What better way to make the comfortably off resentful of taxes which benefit only the rest of the community in which they play no part and have no links.
I can see the benefit of supporting old folks clubs, charities, kiddie play groups and all the other things I personally have no use for. I am happy (up to a point) to contribute.
I also expect my community to devote some effort to the provision of things I want, but may interest other groups far less - eg: robust planning laws to inhibit indiscriminate development, prioritise quality not volume of service provision, cut the verges etc etc.
A community is about more than just small segments of society - it is about a cohesive whole. A gastropub provides jobs, opportunity, feeds aspirations as well as stomachs. It is a part of an integrated community which (perhaps) without support would fail.
The community and all in it may be worse off as a result. Fairness is not just about supporting the needy at the expense of the better off.
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