[oldalum]

5) If you want to end the tax-exemption status for billion-dollar-endowment universities like Stanford because it's asinine, then well sure, that could make sense.

Sure it doesn't seem like organizations like Stanford "need" (as defined by as much as others need it) the extra money gained by the tax exemption, but some counterarguments immediately come to mind. First, the practical one of where you draw the line separating rich non-tax-exempt universities from the non-rich tax-exempt ones. Second, as a matter of policy do we really want to penalize the charitable organizations that are the most successful in soliciting donations? Their success in accomplishing their charitable purposes is probably related to their success in soliciting donations.

[oldalum]

5) If you want to end the tax-exemption status for billion-dollar-endowment universities like Stanford because it's asinine, then well sure, that could make sense.

Sure it doesn't seem like organizations like Stanford "need" (as defined by as much as others need it) the extra money gained by the tax exemption, but some counterarguments immediately come to mind. First, the practical one of where you draw the line separating rich non-tax-exempt universities from the non-rich tax-exempt ones. Second, as a matter of policy do we really want to penalize the charitable organizations that are the most successful in soliciting donations? Their success in accomplishing their charitable purposes is probably related to their success in soliciting donations.