<x-flowed>         One very simple thing that's been left out of this rather high-flown debate is the way the check-off box appears.  It doesn't give people a choice:  check box 1 if you want $3 to go to finance all presidential candidates; check box 2 if you want $0 to go to finance all presidential candidates; if you don't check a box, $1.50 will be directed to all presidential candidates.  That, or some other explicit set of choices, would be a better gauge of opinion than for the list to assume that the default of ignoring the check-off indicates opposition to any funding.
        Personally, I almost failed to check off anything this year because I only noticed the question when I was copying my return, after hours of dealing with forms and worksheets.
        I'd also favor including a page in the 1040 instructions, similar to pages in voter instructions for initiatives in California, with arguments on each side of the check-off debate, with a clear reference to the page on the 1040 form.  I volunteer Brad and Trevor to write the arguments on each side and suggest that they have enough clout to make this a public issue.
Morgan


Prof. of History and Social Science, Caltech
snail mail:  228-77 Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125-7700
phone 626-395-4080, fax 626-405-9841
home page:  <http://www.hss.caltech.edu/~kousser/Kousser.html>
to order Colorblind Injustice:  <http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/T-388.html>
"Peace if possible, Justice at any rate" -- Wendell Phillips



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