My government handouts

The debate rages over the government’s role in providing assistance to its citizens in the form of welfare payments, socialized medicine, educational support, etc. While the economic conservative in me says, “Let people work for what they want,” the humanist in me understands many people are in straits that I cannot even imagine - and that no one in our rich nation should go hungry or without shelter.

For the most part, I have been able to live a good life without much largess from Uncle Sam. But before I get on my high horse and complain about supporting indolence using my tax dollars, I thought I should reflect on times that I’ve gotten “free money” from the rest of you taxpayers.

National Defense Loan: As a student in the early 1970s, I applied for and received a National Defense Loan for college payments of $500. Today that seems like a piddly sum, but at the time, quarterly instate tuition at the University of Northern Colorado was less than $150. What made this a gift was that after graduation, I had $200 of the loan forgiven since I was teaching in an economically deprived area (rural Iowa). 

Food stamps: My wife and I applied for food stamps during our freshman year of college, much to the disgust of my archconservative father-in-law. He did wind up signing the paper that attested to our “financial emancipation” meaning that although we were under 21 we received no support from our families. As I remember, we received $30 booklets for two or three months. I was embarrassed to use the coupons when paying for groceries and thankfully never was unemployed long enough after that to use them again.

Cash for Clunkers: In 2009, President Obama announced a government program that incentivized trading low-mileage vehicles in for high mileage cars and trucks. At the time, I was driving a used, older model Ford Ranger pickup that got about 16mpg. And had a cooling system that was rapidly going downhill. I managed to coax the old beast into the local Toyota dealer where I got $4000 for it, lowering the cost of my new Yaris that got nearly 30mph to only $12,000. The $4000 came from the feds; the Ranger went to the junkyard. My grandson still drives the Yaris.

Stimulus check: A year or so ago I got a small check to help stimulate the virus impacted economy. I did not need it so immediately wrote a check for the same amount to the local food shelter. 

Indirectly I have been the recipient of government spending as well. Instate tuition rates come to mind. There may come a day where I wind up withdrawing more from Social Security and Medicare than I paid in. And I am sure there are many other ways I get more bang for my buck than I realize.

It’s fair to argue about who should get government assistance. What is considered a poverty level? What form of assistance should be provided? How do we use assistance to change peoples lives for the better through education, training, and health care, not just giving them the ability to live day-to-day in reduced circumstances? 

But it’s disingenuous for anyone to say that they have never been the recipient of government spending.  

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