Government Subsidies

Giving tax money to corporations and industries is generally not a good idea. Farm subsidies are ok to the extent that they ensure our national food supply.  Rural counties and cities who bribe manufacturing company to locate with them to provide jobs is ok, but only if taxpayers get to vote on it. These can be tax holidays or land deals, but I would limit these to rural areas.

Giving tax money to corporations to do “economic development” is nuts. Private Public Partnerships are a scam and regularly end in disaster.  Cities and Counties are typically run by individuals who have no clue about these investments and they need to back off. The beauty of allowing the free market to operate is that business owners are required to make sure whatever they are building is financially sustainable. City meddling needs to be at a minimum.  Beyond zoning rules that keep someone from setting up a pig farm next door, government has no business in subsidizing or interfering with what private property owners do with their property.

Giving tax money or even aid to other countries is also generally not a good idea.  The money ends up in the foreign politician’s bank account and food aid is regularly stolen by terror and criminal groups. All aid to foreign countries should be by individual private groups who will manage the aid to get where it needs to go.

Giving tax money to non-profits is a bad idea. These groups are non-profits and should be able raise their own funds from their own contributors. Vigilant contributors will deter fraud and waste.

Tax money needs to be used for those things that the private sector shouldn’t do. Critical infrastructure is the responsibility of government.  This includes roads, bridges, highways, sanitary sewer lines, sewer treatment and storm sewer lines. These services should follow development, not lead development.  Government should purchase the land to build these. The demand for infrastructure that works is very high in large metro areas where gridlock is closing down the cities due to inadequate infrastructure.

The federal government needs to send its unconstitutional departments, agencies and programs back to the States. The States need to prioritize and delegate most of this to the cities and counties. The cities and counties need to prioritize and give responsibility back to the People.

Government funded education, healthcare and retirement systems are unsustainable and need to be given back to the free market so costs can go down using the law of supply and demand. Government needs to pay off its debts.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader