You might be fine with your tax dollars being spent on certain social causes, but taxation involves *everybody*, not just oneself.
The truly compassionate thing to do would be to remove the government bureaucracy from charity and make it purely voluntary. That way, citizens could contribute of their own free will to charities they deem most effective and efficient.
Believe me, if I knew a way to get back to a time when communities pulled together to help each other, I'd be the first to lead the charge. There are a lot of good people out there (and here on this site), that keep the spirit of 'community' alive, so maybe there's hope yet. I have a lot of issues with where my tax money goes, as well, and wish the govt. would be a civil 'servant', rather than an uncivil master, but it's been the trend since 1865.
Wow. This would result in big-time chaos. I like the idea, but I doubt the contributions you'd collect would even pay for screenings, much less treatment. Or am I being too cynical? And how would the transition from tax dollars to contributions be made?