Subject:
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Re: Misperceptions of America (Was: Conversation w/ a LEGO Rep)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 27 Aug 1999 14:05:56 GMT
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Viewed:
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2251 times
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<FH388n.5F4@lugnet.com> <37C5D07F.B4AB98C3@voyager.net> <FH3z48.893@lugnet.com>
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Simon Robinson wrote:
>
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
>
> > If you say that people don't give enough to private charity, consider
> > whether they would give more, or less, than they do now if they paid
> > less in taxes to fund things involuntarily.
> >
> > I say people are good and they would give more if they had more.
>
> That's not sufficient. For your point to be valid, people would not only
> have to give more, but would have to give at least as much more
> as charities get from taxes.
What if the voluntarily given money is more efficiently used? What if
the donors also donate time in addition to their money?
> Incidently one of the arguments in the UK (and I don't see why
> it shouldn't be equally valid in the US) against schools relying too much
> on voluntary donations from parents is that schools in wealthy areas
> get much more that way than schools from poor areas (because
> poor parents can't afford to give much). If it's done
> through public funding then the money gets distributed more evenly.
Do I hear a smoke alarm? The point is that if "society" truly values
equal opportunity of education for all (and I do suspect that it does -
to a point), then the contributions WILL be made by people in wealthier
districts to the schools in poorer districts (plus the wealthier schools
will probably recruit people from the poorer districts).
In case you want an example of how this might work, look at the U.S.
private college system. Why do so many foreigners come to our colleges
if a free market isn't a good way to guarantee good education?
> > If you say they would not, you are denying that people are basically
> > good and kind and honest. Therefore you are not life affirming. ;-)
>
> Ha ha! But seriously, there are many ways that people can be life affirming
> - so your point doesn't really follow. How much people give to charity
> depends on many factors - including how good the charities are at publicity.
In a free market, the charities which support valued goals will get
plenty of money. In fact it is likely that a "good" charities publicity
expenses would decline as people line up to give money.
--
Frank Filz
-----------------------------
Work: mailto:ffilz@us.ibm.com
Home: mailto:ffilz@mindspring.com
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