Voluntary donations are important, which is why it's so sad to see them diminished in the US (the increase i the standard deduction makes donations taxable for

Voluntary donations are important, which is why it's so sad to see them diminished in the US (the increase i the standard deduction makes donations taxable for 80%+ of the population). Donations do have blind spots, though: They rarely go through the sort of assessment that is required for public spending. They are also susceptible to individuals' subjective motivations. I know of one charity caring for stray cats financed mostly by the estates of wealthy widows. Meanwhile, nobody donates to rehabilitation efforts of middle-aged sex offenders.