Is Government Supposed to do Everything? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Have you ever heard someone say "Should Government be doing this?" This is heard less and less as governments at all levels have launched into providing everything from breakfast to school students, to millions in tax breaks for people to build wind and solar farms. There is virtually no part of commerce that is not subsidized in some way. Government even purchases land that is too wet to farm. There are thousands of these programs at all levels of government.

    The lead balloon at out commissioner meetings falls on the floor every time I say "Is that a legitimate function of government?". The walls frost, some people's faces freeze and their lips poke out. Hood Richardson just committed an unpardonable sin.

    I ask that question at the November Beaufort County Commissioners meeting. It seems someone sneaked the cost of a study on "broadband" (the internet to us commoners) services into this year's budget. The proposal is for Beaufort County taxpayers to pay $25,000 toward the study and local businesses would donate another $25,000 for a total of $50,000. The study would determine who does not have broadband (the internet) in Beaufort County. This was presented as necessary for economic development and to help those whose life has been wrecked because they do not have the internet. We have several broadband providers in Beaufort County.

    The truth is this is a holdover program form the Obama administration. It was a big deal then. So why are all of these so called Republicans voting for socialism.

    Let us see, who makes money selling the internet? About ten of the largest, wealthiest and most profitable companies in the world. Companies like AT and T and Verizon along with many others. With them, it all comes down to money. That is if enough people in an area want the internet to pay for the building of the line, they can get the internet. Seems fair to me. The user pays. A company makes an investment and produces a profit. That is capitalism and the American way.

    Not so for the Socialists, According to them, everyone should get the same services. The government should take up the slack and pay for those who are not located in areas that can not make a profit.

    Liberals and socialists have applied this principle everywhere else. We give some people a place to live, free, we pay people not to work, we buy farmland if you cannot grow a crop on it, we pay people to build solar and wind facilities even though we already have power plants to supply electricity at less cost.

    The market and capitalism have nothing to do with it. Socialists say this is simply the right thing to do.

    This is why taxes are so high. By the time we include all fees and taxes, the lower middle class (that is us) in Beaufort County pays almost half of our income to governments. Don't forget about things like car tags and sales taxes. If you are a payer, you get very little benefit from what you pay in taxes. A lot of people who are not tax payers are doing very well with our money.

    One of Beaufort County's contributions to socialism is this broad band study. Others who are contributing to socialism are:: Tideland EMC $9,000, Tri-County Foundation $3,500, Beaufort County Committee of 100 $6,250 and Nutiren $6,250.

    Many things like this are paid for out to the Beaufort County Budget. These "give away" decisions are made by the Democrats and RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) who are elected to the Board of Commissioners.

    If we want to see government change, we must change the people who run government. Candidates register to run in the 2020 elections during December of 2019. Sitting Commissioners whose seat is open and who voted for this give away and useless internet study are Jerry Langley, Jerry Evans and John Rebholz. Vote conservative to change government..