Probably around the amount that Savage makes.

In my mind - not relevant. He has a very large media presence (radio, TV, print, publication, online) and he takes tours, plus he's a very nice guy. More power to him, and I wish more like him made the big bucks.

What galls me about this is not how much he made (dude's a travel pioneer - deserves what he makes/NONE OF OUR BUSINESS). What galls me is the intellectual deceit of suggesting private donations will do anything to right the wrong of the Bush tax cuts. This type of money will circulate more broady and benefit the country only when it flows systematically through the treasury, not when it's given in a private transaction.

So donate if that's what you want to do, but don't think you're solving the problem and don't help the rest of the rich sleep better at night by encouraging them to assuage their guilt by making private donations. Our country's fiscal system will still be broken.

It's not just about the reduction in tax rates on his income, it could also be the influence of the change in capital gains.

Like, when I sell the $10 million or so that I have in AAPL (now that Jobs is gone, don't you know), I'd have paid 35% on the gain in the olden days, but now (praise Jesus) I will only pay 15%.

God wants me to be rich, the Republicans are just making sure I stay that way.

rick steves hits the blunt thats why hes so chill

rick lives down the street from my mom. i went to junior and senior high school with him. he had a nickname among us nerds, but i am too discreet to reveal it.

@7 - yeah, you traipsed through cinque terre after chillin' with some ligurian locals? Something tells me you've never left your couch.

@9 DING! :)

@4, Steves isn't saying if rich people gave like he did it would fix the problem. Some sloppy reporters and pundits are thinking that's what he said, but no. He alluded to it figuratively, not literally. I'm sure he'd be the first to agree with you that the power of the public purse, not just from taxing the rich but from ordinary revenue sources like you and me, completely dwarfs any gestures like this in terms of combatting what he rightly terms "a false austerity".
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/2011082…

Top of my head guess- Bush tax cuts about 3-10% less for the rich. In this case, if it Steves saved about 10% = $1m, then over that time his income was about $10m. Since, what, 2001?

Anyway, way to go Steves, shattering stereotypes, being an awesome dude.

@5,

I'm pretty sure the old capital gains rate was 28%. At least that's what I paid the first time I filed my own return.

@13: that was the old maximum rate, I don't think capital gains were ever taxed more heavily than wages (but I could be wrong). Obviously for our purposes maximum rate will do.

This was exactly what I said to my son when I heard the news.

Basically, you're all serfs of the millionaires, who pay about 1/4th what you do as a percentage if their income.

This either ends in pitchforks, torches, and guillotines ... Or it ends with the Rich paying a LOT more in taxes.

Why go after Steves? Talk about eating your own!

Shit if you had any guts you'd be out attacking Gates and Allen's incomes as undeserved. Sheesh.

@11 - thanks for the link. I take it back - Steves's full quote is spot-on. Here it is:

"It's my hope to inspire other caring high-income people to step up and fill those funding gaps with private donations, to support causes that should be borne collectively by a community -- arts centers, parks, schools, libraries, local symphonies, and to speak out on the wisdom of rolling back the tax cuts for our wealthy."

Not providing the whole thing really distorts the context. I don't get where Eli or the mainstream press is coming from. Steves is making a lot of sense. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pen some travel guides. How does "lynnwood through the back door" sound?

If you want to do this super simply, pretend that all of this saved million dollars was a result of differences in income tax rates and THEN only consider the difference in the top rate (39.6% vs. 35%) and ALSO just assume that the yearly savings didn't accumulate interest.

With that: $21.7 million over that period (8 years?) to have saved $1.0 million.

@18, right on. "Lynnwood through the back door" is sure to be a classic. My sister lived in Lynnwood awhile. She calls it "the little town that would if it could but it can't so it won't."

Gee, Eli, I guess answering this question would require you to pick up the phone and call an accountant. Did they not teach you how to do that in J-School? If you're going to be an asshole, you shouldn't be incompetent, too.

He made a squillion dollars. No wait, a schmillion dollars.

To me there are two Rick Steves:

1) the guy with the whiny voice, serving up pedantic, condescending crap to morons too afraid to just go someplace new and discover it. Lemmings go where he points and trash the poor little villages. Nauseating.

2) the guy who goes totally balls-out and stands up in public for what is right, and what is fucking obvious, speaking out against this hypocritical drug war, especially against weed, which is infinitely more benign than tobacco or alcohol. His attitude and bravery in the current fascist environment is exemplary.

To me, Steves #2 makes me totally forget about Steves #1. I'm a fan (and a resident of Germany) and wish him continued success at whatever he does, even if I don't like it.

So..he tried to make a statement, and do some good locally, and so Eli/some sloggers will shit all over him for it? I mean, it doesn't undo the taxation stupidity, but he can't change the tax code so he's doing what he can. I've been thinking about donating my bush tax cut savings to planned parenthood. It's no million dollars and it's not the same as giving it to the government, but I know the money would do some good. Why discourage people from this?

I actually met Rick while filming a show for him that another station refuse to air for him, after receiving payment to do so. (marijuana issue) He's an alright, pretty stand up kind of guy. How Mr Steves spends the money given him by "break the backs of working men Bush", I don't really care. What Rick fails to say is that giving to Edmonds Arts organizations, is like the rich giving to the rich. Most unemployed and upside-down mortgagees can't afford to go and enjoy the arts. As mentioned earlier Rick does get to take a tax benefit for his donation. His donation gives him schmoozing rights with other arts goers. Many of these are also the wealthy retirees who will be watching Lawrence Welk, Victor Borge and of coarse Rick Steves on KCTS. These same individuals will be buying Ricks tapes, books,DVDs,etc and receiving their tax deductions. They will receive these tax break because their purchases were actually deemed donations to PBS station KCTS and others. The tapes,etc were deemed thank you gifts for their generous donations. Of coarse KCTS also receives its share of government funding. Where in all we see that Rick Steves actually gave his million dollar tax benefit back to himself. Which goes to show that the trickle down theory only means "trickle around while TINKLE-LING down.

I actually met Rick while filming a show for him that another station refuse to air for him, after receiving payment to do so. (marijuana issue) He's an alright, pretty stand up kind of guy. How Mr Steves spends the money given him by "break the backs of working men Bush", I don't really care. What Rick fails to say is that giving to Edmonds Arts organizations, is like the rich giving to the rich. Most unemployed and upside-down mortgagees can't afford to go and enjoy the arts. As mentioned earlier Rick does get to take a tax benefit for his donation. His donation gives him schmoozing rights with other arts goers. Many of these are also the wealthy retirees who will be watching Lawrence Welk, Victor Borge and of coarse Rick Steves on KCTS. These same individuals will be buying Ricks tapes, books,DVDs,etc and receiving their tax deductions. They will receive these tax break because their purchases were actually deemed donations to PBS station KCTS and others. The tapes,etc were deemed thank you gifts for their generous donations. Of coarse KCTS also receives its share of government funding. Where in all we see that Rick Steves actually gave his million dollar tax benefit back to himself. Which goes to show that the trickle down theory only means "trickle around while TINKLE-LING down.