Conservatives shun this argument because they object to the idea that a tax subsidy is the equivalent of government spending. To assert this, they contend, is to fall prey to the fallacy that all money belongs to the government to start with. This silly rhetorical point is causing Republicans to pass up their best argument against the NEA. If the government gives you a discount on your tax bill to encourage you to use your money a certain way, it is providing a subsidy indirectly, but with no less an impact on its balance sheets than if it cuts a check. Indeed, open-ended tax subsidies tend to be more expensive than direct spending.