I am a family member of some people in the community. Even though I do not work, I have my hand in the pockets of each of them. I usually take half of everything they earn. Most of them don’t even realize how much I take. I have a system where their employers give me the money before they ever see their paychecks. Even though it is their money, I think I am a really smart guy and can spend their money more wisely than they can. Am I a bad person for doing this? I am their Uncle…

Wow! You sound just like my Uncle Sam. I usually talk about how individuals can spend money wisely. I guess I can talk to the government too. What I have to say applies to local and state government as well as the Fed. It is just a matter of how many zeros are involved at the end of the amounts. I will be painting with a broad brush and I realize that not all politicians and bureaucrats are as I describe, only 99+%. Sometimes there is the elusive, white buffalo out there that is “responsible.”

The problem with government spending is you have “normal” people, put in charge of massive sums of money that is not theirs and that they did not earn. Money is no different than any other tool. If you hop in a bulldozer with only shovel experience, you are going to hurt someone or something. The largest amount of money most politicians have ever spent in their lives is for a car or a home. Suddenly they are put in charge of millions, billions, or trillions of dollars. These politicians are going to make some @!#$% decisions with our money.

Government obviously is a necessary evil. They provide the essential services we need- police, roads, the military, and Cowboy Poetry…? Government has an insatiable appetite for your money and will spend all you can make and more! They can’t take it all now, so they borrow it from China and rob from our children’s future!

In the “real” world of individuals or business, smart spending is rewarded. If you can avoid spending all of your money at the end of the month, you have savings that can be put up. If you continue making smart decisions, you prosper.

Flip the coin to government.

Government has a budget to be spent. Next year’s budget increase (it is ALWAYS an increase) is based on how much is spent the previous year. If the bureaucrats are responsible with your money and careful not to waste it, they do not spend it all. Guess what happens next year? Their budget is cut because they did not spend it all. So, being the typical bureaucrat that wants to increase their influence and power, they spend every last dollar. They spend it ALL, even if they don’t need to do so. They will find a way to blow it.

Case in point- Last year my wife started a business. Since I am a responsible guy and want to spend “my” money wisely, I found an auction to buy things for the new business. I bid on and won eight desks and ten other pieces of office furniture. This furniture was maybe 15 years old, but it was solid wood and in EXCELLENT condition. I paid just over a grand for it all. The desks would have cost over $2,000 each, if bought new.

How did I get such a great deal? All this furniture came from Huntsville, AL.

What is in Huntsville? The government is, more specifically NASA. This government entity had money left in their budget. If they did not spend it all, they would lose it. What did they do? They spent tens of thousands of dollars to replace office furniture that was in great shape and then sold the old furniture for a thousand. Does this make sense? To the government it does…. It is not their money….

If it’s good enough for “We the people….” to live within our means and be responsible with our money, it is high time we demand the same from government.

If Cowboy Poetry needs money – charge admission. If no one pays money to see it that should tell you something…. Don’t borrow money from China to pay for it!