Government Charity

By John R Beckman

The following appeared in both the Lodi News Sentinel and the Stockton Record after I stated my opinon that government charity is a form of extortion.

Extortion is obtaining something through coercion or intimidation, an excessive or exorbitant charge, or the illegal use of one's official position or powers to obtain property, funds or patronage. I believe all of these are an appropriate definition of Government Charity.

Since describing Government Charity as extortion I have been accused of waving the flag and the bible while campaigning but then not doing what Jesus would do after elected. Now, I may not be a biblical scholar, but I do read the bible and do research on topics of interest to me. One area that I have researched is the role of government in society and the duty to take care of the poor and needy.

Since we all can agree that taking care of the poor in our community is of utmost importance the real question is, who is responsible, the community/private individuals or the government?

To answer that question I looked to many authoritative sources including the Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, "On Capital and Labor", written on May 15, 1891. Also "The Hundredth Year" written by Pope John Paul II in 1991 covering the same topics. These can be found at http://www.vatican.va. I also have discussed this matter specifically with many religious leaders and have consistently found that what Jesus would do is ask that all of his followers give enough of their own money so that the poor are taking care of. I have found no credible source that suggests it was Jesus' intent that Caesar tax the citizens so much that Caesar could then feed and clothe the poor. "Render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar and render unto God that which belongs to God."

What I have found is that helping the needy is something that many people do with their own time and money because they have a desire to help others, because they love their neighbor as themselves. These people do not consider paying higher taxes or higher fees as a means to help the needy. Higher taxes and higher fees mean there is less money available for these good Samaritans to give back to their community. If the good Samaritans of society are forced to pay exorbitant taxes the support they once freely gave to our needy is reduced and the needy then turn to government to make up the difference. And when there are more needy for the government to take care of then taxes and fees once again go higher and higher.

As for the proper role and function of government there are many opinions but the question I am asking is this, should government compete with the "church" as a dispenser of charity? If you subscribe to the idea of separation of church and state then it would seem a simple answer, charity is the duty of the "church" and therefore the state should not mingle in the affairs of the church. But far too often those who want to take God out of the pledge of allegiance and keep any symbol of religion out of public view also want government to become embroiled in charitable giving.

Charity is personal, it is a matter for each individual to determine on their own how much time and money they will give back to their community. As an elected leader I have the power to take your money and give it to others but I would prefer that you decide that on your own. If you need help on this matter ask your spiritual advisor, whoever that may be. But please don't ask me to make that decision for you.

I will proudly wave the flag and the bible because I believe in them. And I believe in the generosity of my fellow citizens to do the right thing and take care of the poor and needy in Lodi so that my government does not have to.