Photo: Getty

America is facing a crisis: some of our most beautiful public spaces are being defaced by the “tags” of selfish, narcissistic individuals. Most of them are billionaires.

Today, another lamentable ego-driven act of vanity: Ronald Perelman, the dealmaker whose net worth is more than $12 billion, is donating $75 million to the construction of a performing arts center at the former site of the World Trade Center. Some might object that that is enough money to save 25,000 human beings from death by malaria, which may have been a better use of the charitable funds. But they forget that this sparkling new performing arts center will be a place where rich and poor alike can go to hear, say, the opera, as long as they can both buy tickets.

The Times notes that “In recognition of his gift, the new theater complex, which will sit on one of the most emotionally resonant and most visited spots in the city, will be named for Mr. Perelman.” Perelman has previously paid to have things named after himself at NYU, Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania, among other places. Neither young nor old affluent people shall be able to escape the omnipresence of Ronald Perelman’s name!

Perelman is also a Republican political donor and the owner of a $4 billion art collection.

One of the best arguments for taxing away the wealth of billionaires is the way they choose to spend it when left to their own devices.