Government Grants

Foster City, California recently renovated the Leo Ryan City Park using its own money and a state grant.

Foster City has many middle class and higher income citizens who can afford taxes to pay for their own park. According to the 2000 census, the per capita income of Foster City was $45,000 per year while the per capita income of Birmingham, Alabama was $16,000. Why must the State and Federal government forcefully take money from people in one area and give it to people in another area for local projects?

Think of the power someone in the Department of Homeland Security has if they are the Secretary of Grants and Training. Any director in charge of grants for any government department has enormous power.

In 2004 the U. S. Department of Education had a budget of over sixty billion dollars. From that budget the Department of Education "granted" over ten billion dollars. These grants can be used to reward friends of friends in high places. Despite all this plunder the voters in America continue to vote for candidates who increase the size and spending of the U. S. Government. Why is this so? It is because it is rare to find a candidate whose platform calls for the reduction in spending, departments, agencies, or regulations.

State and federal grants are used for many government programs from studying the mating habits of animals to building bridges to no where.

People in other states who do not make California wages are forced to send their tax dollars to Washington, D.C. where the powerful congress members and lobbyists decide who will get the booty. Of course people in Foster City have to pay for projects in other states. This slight of hand deceives the voters who think they are getting something from some other city.

Each city has the same scam going. The city councils tell the local citizens their parks and senior citizens programs are all paid by someone else. This slight of hand keeps the voters from rebelling against government spending.

Bilbo Baggins.