Marine Le Pen and the most conservative Catholic clergy are probably the only ones thinking this is a better way for the 1% to give away their money than, say, contributing to relieve the desperation of illegal migrants languishing in European concentration camps.
A billion dollars given for church repairs in three days.
But the government has to pursue austerity and raise taxes on working stiffs because the 1% is tapped out?
Not so credible, now, eh?
As Rich Lavish Cash on Notre-Dame, Les Misérables Ask, ‘What About Us?’
The pledges came in quick succession.
François-Henri Pinault, France’s second-richest man, put up an eye-popping 100 million euros to rebuild Notre-Dame, just as firefighters were dousing the last flames at the cathedral early Tuesday morning.
Not to be outdone, Bernard Arnault, France’s wealthiest scion and a fierce rival to Mr. Pinault, upped the ante with a 200-million-euro gift a few hours later.
By Wednesday, the government had welcomed some 850 million euros — more than $960 million — offered in the patriotic name of salvaging the cultural treasure, as money from wealthy French families, French companies and international corporations poured in.
But the spectacle of billionaires trying to one-up each other quickly intensified resentments over inequality that have flared during the Yellow Vest movement, just as President Emmanuel Macron was looking to transform the calamity into a new era of national unity.
There were accusations that the wildly rich were trying to wash their reputations during a time of national tragedy.
“Can you imagine, 100 million, 200 million in one click!” said Philippe Martinez, the head of the militant CGT labor union.
“It really shows the inequalities in this country.”
“If they’re able to give dozens of millions to rebuild Notre Dame,” he added, “they should stop telling us that there is no money to pay for social inequalities.”
Ollivier Pourriol, a French philosopher and novelist, summed up the sentiment more drolly.
“Victor Hugo thanks all the generous donors ready to save Notre Dame and proposes that they do the same thing with Les Misérables,” he wrote on Twitter, referring to another one of Hugo’s famous novels, about the lives of the poor.
. . . .
The firestorm began when Jean-Jacques Aillagon, a former culture minister and now adviser to Mr. Pinault, went on Twitter after Mr. Pinault announced his gift Tuesday to suggest that corporate contributions to Notre-Dame’s restoration be given a 90 percent tax deduction, rather than the 60 percent that corporations normally get for charitable contributions.
“That’s when the whole thing exploded,” said Pierre Haski, a commentator for France-Inter, the public radio station.
“That produced outrage, that this act of generosity turns into fiscal advantage.”
The reaction was so intense that Mr. Aillagon went on the radio Wednesday morning to retract his suggestion.
The Pinault family then announced that they would seek no tax deduction at all for the gift.
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