BENEFITS AND DEBITS

I think too many people have the concept of benefits skewed in terms of reality. It doesn’t matter the benefit you are speaking about there is always a cost. For someone your benefit or my benefit is going to be a debit.

In the time we live in where the government philosophy is I want it when I want it, cost doesn’t always seem to be the issue. It’s a big government and its has a lot of bucks so let’s reach into those deep pockets for our share of the crumbs.

All of that should be easy to understand. Benefit is a plus sign so there has to be a minus sign somewhere. The difficulty I think is in figuring out when you really need a plus sign.

That too me boys and girls is the gist of it in terms of government assistance. How much is the minus going to cost in order to provide the benefit? And you can be darn sure somebody has figured it out.

For me as a politician I do the math locally. I just don’t always tell people the total when I give speech alluding to some potential benefit.

Sometimes you see it isn’t the actual benefit that is the benefit. It is the “discussion” and vague promise that counts. It is sort of like the anticipation we get when ordering take out pizza. That time between the order and when it gets delivered can be one full of anticipation.

Although with a pizza you do expect delivery. With a promised benefit if I work it right I can get all kinds of free press and good will before the time arrives when the anticipation expires.

And what do I do to avoid too many questions in terms of why didn’t I keep a promise. That’s easy. I just make a new promise before people start asking about the old promise that wasn’t kept.

That is how I try to keep the whole issue of benefits and debits balanced in where I live. Plus there are the great times when I can find some reason to blame the government for when a benefit evaporated. Those really are so sweet.

Along the way the big stall is normally when I can escape the benefit being issued. They are few, but they are there.

Which is why I do what I can do to find a way to be sure the debit comes out of somebody else’s pocket. It can be difficult, but often if I dangle the right kind of carrot or bait I can find some sucker to be the bank in one way or another.

It all comes down to “creative” bookkeeping. And in this case it doesn’t even amount to the type I worry will end in the wrong kinds of questions by people with black suits and no sense of humor!