Wise spending: Nonprofits help prevent more dependence on welfare

Nonprofits and tax money shouldn't mix.

At least that is the impression that one would take away if he or she were to sit through one of the Wayne County Commission meetings.

On the surface the complaint seems to have some bite -- after all, government is supposed to manage taxpayer funds for the purpose of operating a county government.

Nonprofits should seek their own forms of funding -- grants, donations -- not expect to receive money from the public trough.

But let's explore this well-worn statement by some of the county commissioners -- that funding nonprofits is not in keeping with the county's mission, which, as they define it, is to run a county government by spending as little as possible.

True, taxpayer funds are for the operation of the county government.

True, we want to pay as little tax as possible.

But we have another interest, too. We want our county to prosper. And that requires more than simply funding the government.

In fact, if you look closely at this issue you will see that funding nonprofits ultimately CUTS the costs of government.

Skeptical? Follow this logic:

There are certain requirements to having a booming economic future.

You have to have jobs. And you have to have people ready, willing and able to perform them.

You have to have a community that has the look of prosperity and statistics that show that it is viable and a great place to live.

You also have to have services that take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. And, if you are lucky, you make sure that number is as low as possible.

Why? Because the more people you have who have the means to stand on their own two feet, the more appealing you are to potential job-creators.

What we don't want is for the county to have large numbers of people on social welfare programs funded by the government.

Social welfare programs create dependency and very rarely work. They are also expensive.

And that wastes taxpayer money.

So, if we have nonprofits that are helping people pay for health care, get training to hold jobs, learn to read, learn how to manage money and offer places that get kids off the streets after school, we are creating a better county by making sure as few people as possible end up in jail, unemployed or on the public dole.

See? It is an investment. Not a way to suck more money out of taxpayers.

Sometimes as a leader, you have to think out of the box. The question is not how much we are spending, but if what we are spending is yielding results that ultimately save the county money and help make it a better place to live.

And in many cases, nonprofits do just that -- at a very reasonable cost (remember, they are often staffed in great measure by volunteers).

There is no reason not to have an evaluation procedure to make sure that the money is being used efficiently, and limiting funding is fine, too.

But the commissioners should think long and hard before cutting out all nonprofit spending from the county budget.

The costs to deal with the fallout might be much too steep.

The next budget is a year away. Perhaps there is time to think a little more deeply before any more decisions are made.

It would be time well-spent.

Published in Editorials on June 21, 2015 12:08 AM