Why do those who have so much give so little?

In the election cycle, we’ve heard a lot about the top 1 percent of Americans having more money than the bottom 90 percent in the United States. In fact, one candidate keeps telling us that the top 0.1 percent gets more new income than the bottom 90 percent.

You may or may not have heard much about that candidate in the mainstream media because his name isn’t Hillary Trump. Then again, he has seemed a little bit crazy since he got back from riding around in that flying DeLorean with Michael J. Fox.

But I’m not going to dive into the income inequality issue in America. I’m writing this by a hotel pool, and the sign clearly reads “NO DIVING.”

Therefore, I’ll gently wade into a completely different issue — that of the wealthiest 20 percent of Americans and the poorest 20 percent of Americans. Naturally, one of those groups is more capable of generosity and giving to charity than the other.

And it’s the poorest 20 percent — which, of course, is just another example of how cushy the poor have it in America, just handing away 3.2 percent of their income to bleeding-heart charities in between bites of lobster they bought with their food stamps.

Meanwhile, our struggling wealthy can barely afford to part with 1.3 percent of their income for charity what with the new fees at the country club, the costs of today’s Mercedes and maids wanting a living wage — not to mention those Panama Papers coming out.

The fact is, however, that the wealthy give away an awful lot of money in total, if not in percentage. They get their names on college buildings, roadways and stadiums.

Another fact is that there are exceptions to the rule. Fox News likes to trot out the fella who purchased lobster with food stamps as the rule when he’s really the exception.

But there are positive exceptions, too. We all know folks in the Columbus area who’ve given away a ton of money, and I can’t peek into their bank accounts (in Georgia or in the Cayman Islands) to see if they give a handsome percentage, but I suspect it’s higher than 1.3 percent. I know there’s one fella in Columbus we used to call “Mr. Anonymous” because he’d be the saving grace for all kinds of fundraising campaigns without wanting credit. There’s something to be said for charity for charity’s sake.

And, yes, there are some moochers in the bottom 20 percent. But if you get out and about around the 20 percent instead of just hearing about them on the radio or TV, you begin to understand that the vast, vast majority of the bottom 20 percent are working their tails off and don’t want you to have to redistribute your income and settle for a mere 5,000-square-foot shack instead of your current 8,000-square-foot simple cottage. They just want a fair shake so that they don’t have to work two jobs and still get public assistance.

Last year I spent two different weeks in a very poor area of Nicaragua. They dream of cracking the bottom 2 percent. Yet, they’re some of the most generous people in spirit I’ve ever met — not to mention friendliest. I guess those kind of go hand-in-hand.

I guess real charity isn’t about numbers or 20 percent or 99 percent or 1 percent. It’s about whether or not you’ve got a heart. And if karma were real, the bottom 20 percent would get a little more for what they give in this country.

And a few more limos would get flat tires on the way to the meet-and-greet with the bought-and-paid-for congressman.

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 9:47 PM with the headline "Why do those who have so much give so little?."