I admire the Muslim solution to those in need, Zakat, giving one fifth of your income to charity. I think it's more admirable than the Christian solution of tithing, giving ten percent to the church.
I find it far less admirable to advocate setting up government agencies to administer charity using other people's money.
I am handling a Chapter 13 bankruptcy for an elderly woman who lives on her small federal pension and a tiny Social Security check. The amount of money she pays in income taxes every month is approximately equal to her Social Security check. That's insane. And she's far better off that the people I represent who live in homeless shelters.
Yes, I make use of all the government charity for my clients, homeless shelters, Section 8 housing, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, SSD, if it's available, I get it for them, but I can't help wishing I wasn't dealing with the government.
In fairness, the government is far better run than the private charities I've dealt with. You can accomplish a lot when your source of funding is guaranteed at the point of a gun. |
