Letter to the President

Last night I had a bad bout of insomnia, and in an attempt not to go insane I wrote a quick letter to president Obama about a change in how taxes are distributed.  Check it out:

Hello Mr. President,

My name is Daniel Holder, I’m 24 years old and I am having difficulty understanding how our representative democracy operates.  I get the gist: the people come together every so often and vote for candidates to represent us, but if we the people are the government, why are we dissatisfied with it?

As quick to blame as anyone, I want to place the majority of the fault on us the voters.  ....  I would consider myself more informed than the average American, and I would give myself an F in civics at the moment: this does not bode well for the country at large.

Truth be told, I became disinterested in politics because like many voters I feel disenfranchised and ignored by those who claim to represent me.  This letter is a step toward changing this feeling, toward taking responsibility for the 6 years that I have been a voter and the many more to come.

What I believe causes citizens the most indignity is the tax structure and the use of taxpayer funds.  While there have been many suggestions to make taxes “fair,” I firmly believe that Americans would be less reluctant to pay taxes if they had greater faith in how that money was being spent.  As of now, I see two ways that citizens can choose how their tax dollars are spent: those who are tax savvy take advantage of deductions and credits, but when it is time to file taxes, the only choice I had this past January was to donate a couple of dollars to the election campaign fund.

My suggestion for a more transparent and democratic tax system is to allow citizens to choose exactly where their taxes are allocated each year.  Every company provided a subsidy or every non-profit that is given government funding would have to lobby the taxpayers, not the representatives.  I guarantee that our military would shrink, the education system would be better funded and if anyone had grievances about the distribution of tax dollars, they need only petition their neighbors.

Some arenas would be provided with a minimum balance, such as the court system and national defense, but above and beyond that, taxpayers would choose the general departments that receive their tax revenue and which do not.  Overall, the values of the country would be reflected and change would come from the ground up.

Thank you,

Daniel

I omitted a sentence that was a bit personal, but it doesn't change the overall message of the letter.  What are your thoughts?