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I love how this article portrays Mr. Ballmer as a wide eyed innocent. “I mean it’s funny, but I didn’t realize all these not-for-profits were in a sense almost

I love how this article portrays Mr. Ballmer as a wide eyed innocent. “I mean it’s funny, but I didn’t realize all these not-for-profits were in a sense almost like government contractors.” Well, yeah. Antipoverty nonprofit agencies run programs like Head Start and handle all sorts of charity operations. Adoption agencies, training programs, and on and on. A key skill for nonprofit comptrollers is knowing how to get governments to cough up the money they're contracted to pay these agencies. “You know it’s not legal to know how many firearms that are in this country? The government is not allowed to collect the number.” Mr. Ballmer, are you the LAST person to know that? People interested in stemming urban violence have known that for decades. Maybe somebody with his clout can make a difference. It's good to have this information gathered up in a useful form. But, enough with the "innocents abroad" narrative!

bufbupa 10y ago
I'm going to have to disagree with you here. I think its much more constructive to encourage potentially ignorant individuals to be inquisitive, rather than to reprimand them for not knowing something sooner. To belittle those individuals who did not have access or exposure to this information seems cynical or high-horsed. Exposing verifiable data is the first step, encouraging people to challenge their belief systems through curiosity and with the assurance that changing their mind (based on that data) is not stupid or reprehensible is the second.
JustSomeNobody 10y ago
I don't know anything about the man, but, maybe he really is that innocent. Maybe he threw himself into his career and that's ALL he focused on. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope his wide-eyed innocence helps others by making this data easily digestible.
marxidad 10y ago
Or how about this gem: “If you look at these tax deductions for employer-provided health or for state and local taxes or mortgage-interest deductions, they’re really subsidies to the affluent, which I guess I hadn’t thought about them.”

bufbupa 10y ago

I'm going to have to disagree with you here. I think its much more constructive to encourage potentially ignorant individuals to be inquisitive, rather than to reprimand them for not knowing something sooner. To belittle those individuals who did not have access or exposure to this information seems cynical or high-horsed. Exposing verifiable data is the first step, encouraging people to challenge their belief systems through curiosity and with the assurance that changing their mind (based on that data) is not stupid or reprehensible is the second.

JustSomeNobody 10y ago

I don't know anything about the man, but, maybe he really is that innocent. Maybe he threw himself into his career and that's ALL he focused on. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope his wide-eyed innocence helps others by making this data easily digestible.

marxidad 10y ago

Or how about this gem: “If you look at these tax deductions for employer-provided health or for state and local taxes or mortgage-interest deductions, they’re really subsidies to the affluent, which I guess I hadn’t thought about them.”