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From: tim@minn-ua.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.taxes
Subject: Re: earmarking tax money
Message-ID: <584@minn-ua.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-Nov-83 20:04:03 EST
Article-I.D.: minn-ua.584
Posted: Tue Nov  1 20:04:03 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 6-Nov-83 03:34:26 EST
References: <161@hou2a.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Minn. Computer Center, Minneapolis
Lines: 31


  That is quite an idea you have there.  I can see it now, every year about
the time you fill out your taxes you will be see many commercials like:

	Hi, I'm George Patten from your defense department.  Did you ever
	consider how much money it takes to keep you safe in your beds 
	every night.  We would like to purchase the most sophisticated
	equipment to protect you, your children, and the American way of
	life.  So when it comes time to earmark that tax money that you're
	going to send in, don't forget to give some to the people who are
	making America safe: your defense department.

  Of course there would have to be a cute upbeat jingle to go with it.
  I like the idea.  I think that it would have to start as a percent of
the total amount sent in.  If we let them do it with all of their money,
I'm afraid some important programs might get ignored.  People would be too
easily swayed by emotion rather than logic.  
  Another thing to consider is that the rich would have a bigger say about
things than the poor.  If the most of the rich want a huge program of, say,
health research and don't care about the poor, the poor are going to lose
alot of welfare.  
  Perhapse the amount you get to earmark should be indepenant from the amount
you put in.  Earmarking money, or some percent of the total, is definately
a good idea.  It is much more in the sprit of a true democracy than what
we have now.  Someone aught to start a movement or something.  We could start
with some test amount.  Say the people of the U. S. get to earmark 0.5% of the
total amount of money collected in taxes.  As people show that they are 
bright enough to handle it, we could increase it slowly.

		stolaf!umn-cs!minn-ua!tim