Compare Swift to activist billionaires

Response to Don Lass’s letter of Sept. 23: What has Donald Trump donated, who says he is so rich? His rallies have left some cities, unpaid.

Let’s compare multibillionaires Kennneth Griffin’s $43 billion, Charles Koch and family’s $67.5 billion to Taylor Swift’s $1.3 billion. Taylor Swift comes to town and the whole area makes money - hotels, restaurants, venues, places of interest (even museums see an uptick).

Forbes - “Taylor Swift Gives Bonuses Totaling Over $55 Million to Every Person Working on Massive Eras Tour”

AP news - Swift gave $1 million to the community foundation’s Tennessee Emergency Response Fund. A few other others Receiving major Swift donations - Houston Food Bank 2 donations, The Tarrant Area Food Bank, Fort Worth and major donations to food banks in Arizona and Tennessee and many other donations.

Swift makes sure that others who have not shopped for groceries, or gas because they have no money, are fed.

None of the following have anything in common for most citizens and being morbidly rich, makes them a celebrity, yet they outwardly use their wealth and celebrity to back the candidates of choice. If anyone has a problem with Taylor Swift - this should make them clutch their pearls and faint. Mr. Lass feels that Swift should not have the same “Freedom”.

Washington Post – Donations: Timothy Mellon Republican, Railroad magnate and heir: $165 million. Kenneth Griffin Republican, Hedge fund manager, $75.7 million; Jeff and Janine Yass, Republican, Financier and Charter School founder, $73.9 million; Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, Republican, Shipping magnate, $70.7 million; Paul Singer, Republican, Hedge fund manager and activist investor, $40.9 million; Empower Parents PAC Republican-aligned state PAC, $82.5 million; Koch Industries, Republican, Kansas-based industrial conglomerate, $43.3 million; Miriam Adelson physician, widow of businessman Sheldon Adelson, Republican, $25.4 million. I could go on.

Joseph M. Johns

Aurora