Bert Dirschell
Centertown
Dear Editor:
We have trillion-dollar annual deficits to fund free stuff and now the federal politicians are using the COVID-19 government-created hysteria to justify more billions of bailout debt, debt piled on our children.
China, the home of the virus, has a population of 1.43 billion people. The March 16 WHO report says that in China there have been 81,077 confirmed cases (only 29 new cases in the last day) and 3,218 deaths (only 14 in the last day). Shouldn't we expect the U.S. government to be at least as efficient in fighting the virus as the Chinese? If so, a month from now the virus would be well on the downswing and we will have had 18,800 confirmed cases and fewer than 800 deaths. The flu causes an annual 21 million hospital visits and 61,000 deaths.
No one in Missouri can be denied access to emergency health care. Why can't we in Missouri take care of our own? Why is 20 weeks of collecting unemployment, for those temporarily out of work due to the virus, inadequate? If the benefits are unacceptably low then why hasn't State government increased unemployment taxes to fund higher benefits? The answer - why be responsible at the State level when the nanny state federal politicians consistently reward irresponsibility.
Virtually everybody in the U.S. spends money on luxuries. Cellphones that cost more than $50, phone plans that costs more than $25/month, cable TV, stopping at a restaurant for a drink or a meal, etc., are all luxuries. Virtually everyone should have a rainy day fund. Debt should not be piled on taxpayers to furnish people with "necessities" so that they can use their earnings for luxuries.
I am a Civil Libertarian. People should be free to live as they choose, right up to the point where that freedom infringes on someone else's freedom. I am vehemently opposed to politicians who consistently reward irresponsible behavior. If you truly want to help the needy, make voluntary charitable donations to worthwhile organizations.
The entitlement mentality fostered by government robs people of any chance of self-respect. How can any reasonably able-bodied person have any self-respect if they would rather rely on government forcing others to support them rather than working 45-60 hours per week; like I did, like my parents did, like my grandparents did.
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