Grant Money
I have watched in some amusement as Laconia taxpayers debate get ramrodded with its new Memorial Middle project. Being on the Gilford Budget Committee, I have noticed that much of the project always had a "brass ring" associated with it - do things right, and you get a free ride (just as we did with ours). That brass ring is the lure of "free money" - in any spending situation, the race is on to find that "free money" (generally grant money) . In many cases, once a certain price threshold has been reached, the grab for "free" money can be made from either the County, State, or Feds; sometimes it is from a private foundation.
It can also lead into higher annual costs later on at sometimes at an accelerated pace - such as what is being done in Alton - the lure of free money upfront for full time firefighters. The problem is that almost ANY thing can be rationalized.
Sociologists, pyschologists, and game theorists are always studying this topic - it is free only to the individuals taking the money, but raises the overall costs of society for all. In other words, a few benefit while the majority pay, as that money has to come from somewhere. So what do people do?
I have no problem if the monies are received from a private foundation. Why? If it is from a foundation, the money was earned by someone and donated for a given cause. We are providing that cause - all is good.
However, when it comes from one level or another of government, it is generally tax money that flows in. Yes, it may come from outside Gilford and "costs us nothing". Yet, when one looks at the bigger picture, it does cost us something, but only a tiny bit. We do need to realize that other people are loosing money out of their pocket (that could be spent on their own families) to fund out project. Yes, I know that we do the same for others...but....
My question is this: why do we, as a society, continue to raise the cost of government this way? Shouldn't each community be responsible for its own costs? Should we always see it as 'free money"?
