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According to Joseph S. Harrington (Voice, Oct. 28), it is hopeless to expect “individuals to increase charitable giving to compensate for cutbacks in federal social programs.”
I believe most of us are rather more generous than he allows, but even supposing he is right, there is an obvious solution:
Let charitable contributions be deducted dollar for dollar from taxes owed. Example: You end the year owing the government $7,000. You will satisfy this by sending the IRS your check for $5,000 plus the Salvation Army’s receipt for a $2,000 donation.
To be sure, there would have to be a limit, or too many of us would give it all to charity and leave nothing for the government, and the Salvation Army would be the richest outfit on the planet.
