# funny money **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 29, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-money/215884 "2003-11-29T07:46:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bronto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@bronto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bronto)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-money/215884/1 "2003-11-29T07:46:09Z")
[Cecil’s column on gasohol](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/031128.html) contains this peculiar statement: ``It’s estimated that the excise exemption alone costs U.S. taxpayers as much as $1.4 billion per year.’’ Surely the distinctive thing about a tax exemption is that it does _not_ cost the taxpayers. Yes, we all know what he really means: that whenever one taxpayer is relieved of a burden, it must be imposed on someone else. That would make sense if spending were fixed. If only it were! But whenever there’s a new dollar of revenue, legislators seem to think they’re slacking if they don’t find ways to spend _at least_ another dollar and a quarter. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-money/215884/2 "2003-11-29T16:03:59Z")
Some of us recall the discussions during the elections of 2000, about how to “spend” the “surplus.” Hah.