More important legislation this week...tax return checkoff

Is this what the state constitution intended for us to do? Currently, when you file your state taxes on April 15th every year, you can forfeit some of your refund to the military relief fund, children's trust fund or children of veterans tuition grant program. Great programs, no doubt. But is it appropriate to use the state income tax return as the vehicle for charitable donations?

Here is what it is leading to: Today we passed a bill in the House to create a checkoff for contributions for breast cancer research. Tomorrow, we will likely pass bills to create a checkoff for prostate cancer research and an animal welfare fund. Where will it all end? What about Alzheimer's, stroke, heart attack, etc? How about protecting the environment? Those are good causes, too. Aren't they?

We are slowly turning the state into a collection agency for good charitable causes. And don't you think there may be an expense in administering all this? Someone has to allot the funds, make the transfers, record the transaction. Who pays for that? Oh, you already know...

But, these are good causes. Who could vote no? Well, I did, along with two colleagues. Of course, now we have exposed ourselves as being uncompassionate and uncaring.