because I don't think it is my responsibility personally to provide this healthcare for individuals.
Do you realize that your tax dollars are used to pay for emergency room care for homeless people?
Yes. It does not mean I agree with my tax dollars being used for such a thing. Because I don't.
Do not misunderstand me. I think it is the right thing to help and assist the vulnerable. My point is that this IS not the responsibility of the government, but of the private sector, and of churches.
And when the private sector sees no need to do it because the government is and when the churches see no need to do it because the government does, then like most government programs - it essentially becomes wasted money in the main. And homelessness and poverty increase.
When the government sector spends tax dollars on it - it means that they have less funds to spend on thing that they ought to spend it on. It means the private sector spends its money on other things - mostly for itself and has less need to be altruistic in its endeavors. And the church spends more money on other things which are not necessarily part and parcel of what it ought to be doing. I take the view that the churches ought to be at the forefront of assisting the poor and vulnerable in our society - not raking in money for themselves. Some - not all - but some churches are very rich and wealthy. For me - this is not a sign of God's blessing, but rather, a sign of the church's abdication of what they ought to be doing.
Similarly, the private sector has almost no incentive to assist in the sphere of the vulnerable. Whereas in the past - families looked after their own - now they don't. They have abdicated the role in many respect to the government. The government pays for schooling, for medicine, for charities, for almost everything. And honestly, if the government is going to pay for it all, why would I bother spending my money as well. It is easier to complain that the government has not done enough than to look at my own lack of responsibility.
And the government has been quick to take on all of the responsibility. It knows it provides them with the justification to ask for higher taxes. And most people are sheep and like to be looked after. Not too many consider that they are themselves personally responsible. So they won't quibble when the government asks for more - and in fact they will get upset if say someone like me - says - stop - I want to pay less taxes - I want to be responsible for my own life.
Yet, while the private sector takes less responsibility. While the church goes into decline. The government is getting bigger. This means ultimately - and logically - bigger taxes and less and less individual rights. This also means that individuals will be able to less and less rely upon rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to own guns, freedom to privacy, freedom to travel, freedom to take responsibility.
So yes I am very aware of the fact that my tax dollars are helping the poor and homeless. I am not happy about this. I would love to be able to voluntarily contribute -(which incidentally I do to private charities I know actually know the poor) and let the government use those tax dollars for things that they ought to be funding.
