Ballot Issue 1B: Vote “no” and donate $43
October 21st, 2008 | by Brian |The Big Charity lobby for government-funded charities is at it again. They want to use the political process as a fundraising mechanism. This time it’s an article in the Boulder Daily Camera. All but one of the authors and co-signers represent organizations that have received thousands of dollars in tax revenue from the “Worthy Cause” tax they support.
Again they use shallow logic: They regard some non-profits as advancing a good cause (which I do not dispute), therefore it’s OK for government to force everyone to fund it. Something’s missing here. Namely, respect, tolerance and property rights. Who are these people to tell Boulder County Citizens what causes are worthy, and to make it a crime for them not to donate to it?
Supporters of the tax claim that the non-profits couldn’t raise the money without it. But what if, instead of voting for 1B, the majority required to approve it donated their own money?
This year’s Boulder County Budget includes $3.5 million in the “Worthy Cause Fund.” Assuming the same voter turnout as the 2004 election, 1B needs about 80,000 votes to pass. That’s a $43 donation per “Yes” vote. And it’s tax-deductible, so it’s more like $30.
Are we so two-faced in the voting booth? Would a majority vote to force others to donate to charities that they wouldn’t support themselves? Is that the Boulder County you want?
To donate to these charities on your own, I’ve made it easy. Click here. It lists the special interests who are funding the Ballot Issue 1B campaign. As I’ve mentioned, they just happen to be the ones who have received the tax revenue. So for them it’s an investment. (See, “investment” = tax, just as politicians say.) Anyway, the page contains a dozen links to donation pages for these organizations.
tags: Boulder County Ballot Issue 1B, politics, Worthy Cause Tax
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