Well, the government didn’t shut down yesterday. The politics of the last week shed light on some meaningful discussions. For example, the federal government must curb its spending habits. It’s a process that won’t come easy. The difference between income and expense is staggering and solvency can’t be maintained at the rate we’re going. You may dismiss my comments as a minister, but I do have an undergraduate degree in business. I’ve been a small business owner and know full well the responsibility of making a weekly payroll. I know what it’s like to make money and unfortunately, I know what it’s like to lose it too. I have to say; I like making it more than I like losing it.
Here’s my concern. We will be forced to cut programming that some think essential. But, in reality it’s not and we will learn to live without it. We’ve gotten accustom to habits of a lapsed era. Take NPR (National Public Radio) for example. Why does the federal government subsidize radio and television programming? In a media driven culture, why do we spend good tax dollars on this organization? The argument for media dissemination in rural contexts isn’t sufficient. NPR is a liberal biased opinionated institution and not a neutral reporting agency. Why would our government support such a beast? Defund NPR and let them go out like every other non-profit and solicit funding from the private and corporate sector and learn to be answerable to your donors. If you can’t find sufficient support in the private sector, maybe your mission isn’t on target with the public interest. NPR might be a nice thing to some people, but it’s not a funding necessity. You just can’t justify the expense. This media is not essential to the welfare of the nation nor does it really serve the public (at large) interest.
Planned Parenthood is another organization that is subsidized with federal dollars. Why is that? Planned Parenthood promotes a liberal political agenda and a morally diminishing standard throughout communities across this nation. My tax dollars are going to support practices in conflict with moral standards I espouse. People like myself had to go out and create privately supported non-profits such as pregnancy resource centers to encourage healthier standards. Because we value life, we made the investment from our own wallets. Here’s my case, defund Planned Parenthood. If you can’t make it soliciting funds through the private and corporate sector, then perhaps you’re not serving the public interest. Do what everyone else has to do by attracting a donor base and then become accountable to your donors. This organization isn’t essential to the welfare of our nation nor does it really serve the pubic (at large) interest.
If our country is going to survive these difficult economic times, we must address the elephants in the room. We can’t afford programming like NPR or Planned Parenthood. You and others may not like it, but it’s the stark reality of economics. If the private sector won’t support it, maybe that’s a good indication the government should not either.
