Sumitra Shah wrote ("prays"): "In the meantime, I will continue to listen and hope James will some day realize what a positive role public funding can play in making us a better society!" A correction: I appreciate the positive role of public funding for public goods, properly so defined. That is, goods characterized by joint-consumption and difficulty of excluding from their consumption those who would not pay for them -- potential free-riders. Thus, national defense, the police service, the administration of justice, or a stable financial environment qualify. It is to the introduction of activities that properly belong in the private domain of funding, such as childcare and eldercare, Sumitra advocates, that I do not think promote "a better society." These take away from personal responsibility and the efficient utilization of the funds diverted from income earners to them. I said as much in my previous post. James Ahiakpor