Reply #14: People are either dying with smaller estates or they're dying with big...

[AP]

...estates, but the disappearance of the Federal estate tax means that there's no need to reduce your estate tax with a gift to the church.

That's why Bush needs to have those faith based initiatives. They're buying off the churches by promising federal money to them to make up for the decrease in personal gifts that are resulting from tax-reform.

Problem is, there's no money to give them if you're getting in less tax revenue. You're borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, as it were and you're imposing a huge tax on future generations without any way to close the gap.