In today’s Washington Times, Richard Berman understandably laments that “Unfortunately, some of our $300 billion in annual donations [to private non-profit organizations] goes to frauds and swindlers instead of aiding legitimate charity work.”
Berman is right to condemn such shysters. But let’s keep matters in perspective: Uncle Sam now annually confiscates 12 times the amount that Americans give voluntarily to non-profits. And not just some, but every one, of those confiscated dollars “goes to frauds and swindlers.”
Moreover, once a private non-profit is exposed as being a nest of con artists, people can choose to stop funding it. In contrast, Congress routinely displays itself publicly as being a covey of clowns whose irresponsibility would embarrass any town drunk and whose legerdemain is legendary. Yet persons who see the true nature of the frauds and swindlers on Capitol Hill are imprisoned if they choose to stop funding Congress’s operation.
UPDATE: “Anonymous” e-mailed me a moment ago, presumably after having read this post, and challenged me to provide one “clear example of Congress’s shystering.” Gee – so much to choose from. So here: read this recent post from the ever-diligent and careful Arnold Kling.
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