Why Are Our Precious Tax Dollars Subsidizing This?

From page, "The Photo News," Friday, November 20, 2009: "North Main's Family ESL Program Filled To Capacity With Participants."

Hmm... first thought: How much is this costing me?

Second thought: How many illegal aliens are receiving "services" paid for out of my pocket and the pockets of my fellow citizens?

No doubt the reporter, Nancy Kriz, and her editor, Bob Quinn, view the story as a heartwarming "human interest" piece. Me...? I immediately think of my taxes being squandered and additional debts being piled upon the backs of our children and grandchildren.

Yeah... that's the thing... New York State is in fiscal crisis. Here's the immediate problem:

New York is presently set to run out of money in December when a huge chunk of the $3.2 billion deficit is due.

According to my state's Democratic Governor, David Paterson, "If lawmakers [Democrats control both Houses of New York State's Legislature by the way] don't act now on a deficit reduction plan, then tough actions will have to be made: Furloughs, layoffs, borrowing, downgraded credit rating, delayed payment to schools, delayed payments to local governments, delayed payments to service providers, delayed payments to workforce..."

And yet... this weekend's edition of my local weekly reports, "Funded through a federal grant, the Family ESL Program provides dinner, instruction and class materials to adult students and their children. The evening ends at 8 p.m. so parents can get their kids home for bedtime."

DINNER...??? DINNER...!!! There's no end to the insanity...!!!

Call me "mean." Call me "cruel, harsh, unsympathetic." Oh... and while you're at it, why not label me "racist" or perhaps simply "xenophobic?"

Or... just to leave the politically correct talking points aside so as to allow one uninterrupted moment of sanity... why not simply acknowledge that with New York State, most other states, and of course the federal government itself operating in perpetual deficit mode, borrowing money from abroad to finance these deficits, increasing taxes, fees, and surcharges yet still spending more than is raised via taxes, fees and surcharges...

(*HEADACHE*)

(*BLOOD PRESSURE SHOOTING THROUGH THE ROOF*)

(*TEARS OF ANGER AND FRUSTRATION WELLING UP*)

Are there no priorities? No hierarchy of needs? No recognition of reality...?!?!

People. In case you missed it... a few days ago the news was announced that our National Debt has surpassed $12 trillion...

In just the first nine months of Barak Obama's presidency, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and the Democratic House and Democratic Senate of the United States have added $1.6 trillion to our National Debt.

The White House itself issued an analysis in August - based upon their own budget desires and projections - estimating that at the conclusion of fiscal year 2010 (September 30, 2010) the National Debt could top $14 trillion...

Friends. Readers. This same White House "preview of things to come" predicts that by the end of the decade - 2019 - the National Debt will hit $24.5 trillion - exceeding the nation's expected GDP for that year!

My God... the people in power are destroying our nation's economy! And when I read that while all this is going on the federal government (in cooperation with New York State and my own Monroe-Woodbury School District) is not only directing my hard earned tax dollars towards while simultaneously borrowing additional funds to finance FREE DINNERS on top of the basic cost of running an ELS program that no doubt counts illegal aliens as "clients"...

No. Strike that word "counts." Because I'd bet anything that no id's are required... but even if I'm wrong and some form of identification is requested, I submit that there's no way in hell any effective "verification of citizenship" is taking place.

But listen... even if we're talking legal residents - even citizens - the bottom line remains that we're spending money we don't have; spending money that government borrows and we and our children and future generations are on the hook to pay.

Hey... I want these people (the ones who are here legally) to speak English. In fact, speaking English should be one of the requirements up front in order to gain lawful residency status in this country, let alone citizenship. But this is all besides the point. Once again... the point is that we're spending money we don't have and I look upon this particular instance of government largess as representing the problem in microcosm.

Folks... this expenditure is one grain of sand in the sand dune of irresponsible fiscal policy we know as government. But, folks... it's the sand grains that make up the sand dune.

The politicians are destroying this nation. They're destroying our nation... they're dooming our Posterity.

To those of you who live within the political boundaries of the Monroe-Woodbury School District I urge you...

Contact your New York State Assembly Member.

Contact your Member of the New York State Senate.

Contact Governor Paterson.

Contact John Hall, our United States Congressman.

Contact U.S. Senators (supposedly) representing New York Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Or... continue to do nothing... stay silent... sit back and watch the politicians bankrupt America and one day when your grandchildren and great grandchildren ask you how and why you allowed their birthrights to be stolen you can respond...

(*SHRUG*)

Folks. I'm begging you. GIVE A DAMN!