Charity? More like pickpocketing!

Charity is supposed to be voluntary giving, where you choose a cause and give some of your cash towards it. At least that used to be the definition of charity in the old days before the government decided which causes your cash was going towards...
Telegraph.

A mandatory “charity” plastic bag charge which comes into force next year will rake in millions of pounds in tax for the Treasury, Telegraph discloses
Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, unveiled Government plans to charge 5p for plastic bags from October 2015 at September’s party conference.
He justified the new plastic bag charge next year by saying it will raise money for charity and stop damage to the environment.
However ministers have now admitted that the charge will raise millions of pounds a year in VAT for the Treasury.
Dan Rogerson, the environment minister, told MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee that he expected the charge to raise £95million a year, only £70million of which will go to “charitable causes”.

Now I suspect that many people might just start taking their own bags to supermarkets, although there will be times when it isn't possible. That said giving the government £25 million in VAT because the boy Clegg wants to be a poster boy for the environment strikes me as a step too far in the usual ill thought out government scheme. Nor do I like the idea that the government deciding where the rest is to go on 'charitable' causes, mostly because their idea of a charitable cause isn't mine. They are quite likely to spunk it away to enviroloon causes and global warming prevention rather than somewhere where it might actually do some good.
Essentially we are in the realms of fake charities here where groups suckle at the governments teats for funding, some of it to do with lobbying the government to do what the government wants to do anyway, but making it appear like its a popular decision by 'the people.' You can normally spot them by the name, although some long established so called charities have gone down this route too where they are doing very well (paid directorships etc) from supposedly doing good, although a quick check of the accounts will tell you the majority of the funding goes on wages and lobbying, rather than charitable works.
This in essence is why charitable giving by many members of the public is tailing off simply because the bloody government is giving away our taxes direct from out pockets and deciding who gets our cash, rather than us deciding who if what gets it.
Unfortunately whilst we have morons like our current crop of politicians who believe they know best who should get their ill gotten gains, this will continue... at least until we hang them all.