We're All In This Together
Betsy Simnacher, in The Dallas Morning News Opinion blog, asks readers' opinion about President Obama's proposed $75 billion plan to shore up the housing industry.
When a neighbor's house is on fire, I grab a hose and a bucket, even if the fire was started by the owner doing something stupid, like smoking in bed. I do it to save my own house and the whole neighborhood. I favor President Obama's program for the same reason.
Another reader objects to my analogy, accusing me of forcing others to help put out their neighbor's fire. I plead guilty. One, the private sector does not have the means to simultaneously preserve our housing industry, stimulate the overall economy, and restore a functioning credit system. Two, I'm not willing to the let the whole economy grind to a halt. There may be a valid question about the proper role of government. In my opinion, keeping the country out of another Great Depression constitutes "promoting the general welfare" and is very much a proper role for government.
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