Our most famous Omaha native

I read an interesting article on CNN by Ben Stein.  We all remember Ben Stein, right?

Bueller... Bueller....  my favorite movie of all times (well next to Good Will Hunting)

Funny enough I have actually met Warren Buffett.  I was president of the University of Nebraska investment club... (yes, I understand this is extremely dorky), and our club was we invited to hear him speak at Berkshire Hathaway.  He was honestly one of the most people I've ever listened to.  After his speech he took everyone out to lunch at one of his favorite restaurants: Gorat's, (and of course picked up the tab).  When lunch was over he took a picture with every single person that wanted to take a picture with him... over 50 people.  You'd think if you were one of the richest people in the world that you might be a little impatient, but he seemed very happy to take pictures with everyone, almost flattered by the attention.  Then after he was all done with pictures he got in his own car, just like any other normal person, and drove away.  Cool as a cucumber. 

Here is the 18 year-old version of myself holding one of the richest men in the world's wallet. 

Here's my favorite part of Ben Stein's article.  What would our world be like if all wealthy people had this type of attitude?

What about taxes? Buffett thinks that taxes should be raised on really rich Americans -- ones making $5 million a year, say, and especially ones making $1 billion a year.

"Why would we want to do that" I ask, "if we have a fiscal policy that is explicitly about running large deficits?"'

The three of us -- Buffett, my colleague Phil deMuth,and I -- talked for a long time about the size of the deficits relative to "normal peacetime" and World War II, when they were far higher than they are even now. Then Buffett sums up his feelings about it, saying his wish to raise taxes on the very rich is really about social justice more than about fiscal policy.

"I would give anyone an exemption from the higher rates if he had a son or grandson in Afghanistan," he said. "I meet a lot of people at these conferences of rich people, of billionaires," he said. "None of them have anyone in their family in combat."