Government Assistance Programs - Problem or Solution?
I’ve always questioned the true effectiveness of government assistance programs, for a variety of reasons:
- The inevitable administrative cost takes a large portion of the “helping” dollars away from those in need.
- To limit abuse, there is a lot of red tape… usually delaying assistance when it’s most needed.
- Temporary programs tend to become permanent programs.
- Big picture: budgets become pawns in the political game, with less regard to the intended purpose.
- Closeup: individual recipients feel obligated to politicians who support “their program”.
- Short term help can be vital for some situations but dependency is a natural result if it becomes long-term, and that’s when self-reliance and self-worth are corrupted.
- Private and non-profit charitable organizations tend to be more efficient than government entities and more closely involved with the recipients.
- Abuse is easier when a faceless government is footing the bill than when a local charity representative is directly “signing the check”.
I believe there are truly devastating situations where the government, with its greater financial resources, can step in a do a lot of good. Some individuals are faced with conditions that are well beyond the scope of other means of assistance. However, these are the exceptions and not the rule.
Most of the time, I believe locally-based charitable assistance is the best way to deal with those who honestly need help. In addition to financial and other material help, I think they will also receive heart-felt emotional support from members of their community. This component alone could make a significant difference in turning the situation around and bringing those needing temporary help back into the mainstream… being productive members of our society rather than dependents… being an asset rather than a liability… being happy rather than forelorn.
