When paying your taxes, there should be a list of departments or projects. You could indicate a percentage of YOUR TAXES to go to each. For example 20% to Welfare, 30% to Defense, 50% to Paying off National Debt. The total of all these directives from all the taxpayers then becomes that department or project's budget for the following year. If nobody offers up any taxes for, say, Education, then that department ceases to exist.

Lazy people could indicate 100% General Fund to let the congressmen have a little slush fund.

Corporations could do the same for their taxes. That would completely eliminate lobbyists.
-- RickRantilla, Dec 01 2014

Tax_20time_20_3d_20Election_20time [pertinax, Dec 01 2014]

Adopt a tank Adopt_20a_20tank
[bungston, Dec 02 2014]

I'm pretty sure we've has this idea here before - or something very similar.
-- pertinax, Dec 01 2014


Example of a budget:

Fiscal Year 2013 Budget of the U.S. Government

The book is roughly 250 pages and costs about 17 dollars on Amazon. It is arranged by department (state, defense, agriculture ). So at least 10 to 20 votes up say 200 votes.

This book is usually followed by an addendum that contains all the changes made prior to passing.
-- popbottle, Dec 01 2014


I've fantasized this before, and I'd wager [Rick] and I are not the first. My captive breeding group of Republicans point out that this would make long range planning impossible.
-- normzone, Dec 02 2014


I visited this concept once; linked.
-- bungston, Dec 02 2014


I read this as "Federal Buffet". We have the technology to provide everyone a "basic buffet" in the form of food mailed to them.
-- sninctown, Dec 02 2014


I thought the federal buffet is what the G-men dish out to you before hauling you off to Sing-sing.
-- bungston, Dec 02 2014


I still think you need to re-write that as "our taxes" as otherwise it doesn't sound like you pay taxes.
-- not_morrison_rm, Dec 03 2014


Normzone, since supposedly the government does the will of the people, long range planning would be simply that... the current will of the people. Today the "will of the people" is constantly being changed by politicians trying to get reelected and/or what not.
-- RickRantilla, Dec 08 2014


[Rick], you got that mixed up. The government does what it will to the people.
-- normzone, Dec 08 2014


I wonder if there are rules on how your tax check is supposed to be prepared. For example, could you correctly fill out your tax form, then include a check made out to, say, the Department of Tea Appeals? Who would actually cash this check? Or would they? Or would you tax bill be considered as paid?
-- RickRantilla, Jan 27 2015


Or you could enclose a check made out to your aunt Tillie. Would Tillie cash it? Does she work for the IRS? Or would nothing happen and you would receive a fine for delinquent payment? Yes it is that last one.

But at least with the aunt Tillie check you would have plausible denial, claiming to have sent your IRS check by accident to your aunt. You could satisfy your craving to assert control over the IRS apparatus and maybe sidestep more punitive measures.

Or better: pay your tax and add on a strange fraction of a cent. What will the IRS do with that? Will they refund your fraction of a cent? Try to make their robots accept it and have it stick in their robotic craws? Will they pull their hair in frustration, weeping, and regret the day they tried to collect from you? Yes it is that last one again! So maybe go with that option rather than a check to the wrong entity.
-- bungston, Jan 28 2015



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