]12-Where Does The Grant Money Come From? ... Presented 11/4/2010 - Printed 11/18/2010

Where Does the Grant Money Come From?

In any honest final analysis there is only one source of all the money spent by government - the paychecks or pocketbooks of the individuals who populate the country, however, governments have two sources whereby they acquires the money they dole out to their various recipients; (1) taxation and (2) borrowing from the Federal Reserve or foreign governments, So where does all the grant money come from that Marion County Judge Pete Giles so proudly informs us did not come out of the pockets of the taxpayers of the County of Marion?

In a front page article of the November 4th  edition of this newspaper it was reported that State Senator Key was instrumental in obtaining an additional$10,000.00 from the State of Arkansas Department of Rural Services. It was further reported in the same article that a total of $45,000.00 had been received by the County of Marion from the Department of Rural Services.

In this same edition it was also reported that the County of Marion had received some $3.2 million federal funding for ice storm damage from FEMA.

During the recent political campaigns the most often heard campaign promise was that the size of government and government spending were going to be reduced and that new jobs were going to be created but nowhere did I hear any candidate explain where in government its size or spending was going to be reduced. I did see in this newspaper Judge Giles’ report that about 100 new temporary jobs had been created to clean up the ice storm damage, however I do not count any form of government jobs as a positive factor in the reduction of unemployment or meaningful help in restoring this seriously flagging economy. Such jobs may very well assist those so employed but where does the money come from to pay all government employees?

With the County of Marion judge in the forefront of recipients of State and Federal grant money it seems that the intention for the reduction of the size of government and its financial burden is intended to be some where other than in our backyard. It seems all those who want the size and expense of government to be reduced want it reduced elsewhere, just as long as it does not affect their own receipt of such government grant money.

When the County of Marion solicits State or Federal grant money it is actively participating in a redistribution of other people’s money using the government’s gun. There is no Constitutional authority for government grant money for ice storm damage or any other such government aid program. When the people of the country clamor for government bailouts such people give up their freedom. I live in the forest. My driveway is ½ mile from the county road, I cleaned up my own ice storm damage with no assistance from anyone and I am 76 years old.

Eric Williams, County of Marion