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From: sappho@SRI-NIC.ARPA
Newsgroups: mod.politics
Subject: Re: Fixed taxes but choice among programs
Message-ID: <12233501675.16.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Sun, 24-Aug-86 22:31:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: RED.12233501675.16.MCGREW
Posted: Sun Aug 24 22:31:46 1986
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To: KFL%MX.LCS.MIT.EDU@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU

Well, that particular choice could simply be ruled out.  But then
people could do the same thing indirectly by exchanging taxes, each
giving a direct grant to the other.  You could rule out direct grants
to individuals.  But to some extent the ability to use your tax money
selectively to benefit yourself is inherent in any system which allows
you to choose where your tax money goes, even if people aren't allowed
to make up their own programs.  Another problem with having people
create their own programs would be that you could wind up, for
instance, with some people spending their tax money on military aid to
the Sandinistas while others spent theirs on military aid to the
contras.  I guess that individual programs could only be allowed if
there were restrictions.  Allowing individual groups of citizens to
give military aid to any country or terrorist organization of their
choice would not be acceptable.  (I am still only thinking of things
it is now legal for our government to do, and I am not thrilled about
the fact that our government can give any weapons it chooses to any
government or terrorist group it chooses.  So don't throw back at me
the argument that individuals have the same rights as the government.)

Lynn Gazis
sappho@sri-nic
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