Hacker News Reader

There are alternatives to taxation. With enough attention and disposable income, citizens can privately fund amazing things. Like the polio vaccine was.

Alternatives: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_non-profit_space_age...

View on HN

Regardless of what funding mechanism you would prefer in its place, turning off the existing system with no transition plan is a huge mistake.

You mean the polio vaccine distributed by the World Health Organization, and developed with the assistance of the New York Public Health Department?

The Jonas Salk research and development of the first polio vaccine that saved many lives is what I am referring to. See quote and article below.

>There was very little government funding for any kind of biomedical research. The polio research was privately funded through the March of Dimes,” explained Randy Juhl, Dean Emeritus and Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the School of Pharmacy.

https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/pittwire/features-articles/ann...

The same March of Dimes that was founded by Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he was President? Technically the money didn't come from government coffers, but it's very silly (and incorrect) to suggest that the effort was independent of the government.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com