The Purpose of Government Programs

The Purpose of Government Programs


Recently, while studying for an exam, I came across some legislation passed in 1992. It concerned the reduction of lead paint and its removal in homes and residencies. The law is a great law focusing on the safety of apartments and home construction to reduce and eventually eliminate the presence of lead paint that could damage children. Two items in the language of the law stood out. The first was the language that stated that the law could, at any time, add more restrictions without Judicial or Congressional review. The second was the fines that were attached to violators. A violator is defined as any owner/landlord who does not comply with the rules or its amendments as stated in the law.
This made me think of some other laws that allow government, unhindered, to essentially levy fines and create a web of restrictions that grow more intrusive into our lives. The question I raise is, where does this money go?
When I was a painting contractor I was fine $1000.00 dollars by the town of Northborough’s Environmental Agency for not complying with proper paint removal from an old home I was working on. I was summoned to court and ordered to pay a fine of $1000.00. The judge ordered me to have the paint cleaned up by a certified company. This cost me an additional $1000.00.
This was my first experience with the conundrum of: if I have to pay for a service I am being ordered to comply with, why am I being fined on top of it? Does not my fine cover the cost of me having to comply with that which I am ordered to comply with? If not, then where is the money from the fine going to?
Court is the best place to watch this circus. On any given workday the average district court makes between $250-$500 per person, per fine, per offense. If the district court processes twenty people a day that translates into $5000-$10,000 a day give or take a good, or, bad day of perps. In addition, if the perp needs a public defender because he/she is too poor they pay an additional fee for that. Victim witness fees, restraining order fees, probation fees; why do I have to pay the court $65 a month to show up and say I’m being a good boy?


Many forms of legislation that have been passed also seem to consume more money every year and give less service to the nation. The Federal budget for Education is a great example of a leaking bath tub. Under President Bush the Education budget rose about 1/3 every fiscal year. No Child Left Behind was to be a main pillar of government’s role in education. The program never got off the ground. The money allocated in the budgetary supplements for No Child Left Behind were clearly put into the program. Where did the money go?
Communities received their share of money. They built new schools, teacher’s salaries increased, between 2001-2008 over one million families a year were broken up by the new mandated reporting required of teachers, another half million children suddenly were diagnosed as ADD, ADHD, special needs programs had to be introduced. So…I have no idea where the money went. But Liberals loved to shove the Bush educational budget up his ass didn’t they?
Earmarks have nothing to do with the bills they are attached to. They simply drive up the cost of the bill and only slow the effectiveness of the program’s intentions. What does saving The Florida Bullfrog have to do with providing assistance to small businesses. Isn’t that supplement covered under the environmental portion of the general budget? If not, why? If yes, where the hell did the money go?




There is no such thing as “lost money”. Money is either spent, transferred elsewhere for a purpose other than it’s intention, or, stolen. We all are seeing the rise in fees, application costs, registration costs, licensing, being taxed for a car we buy then being taxed because we drive it on the road. Every year we are forced to pay an additional tax to have a little sticker on our windshield that says we are safe to drive. Every year the restrictions get tighter and tighter affecting the poorest among us to no longer afford an automobile.
Then again, maybe that is it. Drive up the cost so much that we no longer are able to afford any of the services we should get for free. Create an elitist system within the social strata that separates the ‘Government Employee’ from citizens. This would help government keep tabs on the haves and havenots.


This has happened before in history. They were called The Politburo and Party Members…Millions starved to death and were persecuted under this great system of government….


….And That Is The Diatribe.