TELL YOUR GOVERNMENT: Leave the Charitable Work to ‘We the People’
By Les Weaver
Clash Daily Contributor
Recently, the Springfield, OR City Council voted on an Ordinance to stop street corner panhandling. (Exception = Firemen’s Boots). Sounds good on the surface but the intent is to make it a violation on the part of the “giver”.
Here I note several things that I wish I could have brought up but since I don’t embrace the political posteriors, am already labeled an adversary to be dealt with. And even if you are allowed to speak, you are given three exact minutes maximum while they sit above and look down their noses at anyone that has the gall to not agree with them. I know this from experience!
The city claims that these beggars contribute to traffic congestion.
They will penalize the giver. That is likely because if you have enough to give away, the city wants it and the beggar is unlikely to cough up a fine. (Typical progressive thinking).
Then I recall that the “Progressive Movement” has sponsored removal of charity giving as a tax deduction. They want the tax revenue and also believe that big government is better equipped and has the knowledge to better distribute charity. That is evident if we study unemployment; welfare; food stamps; free medical; free rent and so much more. However, there are studies that clearly show much more efficiency from private and church charity.
The city is letting us know that they agree with the Obama administration that non-politicians are not smart enough to be charitable unless filtered by politicians.
Yep, this is just another pile of Bovine Excrement to give politicians more power while forcing the charitable citizens to cower while seeking yet another source of city revenue. I wonder if our already over-burdened police have time or even interest in enforcing this new Ordinance. But what the hell, the city council will just push another bond issue to cover the new burden of beggar policing.
Image: Ev’ryday I’m Hustle’n. via photopin (license)
Les Weaver: Born into abject poverty in 1934, he spent his teen years on farms as a foster child and was classified as a farm laborer when he joined the Navy in 1952. After that service, he had a short stint at a University but moved on to 35 years associated with the engineering and technical sciences in Aero-Space, retiring from two Aerospace giants in senior positions and a small business. Until retirement, his writing experience was limited to technical occupational reports. His wife is a German immigrant, now a proud American and together they enjoy gardening. Les takes breaks from gardening to express himself to the politicians by phone, email and now thru ClashDaily/DougGiles.
