Here is an "interesting" opinion piece from the Watertown Daily Times, which offers clearly a very qualified and well researched opinion about the nonprofit sector and the community in Northern NY (sense the sarcasm). This individual points to the nonprofit sector as the source of so many problems and offers his own "facts" for his case. Ironically, not one of the comments left after the article agree with his opinion. For anyone working in the nonprofit sector that reads any news online about nonprofits, there are always people making negative comments about the nonprofit sector. I guess people recognized these comments were a bit far fetched. Which brings us to the most important issue here: media due diligence. Really, we have to wonder about the media and highlighting comments like these for the general public? Clearly the Watertown Daily Times is working hard to bring the best opinions to their readers, and for this wonderful editorial, we thank you and Mr. Bonner:
A recent article in the Times stated that nonprofit organizations in the north country employ 12,000 people and spend $800 million yearly. As a fiscal conservative I was literally overwhelmed by this figure. When you realize that most of this money is taxpayer cash funded by various grants and contracts with local governments, it is easy to understand why our country is going bankrupt.
Over 90 percent of the people served by these nonprofits are also receiving benefits from the federal, state or local taxpayers. Seventy-five percent of Jefferson County’s budget is used to support the dependent classes, otherwise known as welfare recipients. Thousands of people are moving to the north country to take advantage of all these giveaways and services. Virtually all the crime in our area is committed by these very same people.
This is not the first time I have written about this problem, but now our country is rapidly heading for bankruptcy, and our political class is terrified about reducing the budget. How can any fiscally conservative politician win when 12,000 folks and their families plus tens of thousands of economic parasites all vote to steal other people’s money?
In the coming election, the most important since 1860, President Obama could well win a second term with the votes of the parasitic class. The Democratic Party has not put forth one single plan to reduce spending in any meaningful way. All they want is class warfare and more taxes on anyone they consider rich.
There are no easy solutions. All must sacrifice, all must give something to save our country from economic ruin. A very good place to start would be to get rid of all these worthless nonprofits that really do nothing but provide jobs, salaries, health benefits and pensions to left-wing liberal Democrats who couldn’t survive one day in the private sector. The year 2012 will be a very interesting one. As a nation we will either save ourselves or plant the seeds to another civil war.
Bart S. Bonner
Watertown
