Kristof fails again…
December 21, 2008
In today’s Times, Kristof cites one researcher’s findings that ‘conservatives’ give more money to charity than ‘liberals.’ Read his column here:
Op-Ed Columnist – Bleeding Heart Tightwads – NYTimes.com.
You can read comments on the column at Kristof’s blog.
I’m with many of the commenters who point out that liberals expect government to do much of what conservatives claim private organizations can and should do. I live in New Orleans. No amount of giving from conservatives and liberals made up for the complete lack of governmental support (and competence) in the days and months after Katrina struck. There are some things government must do. In order for government to be able to do what it must do, it must be staffed with competent people who believe in government (and who don’t wish to drown it in the bathtub), and it must have the funds to do it. We need a tax base that looks toward the common, collective good rather than for loop holes to protect personal wealth.
In New Orleans we have private security firms patrolling neighborhoods and we even have a private road. I was raised in Chicago where such things would have been unheard of. We had no signs there saying ‘This neighborhood patrolled by off-duty Chicago Police’ because the Chicago Police actually patrolled the neighborhood, gasp, on duty. But then, police officers in Chicago are paid a living wage.
This issue became a talking point during the election and it raised my ire then just as it does now. Yes, conservatives care so much for their communities. That’s why they support illegal, unjustified wars that send their neighbors (like my husband) to war. That’s why they support underfunding public schools, public health (including veterans health care — let’s not forget the ultra-giver McCain received a D rating from IAVA), public works, and have tried desperately to privatize everything, including social security.
Sorry, but I’ll take a ’stingy’ liberal over a ‘generous’ conservative any day. We’ve seen what their version of generosity reaps. What a choice!
