The curse of government handouts

California is making a big mistake with the ineffective Band-Aid of money giveaways

My father survived a world war living on potato skin soup. He came to America with practically nothing. Because of his youth and the need to scrimp and be frugal, it stuck with him his entire life, despite eventually having the financial wherewithal to do whatever he wanted.

As a kid, I never understood why he did some of the things he did. We were an average middle-class family and my father was a good provider, but if I wanted to have spending money, I had to earn it. It took many years to realize the lesson he taught me, and I’m forever grateful. I would be a very different person had he just handed me money.

But that’s what our government is doing.

Not educating people how to earn money, the government takes the easy route and just hands out cash. Democrats are fully responsible for the highest inflation in American history, and California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, is part of that problem. So instead of trying to fix it, under the guise of “inflation relief,” the Golden State has already sent bags of cash to about 23 million California residents, and we can’t even be sure they’re all citizens.

California is giving taxpayers up to $1,050 because politicians messed up, and it’s their way of saying sorry/not sorry, because politicians will keep doing it anyway. In the meantime, enjoy this money someone else earned, and we’re giving it to you.

Those with a single income of $250,000 or $500,000 combined won’t get any checks, but through the kindness of their hearts and hard work and paying taxes, the politicians can give it away to whom they think is more deserving. 

Makes sense. 

Not. 

But for liberal politicians it makes perfect sense because they’re never held accountable for anything, and it’s not their money.

California is awash in surplus, and these giveaways are structured as tax refunds. If that’s the case, then all taxpayers should get a refund. What a corrupt play on words by claiming how you’re helping those in need because of the problem you caused and then leave out the taxpayers who pay for your mistakes to bail you out. Whew!

Of course, politicians being the mental giants they are, can’t leave things well enough alone. In this new age of “equity,” it’s become vogue to base everything on skin color and blame white people. That’s not racist.

California created the Reparations Task Force (sounds important) to consider “spending,” of course our money again, to the tune of nearly $600 billion to black residents based upon slavery and systemic racism. So one group gets about a grand to help with inflation, and another will get close to a quarter million dollars, each!

One of the reasons given is to “shrink the wealth gap between white and black Californians.”

Another justification is “mass incarceration” of people of color.

We can debate the reasons why blacks commit crimes at a higher rate or why residents of inner-city neighborhoods live in poverty. One of those reasons is the lack of a family structure. Single moms, of any color, with multiple kids, face an enormously difficult task trying to juggle it all and manage/control their children.

Nearly all news reports depict images of smash and grab, shootings, carjacking, looting, getting beat up on the street, setting buildings on fire, which are committed by kids and young adults of color. Yet you never see or hear from the likes of an Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson how this is not a serious problem. And the thousands upon thousands of blacks killed by blacks each year is barely a blip on the media radar.

So the question is, will handing out free money solve a very deep rooted and long-term problem and fix things? Not going to happen. It’s nothing more than another political ploy and chest thumping “see what I did for the black community. I really care.”

 That quarter of a million dollars for a large number of recipients will be lost in less than a year. You need only look at all the lottery winners. Most go broke and end up worse off because if you’ve never earned your own money and never handled large sums, you don’t know what to do with it.

If California has $600 billion floating around to give away, can you imagine what could be done to improve schools and neighborhoods, create jobs for long-term fixes, increase law-enforcement to lock up the trouble makers and give those who want to learn and do good a fighting chance. There’s so much that could be accomplished for future generations; instead of just putting on a Band-Aid today. 

A recent example of a difference that can be made is Americans once again joining together to help Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during Monday’s game. A small charity effort went from a few thousand dollars to more than $4 million practically overnight.

Helping others can be done, and maybe the best way is to leave the government out of it.

In President Joe Biden’s America, free money is handed out all over the country. In many states, unemployment benefits top $100,000 a year, and you can receive even more cash from ObamaCare subsidies. It’s no wonder you see “help wanted” signs everywhere. There are more than 11 million jobs available, but these days the pay is better not to work.

Which brings me back to my opening paragraph.

When you work for the cash you put in your pocket, you pay much closer attention to how you spend it. You earned it, and you have the right to use it as you please. You don’t want to squander it. It’s your road to freedom and a way to have personal pride. You worked for it, and it’s all yours. That is until the government decides that’s not really true. The government’s attitude is: “You owe it to us. Then we’ll give it to others who we think need it more than you do. Especially to all those binging on Netflix and running low on popcorn.”

 Henry Schulte welcomes questions or comments at hschulteopinions@gmail.com.