March 16, 2006
WRTA
 Brown
Shoes Diary
Ad-Nauseum, Part 2
In a recent essay of mine [http://www.wrtanews.com/artman/publish/article_3965.shtml]
I examined the socialism implied by a campaign ad for Senator Robert Jubelirer.
To be specific, a Tyrone resident claims that Senator Bob took state funds to
save a paper mill in Tyrone and its jobs. My question is, what exactly are
"state funds"?
Aren't state funds simply the hard-earned money of taxpayers. Let's edit the
ad to make that point clear: "My job was saved by taking the hard-earned
money of state taxpayers." Yes, truth in advertising legislation ought to
require Senator Bob to clarify his socialist behavior and the support for such
behavior by at least one worker in Tyrone.
Related to this is an event today reported by WRTA: $30,000 from state funds
(read: hard-earned state taxpayer dollars) will be presented today to local
police departments in a ceremony at City Hall. The state taxpayers apparently
are now funding the equipment needs of the police departments of Altoona and
Logan Township. I know I'm a bit dense, but how is it efficient or moral for
our police departments to be funded by the earnings of people who get no
benefit from the police in our area? Shouldn't we pay for our own police
protection? I understand the need for a state police and it makes sense that
it receives taxes levied from across the state. But local law enforcement is
a local responsibility.
To be sure, I think equipping our police men and women is one of the best
things that government can do with our taxes. It's just that I want it done
in a moral and efficient way. That means Altoona City and Logan Township
police should get their funding entirely from Altoona City and Logan Township
residents.
And yet, we're going to see a ceremony today celebrating the theft of state
taxpayer earnings taken for the benefit of our own local needs. Even if this
were moral and efficient behavior, why the ceremony? At best, the legislators
are just doing their jobs. Making a ceremony out of it seems to be a blatant
self-serving campaign promotion for the politicians, don't you think? Well,
it won't be the first time politicians shamelessly showboat their lack of
morals and duty.
We don't need our money to make a round trip to Harrisburg to provide for our
local police. Two things happen when we permit that: One, a fair portion of
our money will never return--politicians always take their cut; two, an even
bigger portion of our money will end up in other parts of the
state--politicians always make sure their friends (campaign contributors) get
their cuts.
So while the politicians go about their grandstanding today and the local
police departments kowtow to them for their support, remember just how
undermanned and overworked the departments are and how light our wallets are
thanks to those same politicians.
The opinions and ideas expressed in this essay are those ONLY of John D
McGinnis and should not be considered representative of WRTA.com, any
institution with which McGinnis is associated, or anyone else. He can be
contacted at zoiprof@atlanticbb.net.
Contact John D McGinnis
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