Hogan: 'Our fair share' shouldn't mean government goodies

By: Kenneth W. Hogan | Morganton News Herald
Published: March 05, 2010

Morganton, NC --

I have just received a letter from the United States Department of Commerce concerning the 2010 census. The letter politely told me to complete my census form and return it "promptly." It went on to tell of the horrors that would happen if I failed to do so. In short, my community would not "get its fair share of government funds."
In one short letter, barely a paragraph, the Commerce Department shows us what is fundamentally wrong with America. Once we were a great nation of brave pioneers; now we have degenerated into a group of whiney children fighting over our "fair share."
Our founding fathers did not intend for this to happen. Article I Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution mandates that an "actual enumeration shall be made ... within every subsequent term of 10 years." Why? The purpose of the enumeration (census)was to make sure that you got your fair share, but not your fair share of "government give-a-ways and goodies." Our founding fathers had just fought and bled and some gave their lives so that you could have your fair share of representation in your government. The intent of the census is that each state will have "one (representative to the congress) for every 30,000" people (Article I Section 2).
We are a people who have lost our way. Government programs have us trillions in debt. We are fast approaching the point where we will not be able to pay the interest on our debt, much less the principle. The course we are on is unsustainable.
I know as well as you that there are those among us who need some form of assistance. I think we would all be in favor of programs that help those in need, provided they can be managed so that there is no waste or fraud and proper oversight to insure that it is only the truly needy that receive the assistance. Also, government assistance should only come after the individual, the family and religious and charitable organizations have first done all they can do.
I fear that we will continue to squabble over "our fair share of government programs," not ever realizing that we are just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Hogan: 'Our fair share' shouldn't mean government goodies

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