[CT Birds] Bird seed tax

[Mntncougar at aol.com]

I try very hard to stay out of this  type of discussion, but I can't remain 
silent on this one.   If I ever  heard a bad idea its a govenmentally imposed 
Bird Seed Tax.  Anyone who has  ever paid 10 minutes of attention to the 
subject  of government and targeted taxes at either the state or federal level knows 
that  95% of the money would be gone in bureaucratic overhead before any of 
it ever  got to the intended recipients.  Then at the first opportunity the 
legislators would find a way to steer the  remainder to their pet projects, which 
most likely have nothing to do with  anything anyone on this list would want. 
 
I make considerable contributions to several organizations that  I believe 
have the muscle and direction to address such issues (if anyone does)  and I'm 
sure many on this list do the same, perhaps far more generously than  I.  The 
organizations certainly have their own overhead, but at least 100%  of the 
money gets to them.  I know not everyone that feeds the birds makes  such 
contributions, but I suspect many do, and I don't feel the "little old  lady" in 
senior housing that struggles to spend 50 or 100$ a year to feed her  feathered 
friends for their mutual enjoyment should be forced to dish out some  additional 
sum that would most likely go down the toilet.  I generally  respond to 
special purpose requests from the organizations I know and trust, and  I certainly 
would in this case.  I suspect the difference in overhead would  more than make 
up for the difference in contirbutions.
Sorry if I have gotten overly passionate on this subject, but I  consider 
taxes of any type a last resort, and particularly for a cause that the  general 
public would consider non-essential if they considered it at  all.   Almost 
inevitably it becomes an additional burden with no  pay-back.
 
Don Morgan
Coventry



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