bleeding heart

wel·fare (wěl'fâr') n.
Health, happiness, and good fortune; well-being.
Prosperity.
Financial or other aid provided, especially by the government, to people in need.
Corporate welfare.
Welfare work.
Financial or other aid provided, especially by the government, to people in need.
Corporate welfare.

[Middle English, from wel faren, to fare well, from Old English wel faran : wel, well; see well2 + faran, to get along; see fare.]



This year Oregonians can expect a windfall surpassing any other year in state constitutional history due to the infamous "kicker" checks based on personal income taxes paid the previous year. 18.6 % of personal income paid on our state taxes will be refunded as the holiday season approaches. Can it get any better than that? 'Free' money from our state government?! Before you set your sights on that new generation i-pod or a sparkling plasma tv, pause to consider this. With our public schools, especially in the Portland metro area, in a constant state of budgetary crisis, with the Oregon Health Plan losing much needed state funding each year, creating the necessity to turn away thousands of needy Oregonians from obtaining health care, why do we, citizens of this lovely 'green and blue' state, still entertain the notion that we deserve refund checks? I remember a few years back when I was still in college and not as concerned with state issues(being a naive single woman schlepping off federal student aid and scholarships) that concerned citizens groups tried to have a voluntary "give back" program where they petitioned Oregonians to give their kickers to the education system in the hopes of bolstering the budget. I would need to do more research on the monetary impact of this decision, but I can't see how it would have anything but a positive impact on the community and the public school system.



Now we are facing the same situation again but this time with a larger gain for ourselves. Could we, instead of placing orders for the latest toy or gadget, look a little beyond our own welfare and believe in the communal well-fare of our friends and neighbors? Or maybe instead of writing in an amendment to our state's constitution to allow for this kicker check provision, we should have written in something stating that the money would instead be applied to some social service agencies, education programs or health institutions in need? Maybe it's time to take a closer look at the concept of entitlement and why we are buying into it so easily.