Show 11 1 i 1 It ft Seems To Me MeBy By fly Joseph H li B. Roberts 11 11 1 1111 1111 1111 1 1 1 Welfare funding COPYRIGHT 1977 Contemporary Features Syndicate te Inc The administrators of oC state and local governments make a basic error when they fund welfare programs on a cost cost- sharing basis with the federal government They assume a them and us attitude in their dealings with the bureaucracy figuring whatever money they can gel get out of them will be less money for us to pay to meet their obligations to the poor aged infirm and unemployed in their midst They may find this news but the money we get gel out of them themis is the money they get out of ofus ofus ofus us It less operating expenses It is only an illusion that something magical happens to the money that comes from the local taxpayers to the Internal Revenue Service to the federal bureaucracy and then back to the states and cities in the form of federal sharing cost-sharing plans and give-away give programs The only thing magical about it is the fact that the federal government can spend more than it takes lakes in and operate year after year on a 1 deficit budget which many states stales and cities cannot do But the magic in deficit spending is mere legerdemain The nation debt that nobody pays is being paid for every day through the most mot insidious tax lax of all inflation and all of us the rich the poor and the in- in must pay the toll over and over There are no free dollars coming out of Washington There are only our dollars bureaucratized The money goes from us to them and some of it comes back to us watered down We must pay for forthe forthe forthe the administrative expenses incurred in collecting processing and allotting the money back to the states stales and cities so what comes back cannot be all that went out A healthy portion of it must remain in Washington The illusion of abundance of federal funds is created by deficit spending ft It has been proposed that tha t we cut cutout out all or most of the federal welfare re programs because they are costing us too much and do not seem eem to be helping the people they are supposed to help It is highly highl unlikely that such a drastic solution s T hon fo Co our budget problems will be tried however I Even ven though the programs are wasteful rife riCe with nepotism and corruption inefficiently managed more often oHen overpaying overpaying over over- paying the undeserving and paying little or nothing to those most in need they are supported sup sup- ported by powerful groups who would rise up in righteous indignation it 11 congress longress attempted attempted at at- tempted to abolish them Abolishing the programs is not the answer anyway The moral obligation of every state and city to look after its own needy citizens remains The obvious answer is to return the responsibilities where they belong and shift the lax tax money to support them from the federal to lo the state and municipal governments Charity Charily does docs in fact begin at home and only at home can it be administered with in intelligence intelligence intelligence in- in and compassion We know best how to take care of those who are unable to take care of themselves when they are residents of our own state and city Impersonal strangers can have no feelings for or understanding of these people Our citizens can be treated only as statistics by outsiders and federal help becomes handouts encumbered by governmental forms and regulations costing more to provide than the amount provided Local programs can be administered cheaper and better belter by local agencies It is essential of course that relief from federal taxes be provided so that state stale and city cily taxes can be raised to lo support the programs The programs cannot be shifted to the local governments unless the funds to operate them are shifted also and we dont don't need the federal government to collect those funds for us Not only will this plan enable those who are most in need to be cared for adequately by their friends and neighbors but bul it il will enable the federal government govern govern- merit ment to lo operate within a balanced budget for a change This is what President Carter said he was after Its It's the only welfare reform that thai makes any sense I hope he buys it |