BCT Editorial – 11/20/08

This page was last updated on November 20, 2008.

Dig deeper; Editorial; Beaver County Times; November 20, 2008.

The editorial subtitle is “Hard times make it even more important to donate to charity.”

The point of this critique is to show how differently the Times views charity and taxes.

The editorial tells us “when people are laid off and businesses see their profit margins drop or vanish, they cut back on giving. That’s perfectly understandable. When you’re having a tough time paying the bills, it’s difficult to set aside money for charity.” That sounds reasonable, right?

When it comes to taxes, however, the Times sings a different song. Despite our overall taxes being within a percentage point of their all-time high of 34% in 2000, Times editorials consistently imply we’re selfish for not wanting our taxes to increase. The Times even referred to us as “anti-tax zealots.”

The editorial says, “Obviously, government aid would be one solution.” Yeah, for a leftist. The government has no business confiscating one person’s paycheck, pension check, et cetera to give it to someone else. The people who earn the income should determine how it’s distributed, not the government. It’s a matter of liberty.

The editorial says, “Forego a few Christmas gifts or buy less expensive ones. Cut back on unnecessary expenses. Stretch your budget a little further. Giving up some of life’s little luxuries …” How often have you read Times editorials make similar meaningful requests of government? Indeed, editorials have claimed meaningful spending cuts are impractical and constantly lobby for more spending on just about every program that comes down the pike.

The Times is consistent on one point, however. For both charity and taxes, the Times wants us to “Dig deeper.” I wonder if it ever occurred to the Times that lower taxes would free up more personal earnings that could be given to charities.

People who choose to help those less fortunate deserve credit. They don’t deserve to be lectured to by the Times.