So I'm paying taxes so the state can tell me how to quit eating chocolate-covered peanuts? That's ridiculous! I think I'd like to fire them all!
Yes, I mailed off my check for state income taxes at the beginning of the month. It seems what was taken out of our pay checks (that of Mrs. Griz and me) wasn't quite enough for my state tax bill. And I might not have felt quite so bad about it if I hadn't, on the very same day, received a press release from the Arkansas Department of Health asking me to help promote the Healthy Active Arkansas Summit held in Little Rock last week -- no, I didn't give the event free advance publicity.
Yes, the Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention is a private non-profit organization which is working to promote healthier eating, more exercise and healthier people. More power to them! I can agree with that. But, according to the organization's website, "the Coalition's primary funding source is through grants. Grants have been awarded by the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Health and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Midsouth Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center for Health Disparities Research" (glad this last one is on the Alabama tax payers and not me -- it just sounds expensive).
The one that especially bothered me was "Arkansas Department of Health." Why? Because that's taxpayer funded, which means my tax money is being given away to help to pay for programs to tell me to exercise more and quit eating chocolate-covered peanuts. I already know that I need to exercise more and eat less. I don't need the government, state or federal, to tell me that!
And, hey, I've been working on it -- eating less and walking more -- but stuff like this just makes me want to munch on a few more of those good chocolate-covered peanuts and drink soda pop while I write about it. Guess I'll have to go put on another pot of coffee and wash some carrots and celery!
As a preacher, I just can't express it in terms quite as strong as I'd like, but I do wish I could somehow tell the government to just do what we created it to do and leave us alone with the rest! And, absolutely and most certainly, do not be giving away our tax money to some "do good" organization that would like to save us from ourselves and replace our moms and all common sense.
We instituted government to do for us those things we couldn't do by ourselves, like providing for the common defense, punishing criminals, building roads and the like. We didn't institute government, and don't need government, to tell us what to eat, how much we should sleep, how many hours we can work, how much we should exercise or what medicines we should and should not take.
It reminds me of the TV newscasters telling us to wear warm clothes when it is cold outside and to drink plenty of liquids when the weather is hot. Do they think we're that stupid and can't live without them?
It seems that every time a government agency is created -- even if it is only for a temporary need -- it goes on to expand its roles and find more and more to do for the supposed good of the people to justify its existence. And pretty soon, it's so busy spending taxpayer money on what individuals could do for themselves that another agency needs to be created to help waste our money and we are so busy footing the bill that we can't take care of ourselves anymore.
Perhaps I shouldn't just pick on the Health Department. I remember the days before FEMA and all the state and local counterparts. But I don't feel any safer now, because I know there'll be a lot more red tape to cut through before anyone can be helped after a disaster. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security doesn't make me feel any safer than I did before, either. I'm not even sure which side those folks are on since they spend more time looking into the private affairs of U.S. citizens than of our enemies which other government agencies have allowed to move in among us.
And speaking of government agencies, have you ever gone to the Arkansas.gov website and looked at the list of government agencies? I'm surprised my taxes aren't higher than they are. We have agencies and commissions to deal with and regulate just about anything one can imagine. I'm really surprised I didn't find a commission to counsel those addicted to chocolate-covered peanuts. Maybe I'll have to form a group and get on the government payroll.
I won't even try to count the bureaus, agencies and commissions on the federal government website. I don't have that many chocolate-covered peanuts and probably couldn't afford to buy them -- especially after paying my taxes!
Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 04/13/2016