Darkened Hallway

Having taken the opportunity to run for office, attend many County and City Commission meetings, one thing that I can never get out of my mind is the number of people and organizations asking for tax payer money.  While campaigning, I was confronted many times by frustrated organizations asking why I would not support their organization.  The confused looks I received from them when I answered; “since when was it the government’s responsibility to support any charitable organization”.

So exactly where do we draw the line of who to support and who doesn’t get support?  Which organization deserves funding and which do not?  I will always take a stand against government support for any charity or private support groups.

 A non-profit organization should have a business plan or follow a successful business model in order to meet their goals.  I recently attended a Commission meeting where an organization asked the commissioners for money, (from the tax payers), to assist the organization to get back on their feet after their building burned to the ground and the thrift shop that financed the organization was lost.  The organization supplied food and clothing to the needy of a local community and was a daily food source for many.  The Commission turned them down and I agreed with the Commission.  The organization did not have a business plan for a catastrophic event and the reliance of prayer to rebuild an organizational facility did not reflect a strong business model.

At the same meeting, another organization pleaded for money from the commission and asked for additional support above and beyond what they had already received.  So where do we draw the line?  So how do you feel about having to pay your taxes, (by threat of force), and have it given to someone or an organization without your voice of approval?  The government already has numerous safety nets for the people, but yet the people want more.  How much is enough?  The Department of Agriculture, HUD, FEMA, state welfare and Medicaid are just a few government organizations taking your tax money and giving it to someone else, (by threat of force), and you do not have a voice of who receives it or how it is spent. 

I will share with you the dream that I had while campaigning;

Walking down a dark narrow weaving hallway, lined floor to ceiling with extended arms with open hands waving and touching me as I walked down the endless hallway. The emotion and anger I felt from the hands as I walked past the clutching hands turning into fist, pushing them away and dodging others.  Hands grasping my clothing, being pulled in one direction then another, then I awoke.

I understand the emotions of our elected officials but I only wish they had the courage to look at the requestors and ask them to go back to their community and ask the community for the needed support.  If an organization is worthwhile and presents itself as a professional organization, the community will support it. But, we all know politicians have to buy votes, so they enact bills, so our money will buy the votes, which support needy organizations, for the votes that keep them in office. 

So now you can answer the question; does politicians/government support needy organizations out of the goodness of their hearts or are they buying votes? 

So do we need to stop it or how do we stop it?