November 4, 2010 11:12AM # All of Your Money Belongs to the State By [Adam B. Schaeffer](https://www.cato.org/people/adam-b-schaeffer) --- SHARE Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States [heard](http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/09-987.pdf) [arguments](https://www.cato.org/pubs/legalbriefs/ACSTOvWinn-brief.pdf) in an appeal of a 9th Circuit decision, *[Winn v Garriott](http://www.ij.org/schoolchoice/1084),* a challenge to one of Arizona’s education tax credit programs. It’s been getting more press than I’d expected, in the *[New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/us/04scotus.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1288879203-632tCfQ9sXSvpgMn7A15CQ)*, the *[Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/03/AR2010110308559.html)*, and *[USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-11-03-supreme-court-arizona-tax-credits_N.htm)*. That’s great news, because the case is far more important than just saving a program that improves education and expands educational freedom. The 9th Circuit’s reasoning arrogates to the state all property, dissolving the distinction between public and private funds as well as public and private choices. It is a disturbing, dangerous decision. They assert that tax cuts are the equivalent of government funds, a conclusion possible only if one assumes that all personal income belongs by default to the state rather than to the individual who earned the money. It asserts as well that when taxpayers and parents privately choose to support religious educational organizations, they are in violation of the First Amendment. This reasoning blatantly ignores the logic and plain meaning of the 2002 *[Zelman](http://www.ij.org/schoolchoice/1138)* decision upholding school vouchers, among others. Here is a prediction; the court will have their [absurd ruling](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11601) on an Arizona education tax credit program posted on the wall of judicial shame like so many others issued from their Circuit. But I want more from the Court. This ruling is so awful that I can only pray SCOTUS rules beyond the [questionable standing](../how-do-i-overturn-thee-let-me-count-the-ways/) of the plaintiffs and comprehensively dismembers this most egregious 9th Circuit decision. ##### Related Tags [Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).