
Not Yours to Give
I begin this post by asking you to google and read the article on the web site of the Foundation for Economic Education called “Not Yours to Give.” It tells the story of Davy Crockett’s speech in Congress against aid for fire victims in the 1830s. Some have said it’s a made up story and not applicable in today’s world, but it was written in the 1880s, so it definitely was not influenced by today’s events. I read it when I joined the Legislature, and it helped me look at government spending in a new way. Based on the view, I came up with one of my rules of politics, that is, there is always a good excuse for bigger government.
But let’s get back to the point of this post, what should happen with federal aid to California for the fire disaster in Los Angeles? Who should pay for the damage? I will note that Governor Newsom has proposed that California allocate $2.5 billion to pay for the damage done by the fire, but that is not enough. Who should pay for the rest?
President Trump has proposed that the aid from the Federal Government be tied to new land management policies that minimize the damage that fires can… Read More