To the editor:

Politicians in an attempt to enhance their resumes to ensure reelection and/or make a move “up the ladder”, dream up and create programs they claim will show how compassionate and caring they are about peoples wants and needs. These programs require government intervention, policies and regulations which create agencies run by unelected bureaucrats, paid for by taxpayers, that implement all manner of policies.

Nearly all of the programs are claimed to be designed to help the less fortunate of our society. Like a charity, but instead of it being run by volunteers, it’s run by non-elected, government hired, unionized, benefit provided bureaucrats working in government owned modern buildings requiring electricity, heating and cooling along with complete office equipment and managers at many levels. In business, this is called “overhead” or the cost of doing business. Then there is the time and material to process the recipients in order to qualify them to receive whatever benefit that particular program may provide. All of this is at the taxpayers expense.

How much of every dollar spent does the government keep out of each dollar to cover all this overhead cost and how much of that dollar is left available for the recipient? Is that figure or percentage even available for us to see?

Moreover, being we the taxpayers are being forced to fund these programs, shouldn’t we be able to see the results of their achievements? And if they were to achieve the goal that is professed by any one of these programs, wouldn’t that result in a lessening of the need for that program rather than an increase in taxes required to grow and continue them? President Ronald Reagan spoke the truth when he said: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So governments’ programs once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”

Roger Baumann

Wabasso