Citizens for a worthy cause sent out a glossy mailing this past week, encouraging voters to approve Boulder County 1B. 1B will continue an existing sales tax and allow county commissioners to distribute our tax dollars to the charities of their choice. While some of the beneficiaries of this tax may do good things, that it is very bad policy to tax citizens to accomplish that goal. Charitable contributions should be voluntary not mandatory by government. This is just another example of someone in government thinking that they know better how to distribute a citizen’s charitable contributions.

And who are these Citizens for a Worthy Cause?

Contributor

Amount

ATTENTION, INC.

$1,000.00

BOULDER COUNTY ADVOCATES FOR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING

$1,000.00

BOULDER DAY NURSERY ASSOCIATION

$5,000.00

BOULDER VALLEY WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER

$5,000.00

CENTER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

$2,000.00

CLINICA CAMPESINA

$15,000.00

COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE, INC.

$2,500.00

EMERGENCY FAMILY ASSISTANCE ASSOC, INC.

$2,500.00

IMMIGRANT LEGAL CENTER OF BOULDER COUNTY

$500.00

INTERCAMBIO DE COMUNIDADES

$250.00

SAFE SHELTER OF ST. VRAIN VALLEY

$1,000.00

SALUD FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS

$6,000.00

SPECIAL TRANSIT

$10,000.00

VOLUNTEER CONNECTION

$600.00

YWCA

$2,000.00

So there we have it, not a single citizen has contributed to Citizens for a Worthy Cause. While it is necessary for charities to incur fund raising expenses, it is wrong to masquerade as “citizens” to force taxpayers to contribute. I would encourage citizens to be charitable, but I would ask voters to vote against 1B as I think most of us know better how and where to make our charitable contributions.

Citizens for a worthy cause sent out a glossy mailing this past week, encouraging voters to approve Boulder County 1B. 1B will continue an existing sales tax and allow county commissioners to distribute our tax dollars to the charities of their choice. While some of the beneficiaries of this tax may do good things, that it is very bad policy to tax citizens to accomplish that goal. Charitable contributions should be voluntary not mandatory by government. This is just another example of someone in government thinking that they know better how to distribute a citizen’s charitable contributions.

And who are these Citizens for a Worthy Cause?

Contributor

Amount

ATTENTION, INC.

$1,000.00

BOULDER COUNTY ADVOCATES FOR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING

$1,000.00

BOULDER DAY NURSERY ASSOCIATION

$5,000.00

BOULDER VALLEY WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER

$5,000.00

CENTER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

$2,000.00

CLINICA CAMPESINA

$15,000.00

COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE, INC.

$2,500.00

EMERGENCY FAMILY ASSISTANCE ASSOC, INC.

$2,500.00

IMMIGRANT LEGAL CENTER OF BOULDER COUNTY

$500.00

INTERCAMBIO DE COMUNIDADES

$250.00

SAFE SHELTER OF ST. VRAIN VALLEY

$1,000.00

SALUD FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS

$6,000.00

SPECIAL TRANSIT

$10,000.00

VOLUNTEER CONNECTION

$600.00

YWCA

$2,000.00

So there we have it, not a single citizen has contributed to Citizens for a Worthy Cause. While it is necessary for charities to incur fund raising expenses, it is wrong to masquerade as “citizens” to force taxpayers to contribute. I would encourage citizens to be charitable, but I would ask voters to vote against 1B as I think most of us know better how and where to make our charitable contributions.