Bruce Simmeth – 5/6/08

This page was last updated on May 6, 2008.

Safety net needs reinforced; Bruce Simmeth; Beaver County Times; May 6, 2008.

The letter identifies the author as Executive Director of United Way of Beaver County.

This is the at least the sixth letter from Mr. Simmeth since June 2005 lobbying for more government redistribution of income/wealth. If you look at my previous critiques of his letters (here, here, here, and here), you’ll find Mr. Simmeth tends to overstate alleged cuts and requests huge increases. In one case, Mr. Simmeth appeared to request a spending increase of from five to 10 times. In January 2006, Mr. Simmeth wanted federal taxpayers to increase their funding of the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) by $2,000,000,000. I did not critique that letter (“Hike LIHEAP funding”; January 24, 2006) and it is no longer on the Times website.

While I applaud Mr. Simmeth’s efforts to help the less fortunate among us, I oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to fund any of these efforts. It’s wrong to take income from one person and give it to another, regardless of good intentions.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“The United Way of Beaver County has extended its campaign on behalf of our 21 member agencies to May 20 in a continuing effort to achieve this year’s campaign goal of $900,000.

“To date, we have raised $839,514 or 93 percent of the goal.

“We are also working with our elected officials in a strong effort to pass an economic stimulus package that provides for a shared recovery. This package would provide a balanced set of economic stimulus measures that would get the economy moving by increasing the income of low- and moderate-income people and also by preventing the loss of services and jobs in our states.”

[RWC] Recovery from what? An “inconvenient truth” for Mr. Simmeth is that we’ve had nonstop economic growth for the past 26 quarters (6½ years), including the first quarter of 2008.

What is a “shared recovery?” This sounds like leftistspeak. In any case, it’s clear Mr. Simmeth is lobbying for taking property from those who earned and giving it to people who didn’t.

“Important initiatives in the shared recovery plan include an extension of unemployment insurance benefits, an increase in food stamp benefits, the creation of summer jobs for our youth through job training programs and an increase in the funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.”

[RWC] These programs simply subsidize unemployment. All of these items actually slow a recovery because they make it less necessary for a person to get sufficient employment to support himself.

“Also, the placement of a moratorium on recent Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program regulations that would restrict the eligibility and benefits of our most vulnerable citizens, while also shifting the costs of these programs to our states and counties at a time when they can least afford it.”

[RWC] “[S]hifting the costs of these programs to our states and counties at a time when they can least afford it?” Mr. Simmeth does realize state and county taxpayers are the same ones paying federal taxes, right? It all comes out of the same pockets.

“I would like to thank the people of Beaver County for their continuing support of the United Way during these difficult economic times when fuel and food costs continue to rise. The safety net provided by our 21 member agencies has become more important than ever before as community needs also continue to increase.”

[RWC] I wish Mr. Simmeth would focus his effort on the United Way and stop trying to pick my pocket via government programs.