LETTERS: They want it all
They want it all
To the Editor:
I attended a session in Marion Saturday with two state legislators.
They were there sharing the issues that were going on and all the frustrations with budget and financing the needs. Sitting among that group and listening to the legislators talk about the problems they were having and the budget shortfall, I was struck with the fact that neither one of these elected officials who represent us would take on these issues and address them from the sense of real leadership. In other words, they would not commit themselves as to what they thought the solutions were, but rather implied that their role was one of satisfying all the needs and demands from various groups — corporations to welfare and endless programs.
It made me think of what happens when an entity such as a government goes to the people and addresses them: "Tell us your needs and what you want, and we will provide for them," implying that we have endless resources. So the needs multiply and the resource base gets smaller.
The picture I saw was of a household (government) with many children. It has nothing. So, the children all go to work so as to have something for themselves. Then there are always those few who don't work. Now, because there are so many who work, the leaders say, since we have such an abundance of resources, we'll just give something to those who don't, for one reason or another. So the workers see that some of the money that they worked for is going to those who aren't contributing. So they say, why am I working so hard? Why not be a part of this group that is a recipient group? And so more and more people start asking for money. Finally, there's no resource base. They are all recipients. And they all have their hands out and all argue and justify the fact that they are more important than the other in terms of receiving. And they demand, "We've got to tax the workers more," though there's less and less of them. And so it goes.
When I sat there and observed, these leaders presented the problem: "See, we've got this group that wants this, we've got this group that wants that, so how do we meet both ends?" To me, it showed that there is absolutely no leadership. I'm trying to understand how government operates and how it intends to work itself out of its dilemma when it has taken away the right to self-determination, the pride of making it on your own, instead making us all dependent children.
There still are those who have pride and have an inherent desire to provide for themselves. And they keep on being used and less and less appreciated for what they do. and yet, you know, government continues to pursue its ends. It's like, without government, there would be nothing. Yet, all the resources of the government come from us out here, whether we are the working consumer or the farmer or businessman.
It seems to me what government is really trying to tell us is this: "Over the years, we've really appreciated the effort you taxpayers have made in contributing a portion of your hard-earned money to the general government treasury because it has allowed the government to be very generous with itself and the people; but, in order for us as a government to continue to provide this modern theory of generosity to ourselves and you all, we're going to have to ask you to contribute all of your hard-earned money! Then only can we guarantee prosperity forever!"
Jerry Plett
Lincolnville
