Editorial of August 14, 2025
How Would You Allocate Your Taxes?
Charitable organizations here in Otsego County and surrounds survive, and very often thrive, because people choose to donate time, treasure and talent—sometimes all three—in support of the things most important to them.
Monetary donors are spending their hard-earned cash essentially subsidizing the work of others. Patrons of the arts donate to the gallery, orchestra or theater group that best represents them and/or their interests. Animal lovers send checks to the nearest animal shelter or rescue, sometimes all of them, because they support the work of those organizations. Proponents of education and scholarship pledge funds annually to the institutions that, again, best represent them and/or their interests. History buffs transfer funds electronically to their favorite museums. And so on.
Some folks can afford to donate more than others. Those are your “Platinum Patrons” and your “Diamond Sponsors.” Some people can’t really afford to give, or can spare only a little, but are so invested in the mission that they donate every year regardless, because they are “Friends” and “Supporters.” And in between, often dictated by income, lie the rest of these financers of various programs, projects and plans.
Wouldn’t it be great if we, as taxpayers, could, in much the same fashion, allocate some portion of our tax dollars to the things that matter to us most? And to the things that most directly affect us?
Think about it. What if there was some sort of “Top 10” list that we could choose from, or assign percentages of our tax dollars to, come April? Government. Education. Transportation. Environment. Health. Military. Scientific research. You get the idea. Programs prioritized by us. And what if we could drill down a bit further, based on geography and/or project specifics? “Restricted” funds, if you will.
An interesting concept, and one we should all be considering these days as our political divides continue to grow. Along with the Republican trifecta in the 2024 election—winning the presidency, the House and the Senate—have come a host of political hijinks on both sides of the aisle which, incidentally, come at a cost. Our cost.
Although perhaps not feasible in real life, shouldn’t we at least examine what we’re getting for our collective tax dollars—our “donation”—and quantify how it all lines up with our own priorities? If we are subsidizing these activities, are we getting the deliverables we expect and deserve? Is our money being used wisely, or is it being thrown away?
Everyone has their favorite bone to pick with our elected officials when it comes to both time and treasure. For some, it’s the $30 million military parade. For others, it’s the elected officials in Texas delaying a vote by hiding out in other states. You may believe that funds allocated to expand ICE operations is not money well spent; I may call samesies on the multiple visits by elected officials to visit Kilmar Ábrego Garcia.
Are all of us really footing these bills? Yes. Do we necessarily want to? No. This is where the paths for donors to charitable organizations and U.S. taxpayers diverge. As donors, we would have the choice to continue our support of things for which we are in favor and are priorities in our own lives. We would also have the choice to withdraw that support, if we don’t like where things are going. Being taxpayers, though, our hands are somewhat tied.
We elect officials to represent our ideals, our goals, our best interests; to be our political proxy and to ensure the responsible use of our money. And yet, we have little recourse if we do not agree with how our money is being spent and must continue to subsidize what we may see as throwing good money after bad.
Yes, it’s important that our elected representatives reflect our politics and policies. But it is equally important that they behave as responsible stewards of our hard-earned tax dollars. To that end, we should make it a point to find out where our money is going and what it’s being used for. Watch some Congressional hearings. Do a little research of your own instead of believing everything the media is telling you. Then ask yourself: “Given the choice, would I donate to this?” The results may surprise you, and not in a good way.
We can’t choose where our tax dollars are spent. But come election time, we can choose our representation. With a U.S. budget deficit of about $1.8 trillion in 2024, isn’t it time we start making sure our elected officials are being mindful of our money as well as our ideologies?
