Balancing Charity and Fiscal Responsibility in Government Programs

When our oldest daughters were young and still living at home, my husband and I developed a routine where, at the beginning of every month, we would give them each $25 to donate to a charity of their choice. The one caveat was that they had to extensively research the charity and give a presentation to us about the purpose of the charity, the governing body, the tax-exemption status, the non-profit status, the transparency practices, and so on. It was quite a bit of work, and while they were eager at the outset, that enthusiasm soon waned. After a few months, it became a chore, and they would ask if they could donate to the last charity they’d chosen or if we could just pick for them.

I see the same thing happening in our country. Americans, by nature, are a generous people. But somewhere along the way, as taxes escalated and regulations intensified, we stepped back from our philanthropic origins and said to the government you take care of it. And now, here we are with federal spending completely out of control, and our tax dollars going to programs that many of us don’t support.

To be clear, government programs do matter. They can change lives, provide stability, support research, lift people out of poverty, and respond when no one else can. I believe in the power of good government.

But good government starts with accountability, and right now, we’re falling short. Too much of our tax money disappears into black holes of bureaucracy. Too many federal programs are bloated, inefficient, or mismanaged. And too often, the American people are left in the dark.

We’ve stopped asking questions. We don’t know where our money is going. We trust without verifying. And we've let a system grow that treats taxpayers like piggy banks instead of partners.

If we want government to work, we have to fix how it works. That means cutting waste. It means demanding transparency. It means electing leaders who aren’t afraid to pull back the curtain and make hard choices to make programs stronger, not just bigger.

And as citizens, we can do our part too. We can research the charities we support. We can stay informed. We can hold every institution, whether government or private, accountable.

We don’t have to choose between compassion and fiscal responsibility. We can have both. But only if we demand both.