Need help? Here catch!

This is a bit of a continuation of a previous post entitled "My government failed me." It is there that I make the claim that the government should not be involved in charitable work for the poor saying that such work should be done by the general public. I also claim that the reason the general public does not meet these needs is because it is perceived that the government is taking care of such things. I make that claim based on the belief that the government's end goal is self preservation and therefore any assistance that the government may offer would be a double edged sword insomuch as it would assist the poor but also make them dependant on the government, thus ensuring it's existence.

Having said that, I'd like to revoke most of it. I recently had a conversation with Mudflaps and he asked some excellent questions. But before I get into that, let me explain what has evoked this topic. It has been widely reported that many of the Katrina evacuees that were being housed at Edward's Air force Base have been documented using the $2000 debit card given them by the government to purchase alcohol (with which they participated in public consumption and drunkenness) and strippers. To me, this simply reinforced my belief that the government should not be involved in charity work.

Mudflaps does not agree. He asked me what the point of government was, if not to care for the less fortunate of their citizens? While I still believe that the government's first aim is self preservation, I no longer agree that the government should leave charitable work solely up to its citizens.

I do, however, believe that throwing money at people (as this administration did in a knee jerk "look-at-us-we're-helping" reaction) is neither charitable, nor useful! Does the government want to be involved charitably in the rebuilding of New Orleans? Offer tax breaks to companies, laborers, and general citizens who volunteer their time and labor to rebuild that city. Offer future government contracts to companies who donate the necessary raw materials to the effort. Use the $2000 given to each evacuee to purchase food for them, or to repair the levees, or to move the black bears someplace else so that the levees can be reinforced.

This in no way removes the liability from average citizens to care for the poor among them, but it does call for a more creative solution to the government's desire to be charitable than to toss a couple thousand dollars at people. Give them what they need, not what they want!

there you have it, just my opinion.