MercuryNews.com | 03/30/2005 | Cut 55,000 pages of tax rules and watch the economy soar

MercuryNews.com | 03/30/2005 | Cut 55,000 pages of tax rules and watch the economy soar:
snip snip"Critics argue that ending the income tax, with its deductibility of charitable contributions, would depress giving. Linder says: Piffle. In 1980, when the top personal income-tax rate was 70 percent, a huge incentive for giving, individual charitable contributions were $40.7 billion. In 1986, the top rate was reduced to 28 percent, and by 1988 charitable giving was $86.7 billion. The lesson, says Linder, is that we give more money when we have more money."