Help the Poor

May 4, 2007
Can you really help the poor, by taking money from other people? E.J. Dione think so. In his last column he repeats that familiar liberal theme about the rich not paying enough. If only we took more of their money, we could move people out of poverty. He ignores the evidence to the contrary. That being 40 years of failed give away programs proving conclusively that poverty can’t be eliminated by redistributing the wealth earned by others.
The mistake made by do-gooders on both sides of the aisle, is in believing that the poor are only poor because of an accident of birth, and or a conspiracy on the part of the rich to hold them in that position. They reason that if we only gave them enough help, they would become successful. Those of us who live in the world of achievement know that it doesn’t work that way.
First you have to realize that perhaps 25% of the people counted as being poor, chose to be that way. These people include those who’s life work is in the arts. Musicians who never made it to American Idol, or insist on playing the flute for a living. This is not a bad thing. They are not dissatisfied with their life style, and don’t understand why anyone would want a Mercedes. You see them hanging out in Jackson Square or Greenwich Village, painting pictures, or playing the Saxophone. Others in the poor by choice group work for little money helping others. They work everywhere from church offices to outposts of the Salvation Army. They earn little, but can be counted in the low income groups. They like their life, and want it that way. This group also includes all the people who take entry level jobs just out of school, but don’t stay there. They are poor for a while, but move on.

Another quarter of the poor population want to live like celebrities, would like to have money, but don’t have the will power to work hard enough to achieve those levels. They start out with a high school education, take an entry level job, and do nothing the rest of their lives to improve their position. Year after year they offer the same low performance levels to their various employers. They want raises, but offer no reason for their employer to provide one. They take time off because they partied late, and use sick days for trips to the beach. They think nothing of spending $70 for a show ticket, yet refuse to put money aside for health insurance. They end up moving from job to job, never staying with anything long enough to get ahead. If asked, it is always the boss who treated them unfairly, or the "System" was against them. They make bad decisions and blame their lack of success on others. They have money for beer, but expect you to feed their children free breakfast and lunch. They remain poor, and think it is your fault. They are counted in the ranks of the poor each year , and the liberals think that the hard working achievers in the population should open their wallets and give each of them some cash. No, it won’t help.


Another group of poor is represented by those people who for no fault of their own become poor temporarily due to illness, or business closures resulting in layoffs. A short term condition caused by everything from house fires to hurricanes. Some people hit with a family disaster recover quickly. They take charge of their own destiny, and work their way out of it with very little help. Others are content to sit and wait for a free trailer, and then never want to leave it. All of these people deserve help, but only temporarily. There should be a limit to it. If you can’t get back on your feet in 18 months with a little help, you never will. The smart folks prepared ahead for unexpected trouble. They were ready with disability insurance, fire protection, and maybe even had savings for a rainy day. Image that - savings. The dummies thought it wouldn’t happen to them, and failed to prepare. They never learned the lesson of the "Three Little Pigs". Like the last group, they think it is your fault.

The largest, and perhaps the most discouraging group, are those who fall below the level of intelligence necessary for success. Contrary to what you may have heard, everyone was not created equal. That famous saying handed down from the founding fathers referred to the way the new government was to treat it’s citizens. Equally under the law. They were not so naive as to believe that all men had equal skills and ability. The unfortunate truth is that a large number of poor people fall below the minimum level of intelligence required for success in the modern world. That is why they are poor, and always will be. They will need continuous help as the world becomes increasingly complicated and technical. They don’t know what to do, or how to do it. Even worse, they don’t have the ability to learn. Truly a disastrous combination. This group is where the money we set aside to help the poor should go. But sadly, most of what is taken from the achievers of the world is wasted in the government burocracy. What’s left after fueling the payroll of administrators, is given willy nilly to large blocks of the population who don’t deserve help. Sometimes the beneficiaries are fictional people. Does Bishop State ring a bell?

Jesus said that the poor will always be with us. Well, maybe not. Someday we may discover the gene that cause some to be lazy and irresponsible. We might even develop a vaccine for stupid.
But until then we need to take a hard look at how the government redistributes the rightful earnings of those who work hard for years to build wealth. Mr. Dione seems to think that if you have money, you don’t deserve all of it. He suggests that it is right and proper for the state to take it away, and give it to those who don’t produce. I don’t think so. At some point we have to say enough is enough. Today in America, 50% of the people pay no taxes and even get money back when they have paid nothing in. Just how non productive can you get?

The other half (those who work and study) pay all of the taxes. Too ask them to pay more is criminal. You are stealing from one, to give to someone else. With that reasoning, it would be acceptable for your neighbor to come over, and ask you for $50 dollars a week. His reasoning being that you make more than him, and don’t deserve all of it. So why not give him some. That is what the government does now. It is not so direct, but that is the result.

No sir. The so called rich pay far more than their share already. The top 5% of earners pay 54% of all taxes. The top 50% of earners pay 96 % of all taxes. Seems like a lot to me. E.J. failed to mention that revenue from taxes actually increased after the tax cut. The cut by the way was for all income levels, not just the rich. Even after paying the most taxes, the rich still contribute the most to charity. People like Bill Gates and W. Buffett give away millions. Yet some criticize them for not paying enough taxes.

The most efficient charities are organizations like St. Jude, the Salvation Army, Muscular Dystrophy, and Habitat for Humanity. All of these rely on contributions, and most of the money actually gets to the needy. Think of how much more would be done if the so called "rich" could send less to the government. I give to all of the above, and several others. I could and would give much more if the government wasn’t so greedy. I am sure Mr. Gates would too.

The point being, that the best way to really help the poor is to let local private organizations collect funds directly from those who can give. Funneling money through layers of government wastes most of it, and is not likely to ever get to the people who really need it. Worst of all, it is a dis-incentive to those who earn large incomes. It destroys the inner drive that made them successful, and reduces that portion of their earnings that are disposable. People in this group are suffering discrimination when the government takes more from them, with nary a thank you. But they feel great when they are able to give thousands to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital .

So, please tell Mr. Dionne that the worst way to help the poor is by taking money from the rich. They pay the most taxes already. They donate the most to charities. They provide the jobs so badly needed by the poor who are trying to move up. The set up the foundations, and organizations like Habitat that help the poor directly. By over- taxing the rich, you are insuring that the poor will receive less, not more help.