I've always thought that taxpayers should have a lot more say-so in how our tax money gets spent. We get to decide who spends it, why can't we tell them how much to spend on what?

We definitely should be able to stipulate how much of our tax money we will allow to be spent on defense right on our tax forms (just like we get to say whether or not we want a few bucks to go to the presidential election fund). Total pacifists should be able to say that they don't want any of their money spent on defense. I would tell them they can have 20%. My brother-in-law the retired Air Force Colonel would probably say 100% (and probably cough up more if asked).

Then, as the taxes roll in, the IRS would key in how much of each return goes to defense spending and, when all the taxes are in, voila! The ceiling for the defense budget for that year is written in stone. Congress wouldn't have to fight and bicker over how much to appropriate for defense because the taxpayers would have already done it for them. President's wouldn't be able to start costly wars and then steal the money to finance them from other projects.

Bruce