elehhhhna & jody collaboration. United Way et al allows contributors to designate specific charities

[jody]

for their donations.

We should allow taxpayers to designate specific government funded programs for which their taxes will NOT BE USED.

There might be enough taxes to fund abortions but fighting unjustified wars might go unfunded.

Source DU thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6081642&mesg_id=6081642

[elehhhhna]

1. k&r

[Occam Bandage]

2. That doesn't really make any sense. I mean, it's not like that money actually ever exists.

It's not like there's a physical dollar changing hands; it's numbers on a spreadsheet. I don't see a way to determine where "your tax dollars" go, because it doesn't really work that way. Moreover, money is the most fungible asset on Earth; what would it mean to say "my taxes won't be used for that?" Is it like, "a person can choose to defund $0.70 from Head Start if they don't think it's worthy of their money?"

[jody]

3. Agree with your arguments but it allows the donor/taxpayer to claim their dollars did not go to a

specific charity or program.