The Constitution protects us from the establishment of religion, but not from the establishment of political parties
So, under the Federal tax check-off system, $34 million of our tax money is going to fund the Dem and GOP conventions.
Thirty-four million dollars of US taxpayer money is going to fund the Dem and GOP conventions?
That's $34,000,000--not Federal matching funds but an outright grant of my tax dollars--going to fund the f**king political conventions of two American political parties--neither one of which I belong to?
So pretty much what this boils down to is that while the Catholic Church can't get tax money from Presbyterians, Mormons, and Jews to fund itself, the Republicans and Democrats get to take tax money from Libertarians, Greens, Socialists, and Independents not to meet Federal matching fund requirements, but to pay to drop the goddamn balloons on the heads of Barack Obama and John McCain.
OK, somebody--anybody--explain to me how this is one whit more ethical than an established church.
Thirty-four million dollars of US taxpayer money is going to fund the Dem and GOP conventions?
That's $34,000,000--not Federal matching funds but an outright grant of my tax dollars--going to fund the f**king political conventions of two American political parties--neither one of which I belong to?
So pretty much what this boils down to is that while the Catholic Church can't get tax money from Presbyterians, Mormons, and Jews to fund itself, the Republicans and Democrats get to take tax money from Libertarians, Greens, Socialists, and Independents not to meet Federal matching fund requirements, but to pay to drop the goddamn balloons on the heads of Barack Obama and John McCain.
OK, somebody--anybody--explain to me how this is one whit more ethical than an established church.
Comments
OTOH, I could see how and why local governments would provide some sort of assistance for conventions given that some sort of economic boost could occur as well as putting the city in the spotlight for a few days.