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Common Sense

Party Pooper

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Wouldn’t it be nice if when you paid your income tax, you could send the money to the programs or projects you thought most important? Here’s one I bet wouldn’t get too many people checking the box: funding the decadent shindigs that we still for some reason call “political conventions.”

This year, Republicans partying in Philadelphia and Democrats celebrating in L.A. will churn through some 26 million of our tax dollars for the all-important cause of hoopla. The Reform Party will get a few million dollars as well. Yes, we taxpayers are buying balloons, confetti, fancy hors d’oeuvres, liquor and entertainment so the political elite can have a swell time. Somehow having my tax dollars given away to fund party favors for politicians just doesn’t warm my heart the way making a donation to a local charity does.

Some will say, “Oh, it’s only a trifling $26 million smackers. What’s the big deal? In a $1.8 trillion budget, that’s nothing.” But you know, a million here and a million there and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.

To take the fruit of someone’s labor away from them is bad enough. But to take it away to fund extravagant parties for a special elite group is a special insult added to injury. My Mother used to say, “Don’t be a party pooper.” Well, sorry Ma, I really don’t have anything against someone having a party; it’s just that when I’m paying the bills, I’m cheap.

At least, cheaper than politicians.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

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