This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Voluntary Tax
Feb
21
2008
This post was prompted by the news heard yesterday that no one won the jackpot.
There are very few optional or voluntary taxes. Most of the time, people try to avoid paying any taxes they don’t have to pay, and sometimes even taxes they do have to pay.
The lottery is a good example of a voluntary tax. People pay millions of dollars to the government and get nothing in return. That’s even worse than a normal tax, which theoretically has some direct relationship to the payer (new roads nearby, police service for the area, etc).
Governments have reduced that argument by having the lottery profits fund the schools. That also helps to sell the concept of a lottery to some of those who would oppose a lottery. I am glad to have lower property taxes in return for having other people fund the public schools. I would be happier still without a lottery or casinos, but at least I have a choice not to fund them.
“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
– I Timothy 6:10
