People of faith have understood the principle of subsidiarity for a long, long time. It just means taking personal responsibility. When needed, the hierarchy of assistance offered or given begins with the family; then the community; the state; the national government, and in major disasters, the nations. Key to subsidiarity is the higher up the ladder help comes from, the less time the higher entity is involved.
I met my neighbor Rus Walton in 1974 before a financial disaster moved us from our lovely country home near Sacramento. We also enjoyed some of Governor Ronald Reagan’s staff. Rus gave me a copy of his new book, “One Nation Under God.” Rus ran The Plymouth Rock Foundation for many years and was a noted Christian speaker and prolific writer.
People of faith have understood the principle of subsidiarity for a long, long time. It just means taking personal responsibility. When needed, the hierarchy of assistance offered or given begins with the family; then the community; the state; the national government, and in major disasters, the nations. Key to subsidiarity is the higher up the ladder help comes from, the less time the higher entity is involved.
Coupled with the solidarity of “e pluribus unum” a successful society is created and maintained. As “progressives” gained power, their penchant for top down control and cronyism collided with the quality religious, educational and philanthropic institutions that have served the people well.
Walton noted a public service efficiency study done over 38 years ago, before our current welfare system went wild with the “Great Society.” Today it’s far worse with federal employees being paid double the taxpayers who support them.
• In person-to-person giving, a dollar given is a dollar received
• In giving through voluntary organizations, twenty five cents goes for administrative costs and seventy five cents reaches the needy.
• Through state government, it costs one dollar to get another dollar to the beneficiary, and
• Through federal government, it takes almost three dollars to deliver one dollar.
Source: National Life Underwriter's Association
We once got quality services “wholesale.” Now we have bureaucrats led by union thugs out scalping tickets to the system and rioting if we don’t buy them. There are three areas government has no competence in: Health, Education and Welfare. Rus was right.
Jerry is a retired engineer with strong experience in environmental innovation which he still applies today with 2 clean water and energy saving technologies. His life avocation in writing and study of philosophical and biblical themes as they apply to the body politic's spiritual warfare. He survived stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2006; now in excellent health. A graduate of the University of Illinois (1958, Industrial Engineering), Jerry had post graduate studies at both the University of San Francisco and the University of Santa Clara in California between 1961 and 1963 (Logic, Marketing). As co Founder and seminar presenter he was awarded a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Valley Christian University operating under California private-post secondary statutes for mid career student, VCU was the pioneer external degree school for mid career students. Its course structures were picked up by several well known Christian colleges. Hosted local broadcast radio and TV shows, "Religion on the Line" and "The News Firm" (jointly with wife, Joanne), respectively. Jerry has published several books that are available at Amazon. Jerry is available to speak as a visiting lecturer at the high school, college or community organization level. Jerry is married 55 years to Joanne Dean Todd – 3 children, 8 grandchildren.
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