Federal Tax Dollars and Abortions

HR 358 : Alternately called the 'Protect Life Act' and the 'Let Women Die Act' raises an interesting question. Can US citizens dictate directly where their tax dollars are spent. The bill attempts to legislate that federal tax dollars can not be used for abortions and related services.

Is this direct citizen control of how the federal budget is spent ? If so, why can't I say that I don't want my tax dollars used in Afghanistan (which I don't) or that I don't want my tax dollar spent on roads in Texas, I want them to go to New Hampshire roads.'

Either our elected officials are going to do what is right or not. We can lobby them with our opinions and hopefully influence them a little in our direction, but in the end they have to vote their conscience. That's why they are there ( next blog post ). A piecemeal approach to federal spending on the public's individual priorities will create a level of bureaucracy unparalleled in human history. The cost of government would drastically increase ( way to solve the unemployment problem ) and private sector costs would increase attempting to ensure they spend said federal dollars on only the approved projects. In effect it would be a mess.

This entire idea is a formula for trouble. Fortunately, HR 358 did not become law. The precedent could have been catastrophic.