TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT PICKS UP THE PIECES
The government that is closest to the people governs the best I’m not sure who said it first, but the truth can be seen in Township Government. No government entity can get closer to the people and do more to help people than township governments. No government entity has the flexibility to respond to the needs of the citizens it serves like township government. Recently, township government has been assaulted by the forces that seek to consolidate power under the shroud of cost savings. And while savings may be realized in the short term, the long term costs clearly outweigh the temporary benefits consolidation would provide.
Consolidation would have not helped people when Governor Daniels’ ill-conceived plan to privatize welfare went awry. Townships were there picking up the pieces of broken lives littered on the steps of privatization. We, as citizens and members of the human race, have an obligation to help those most in need. Township governments serve that obligation across the state. To lose those would create more burdens on an already encumbered portion of the population.
Locally, Wayne Township Trustee Rick Stevenson’s office provides services for people on job skills, resume building and GEDs. Also provided are benefits for housing, medicine and utilities. From a cost-benefit standpoint, investing in our neighbors reaps long-term benefits such as an expanded taxpayer base with having better educated employees making better salaries, thus lowering the tax burden for all of us.
Other benefits of having a township government cannot be measured in dollars and cents … a roof over your head, heat in the winter, clean water, medical care. Granted those do have a price, but not helping out will cost more in the long term. One son may be less bitter toward society. One father may not have to take a job that forces him to leave his family and plays catch with his son. One mother may be able to stay home and help her daughter with her math homework. One daughter does not go hungry or without her insulin.
As a society, we do these things not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it makes our block, our neighborhood and our township a better, safer place to live.
> Read More Information About Us
> More Articles Written By Our Staff
- Celebrating 20 Years Of Community At The Stand - April 12, 2024
- First Positive Case Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Indiana - April 12, 2024
- Southwest Allen County Schools Embark On Major Tree Plantings - April 12, 2024