to raise the other 30%.

Diagnostic imaging machines are funded at all. (the operating cost is)

Neither are incubators.

Its really an absurd system from the point of view that the amount of time, money and effort spent on fundraising is not immaterial, on top of which many goods for hospital which could be purchased
by the province in bulk at discounts of 25% or more are instead bought as one-offs or in small batches by individual hospitals.

***

Some may know that the former Liberal Health Minister, Mr. Hoskins was so irked by the renaming of East General he passed a regulation prohibiting any similar namings in the future. (wings are fine, units are fine, but renmaming the entire
hospital is no longer permissible)

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Even major cap-x, such as a new wing or total hospital rebuild is typically 70% provincially funded with a mandate on the hospital board to raise the other 30%.

Diagnostic imaging machines are funded at all. (the operating cost is)

Neither are incubators.

Its really an absurd system from the point of view that the amount of time, money and effort spent on fundraising is not immaterial, on top of which many goods for hospital which could be purchased
by the province in bulk at discounts of 25% or more are instead bought as one-offs or in small batches by individual hospitals.

***

Some may know that the former Liberal Health Minister, Mr. Hoskins was so irked by the renaming of East General he passed a regulation prohibiting any similar namings in the future. (wings are fine, units are fine, but renmaming the entire
hospital is no longer permissible)

The system is fragmented - and private non-profit health care institutions are still that (i.e. private) even though the greatest majority of their service is funded by the government (which resulted in the awkward policy outcomes of certain hospitals not allowing assisted deaths, etc). The trend is very much towards consolidation into hospital networks in the GTA though (UHN, Sinai Health System, Providence, NYGH, Trillium, etc.) to reduce overhead.

AoD

 

[Admiral Beez]

Makes me glad to live downtown east with all the top hospitals nearby. If you live in the countryside I'm not sure there are sufficient rich guys to fund the incupbators, MRIs, etc, that a hospital in Timmins or Subury would need.

As an aside, having spent a lot of time in our hospitals recently due to some family matters, I can't but notice that many of the big donors have Jewish sounding last names. That got me thinking, I wonder if St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital is at a disadvantage in seeking donors?

 

[PinkLucy]

I lived in a small town. We spent years fundraising to purchase a CT scan so people wouldn’t have to travel over 2 hours to the nearest one.