] The AFV would allow each individual to contribute a
] refundable tax credit of approximately $100 to a creative
] worker of their choice, or to an intermediary who passes
] funds along to creative workers. Recipients of the AFV
] (creative workers and intermediaries) would be required
] to register with the government in the same way that
] religious or charitable organizations must now register
] for tax-exempt status. This registration is only for the
] purpose of preventing fraud - it does not involve any
] evaluation of the quality of the work being produced.

This idea has come up before, but this is the most serious proposal I've seen. Replace copyright with a federal voucher system. I don't think its fair to say that this is less "capitalist" then the existing system. In one case the government forces you to pay for art by making it illegal to copy it. In the other case the government forces you to pay for art more directly. In either case the government is creating an unnatural economy.

The best criticism I've heard of this is that it might put the government in a position to claim that they can regulate who is allowed to participate on a content basis. That cannot be allowed. I think that problem can be resolved by placing very strong first amendment based restrictions on the government's acceptance of artists into the system, but this will remain a risk with such an enterprise into the future. There will probably need to be watchdog organizations that sue when legislatures attempt to deny access.

The real question is, how will the artists people choose to fund differ from the artists people choose to buy CDs from, and what is the significance of any difference. The best way to figure that out is to do a long term study implementing this system in a college campus. Of course, you'll have to get the recording industry's permission to do it, and there is no way in hell that they would allow it.

Another troublesome question is that by tying support for the arts to tax payers, the mean age of art consumers moves from about 20 to about 40. That will probably have bad results. Young people simply won't have the power in the system that they need to support the arts they enjoy.