How I’m going to spend Obama’s tax cut
I’ll share upfront, I like Barack Obama. I like the way he talks in front of an audience, his ability to motivate and inspire. I like his, “yes, we can!” and the whole hope thing. I tend not to trust politicians, Barack is a politician, but that doesn’t mean I can’t respect his delivery, his skills as a rhetorician. It doesn’t mean I can’t be inspired.
Having said that, I’ve decided what to do with my tax cut, the $13 a week everyone making under $75,000 will be allowed to keep come April; I’m going to give it away. I’m going to pay for services I can get for free. The money will go in small increments to people that make my life better with their services, but don’t send a bill: freeware programmers and musicians, politicians and bloggers, podcasters and non-profit radio stations.
I’ve always been inclined towards the Fair Tax, smaller government, and a free (as possible) market. Obama appears to be anything but a fiscal conservative, but isn’t his lower income tax an opportunity for advocates of smaller government? It’s a common stance among conservatives that government-run social programs weaken the ability to support other worthy organizations by choice. Isn’t this their chance, our chance?
It’s only $52-$65 a month, giving it away certainly doesn’t make me a generous person, but what if the idea caught on? What if the millions of people who benefit from non-profit organizations and creative individuals began to give a dollar here and there online? One can drop a few bucks in a matter of seconds with Paypal.
As the lower and upper classes separate, as greater amounts of money go to a smaller number of corporations and individuals, the health of the free-market worsens, the harder it becomes to defend capitalist ideology with open eyes. In its weakened state, it is irresponsible to assume the market will reward creativity and ingenuity. Those in power reward, or suppress, based on benefits reciprocated. For their own well-being, all responsible Americans should support the creativity and ingenuity they benefit from, before they can’t afford to.
My donations are idealistic, trust me, I know, and I may not be able to keep it going for long. But for now, let me hope. Let me believe Barack Obama is as genuine as he appears and that things really can change.
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Soft Shape Software (I’ve used an alarm clock program they made for years to wake up to music and never bought the full version.)
Circa Survive (I’ve legally downloaded their MP3’s for free. I doubt they’ve seen money from the deal.)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Give D.C. a vote in Congress already)
Mozilla (Firefox and Thunderbird)
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I think this is a fantastic idea!
But, I’d like to add that larger, traditional charities often fare very poorly in tough economic times….when they are, ironically, needed most.
Why not poke around the Charity Navigator site to find an effective charity that probably needs support?
I also think it’s a fantastic idea. Les, my heart goes out to you, and if you’re in NYC, I will buy you dinner. But as an Obama-voting fiscal conservative as well, I do see more exciting potential in supporting plucky creative endeavors of the sort Tyler mentions. If they are not supported, if they can’t afford to continue developing new ideas, we will all lose out.
We choose charities and causes to donate to and to engage in depending on our own priorities and baggage. Some people donate a lot to cancer or AIDS research, because it’s personal to them. I donate what I can to Kiva, because I’m thrilled by the idea of microloans to tiny but spirited entrepreneurs who are trying to get something done in the most backward countries in the world, under the most impossible conditions, and all they’re asking for is a few bucks, which they do pay back.
In the end, it’s all personal. Always.