Comments on: Open Source Tax Credit

By: Mark J

Mark J — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 08:18:32 +0000

Tax credits are nothing else but an admission by the government that they’ve taken too much of your money… but they are designed so that you think that the government is doing you a favor. In this way, legislators get to use taxation as a weapon to crush the companies/sectors they don’t like, and as a reward for the companies/sectors who donate to their campaigns. We should kill the credits and the deductions (for everyone), and just reduce taxes (again, for everyone). But you’ll not likely see a Republican or a Democrat advocating this to any real extent… control of your money is what helps keep them in power.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:31:45 +0000

I haven’t made up my mind yet.

By: Robert Accettura

Robert Accettura — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 23:21:17 +0000

Well, it’s an interesting point. I do contribute open source code… why is it if it’s corporate, there’s tax credit, but if you do it for the better good… nothing.

IMHO there should be a “Government pays for what’s otherwise free” license… though I’m pretty sure that’s against the law in the US as I think Federal Regulations dictate they get same rates/licenses as commercial entities… so it’s either all or nothing.

By: David Russell

David Russell — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:18:16 +0000

This is a good idea – but a better one would be when the EU eventually decides to stop taking BS from Microsoft, and makes it pay this fine it’s been accumulating ($1.5million per DAY since the beginning of last year), it gives that money to the open source projects that Microsoft’s illegal tactics have harmed. That would be real ‘restorative justice’ in action.

By: Lloyd D Budd

Lloyd D Budd — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 02:41:57 +0000

What a tease Matt, what is your opinion?

By: Chris Meller

Chris Meller — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 21:01:10 +0000

You mean people still pay those things…? Wow…

By: Mike Purvis

Mike Purvis — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 20:20:00 +0000

I’m in agreement with the second commenter:

… It’s amazing to me how Liberals think that there is NOTHING worth doing that shouldn’t be invested with governmental oversight.

Seems like a recipe for a lot of squabbling over what exactly qualifies. (Plus a pile of subcommittees to figure it all out.)