Posted on 04/11/2003 3:28:05 AM PDT by ShadowDancer
For the first time?
Well, it's okay.. don't worry about it.
I forgive you for being wrong all those other times..
(:
I'm going to disagree with you here. I hate paying taxes. My family is taxed to death. There are times when we can't make ends meet and the monies we pay in taxes would get us through the next month. However, there are certain circumstances that I would and will willingly give small amounts for and this is one of them.
This is not about paying for abortions or paying to house people who are too lazy to get off their rear ends and work. This is about helping people to survive who truly need the help. Lobby away and protest your dollars going to this. In a perfect world you're right, we wouldn't need our taxes to help these people, our charitiable donations would, but we don't live in a perfect world.
We can't readily pick where our tax money goes to. I would rather it went to those who honest to God need it than to faulty road repairs and to countless other asinine programs. In a perfect world no one would be in need. In the real world, I'd rather my money went to those that really need it than those that claim they do and have other recourse to obtain it.
That's an honorable thing to do - and I applaud your sentiments here. The problem is that you're also saying you're willing to force your way into my wallet and take my money - i.e. tax me - to support a cause I may not agree with you about. You would be committing theft by way of the ballot box.
I wholeheartedly agree with Illbay's thoughts that private charity could take up the slack. I've also argued that our post-tax income should be 90%+ of our gross income. All that extra money in our wallets would enable the transfer a tremendous amount of capital into private charities - who historically are significantly most cost-efficient than their governmental counterparts.
Your cause may be a worthy one, but I would think not worthy of committing theft over.
I can't speak for Illbay's church per se, but I think I can speak that there are churches who are at least willing to help. Capable of helping may be another matter, but with 80+ years of people being told that government can accomplish better and bigger things than private charities can, said churches and charities have gotten soft and rusty from disuse.
My son is so severely involved that not even private pay help is far and few in between. It takes a special human to do this type of work for a living.
I had a friend at work who took care of her mother (her mom suffered from severe Alzheimers). Thankfully her mother was a kind and gentle person in her youth (and a good mother), and this character trait endured even late into her affliction. Still, caring for someone with extreme Alzheimers, esp. when they can't remember that you're their son or daughter, it does take an enormous toll on a person. My friend's way of dealing with it was to say "This is my way of thanking her, of paying her back for bringing me up right." You're right - it takes a special human to endure it. My friend was a shining example.
The help that is available via govt. funding is not exactly the segment of society you would welcome into your home.
Which is just one more reason why I can't advocate a government system. I'm glad your son has one of those "special humans", one who cares deeply for him, to take care of him.
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