SocraticGadfly: I stopped the presidential campaign tax donation

March 16, 2013

I stopped the presidential campaign tax donation

You all probably know the one I'm talking about.

That little check box at top right of your federal income tax return where you can contribute up to $3 of your taxes to the federally-financed presidential re-election campaign fund.

Ever since Barack Obama escalated opting out of the system to a new level in 2008, and doing an ethnically dubious head fake on John McCain in the process, I've become less enamored of it.

The 2012 election, even setting aside Citizens United, raised those feelings even higher.

And, since things like the Federal Election Commission are stacked and biased in favor of the two major parties, why should I help something that Democrats as well as Republicans abuse, and that will never, ever, under current structure, help Greens.

Fuhgeddaboudit.

This year, for the first time since I became an even halfway liberal adult, I refused to check the box. And will continue to not check it in the future.

But, I'll still vote for third-party options, and tout them, whenever and wherever I can.

If nothing else, just to be a pain in the ass to the bipartisan political establishment.

That, too, is part of my First Amendment right.

For now, at least.

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