If you grow up in America, it's pretty rare if you don't love money. One of the first things I ever remember being punished for was stealing money. Five dollars, off my father's dresser. I was so little, I don't think I even knew it was wrong to take something that wasn't specifically mine -- I recall this being my introduction to the concept of "larceny is bad." But somehow, I knew it was good to have cash.
After I left my middle class household at 18, standard of living took a real tumble for a while. At Cornell, I had no money, and boy did I look it. They called where I lived the last three years Collegetown, but Collegetown was really slums in a rural setting. Landlords did not have to work that hard in Ithaca, N.Y. -- every year, there was fresh supply of eager tenants among the students who didn't want to live in a sorority or fraternity. It was a sweet market for a slumlord.
But even that looked good compared to what was waiting for me as I began my illustrious career as a standup comedian in New York City in 1979. First year I lived on 99th Street in Spanish Harlem, a five-floor walk up, toilet down the hall. No shower -- a tub that sat in the kitchen with a snake-like attachment that hooked up to the kitchen sink. Walked home every night from the comedy clubs on the tony Upper East Side, watching the neighborhoods become poorer and scarier as I made my way north, and I'm sure the only reason I was never robbed was, they took one look at me and knew it wasn't worth the trouble. Sometimes, freedom really is just another word for nothing left to lose.
And yet, in a short 33 years, things had turned around enough so that I was able to give a million dollars to the super PAC of a certain mixed-race president who, I would like to remind all my overconfident progressive friends, does NOT have this election in the bag. And a lot of people this last week have said the same thing to me: "You're not picking up the drinks tonight?"
The great thing about having been poor is how liberated it makes you if you eventually become rich. There's nothing like the knowledge that you don't need money to survive. That the money cushion you lie on every night doesn't have to be three feet thick, and you can still get to sleep.
Other people seemed surprised I had a million dollars, which amused me. I've had a television show since 1993; television pays well -- I may even have another million lying around somewhere. Every year when I visit my accountant in December to see how the year went, he always says I'm the best saver of all his clients, which amazes me, because I feel like I deprive myself of absolutely nothing. I once asked him, what do your other clients spend their money on? Because I know who some of his other clients are, and I know they make WAY more than I do. He said that what they spend their money on is always changing, and that's not even the point -- the point is, however much money they make that year, they always spend all of it! That's how they think: have money, spend it, because the real tragedy would be to die and have money left over.
Me? I just don't have expensive tastes I guess -- I don't collect cars or paintings or jewelry, and I gave up my heroin habit years ago. But I also know that, as I said when I presented that giant check to Priorities USA Action last Thursday at the end of my stand up special on Yahoo!, "This hurts!" I was trying to make the point that if I could do it, a lot of other people could do it a lot more easily than me. You know, the only place in America where the millionaires and billionaires are predominantly liberal is here in Hollywood -- with the possible exception of Silicon Valley and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. There's a reason that of the 16 billionaires that have contributed to super PACs this year, 14 have given to Republicans. It is generally the party of the rich. And in a post-Citizens United world, the party of the rich has an advantage like they've never had before. In 2008, the most you could give to a candidate was $2,300. Now it's Infinity. No, the election is not in the bag.
Follow Bill Maher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/billmaher
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 |
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| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Bill is saying it's worth more to him because he has perspective of what it's like to have nothing, so he can more fully appreciate the complete freedom, and more fully appreciate the plight of those who struggle to get by in this world where, unfortunately, money is required to obtain basic standards of living and human dignity.
The sad fact is, republicans, most of whom are filthy rich, want to lower their already low tax rates and pass the burden on to the poor and middle class. They want to strip rights and protections away from workers, keep wages low and stagnant, reduce benefits, pass along more and more costs to their workers, make more of them part time. And in this economic recession with high unemployment, many employers have found they can get away with screwing the workers who are desperate to take anything, accept any terms, just to try and get by.
When the people who were born on third base and had every opportunity given to them through wealthy politically connected families and nepotism try to make life harder for regular folk, it's despicable. It's Republican.
Like it or not, Bill Maher and Michael Moore are both 1 percenters as YOU have defined it.
He gives a million $$ to a washington super PAC and you applaud, a conservative does it and you scream "1%".
Show us again how this is apples and oranges.
Democrats are far more represented in the 1% class.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/beltway-confidential/2010/08/democrats-party-rich/130805
http://rjjrdq.com/2011/05/27/democrats-the-rich-party/
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-10-13-House-wealth-gap-Democrats-richest-districts_N.htm
wash examiner???
right
You can't? I didn't think so.
They take these jobs as politicians, give all these special deals to special interests and corporations, then after their term is up get a high paying plumb job with those special interests as payment for their underhanded deeds.
Doesn't that contradict the liberal mantra that the rich put their money in their matress and never spend it?
So....the more money we make - the more we spend? Is that what liberals are saying these days?
Sounds like the arguement that lower taxes spurs economic growth (through spending) has been affirmed by none other than Bill Maher. I concur Bill.
Yeah. I'd like to decide where my taxes go to. They wouldn't have been going to Iraq or Afghanistan, that's for sure. I wouldn't give a penny to another tank or cruise missile if I had the choice.
Now tell me how foolish I am without a hint of irony in your prose.
But this is a great and thought-provoking article.
More like you were 'Broke', not 'Poor' as poor is a state of mind and broke is a state of financial means. Poor people do poor things.
I don't think that point detracts from his message though.
Resign, please. Or apologize to all the people you've gratuitously insulted because they have a different perspective than yours. It's immaterial to me, because I don't watch your "show" anyway.
It was Always Infinity for UNIONs, to Democrats.
Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld unconstitutionally maintained their assets while they were public servants.
This sort of thing has precedent. It's going to happen more. It's really dumb criticizing one side when the other side has done it and will do it again.
Kudos. Love your comments - don't ever stop!
Oh and BTW, he has a degree in BA in English. So really, all his BS about knowing politics doesn't wash with me.
Frankly, I don't think much of him as a commedian either.
He knows about politics by following the news like the rest of us, and interviewing/having as guests numerous political figures. The information is out there, for those that wish to pursue it. He pursues it, sheds light on it, makes fun of it. How hard is that to understand?
Now that everyone knows you have said as bad or worse about women it's simply not going to fly.
Misogynists are not cool right now Bill. Sorry.
Sarah Palin and other targets of Bill Maher - they are politicians, public figures, having very public tirades and attacks against others - by being such and doing so they open themselves up to be made fun of.
See the difference? Sandra Fluke didn't do anything to deserve the hateful attacks against her. Palin and co did.