Charities

The Emperor believes there is a difference between welfare and charity. Charity is a virtue and is an example of freedom. Giving to a charity is voluntary. The giver chooses how much he can give and when. He decides who the money goes to and for what purpose. If he believes the charity has too much overhead then he has the option of not giving to that particular charity. The giver can judge the charity in terms of how effective it is.

Government welfare programs are not charities. There is no choice in giving to government welfare programs. If you do not give, people with guns come to your house and arrest you and confiscate everything you own. There is no accountability in government welfare programs. There is no serious attempt to rehabilitate those who receive the handouts. Overhead absorbs most of the money taken for government welfare programs. There is no consideration given to the financial needs of the taxpayer when the money is taken from him and given to others. His hopes, dreams, and life goals are not considered. Forcing people to pay taxes to help others is not and example of patriotism. It is an example of tyranny.

Henceforth, citizens of the realm will not be forced to give to others through their taxes. Citizens will have the option of giving to government entitlement programs or to charities. Taxes for all will be set to 15%. Charitable giving will be rewarded with a dollar for dollar reduction in income taxes up to 5%. The government will provide a list of acceptable charities that citizens may choose from to earn their tax credit. The primary burden of helping the poor will be shifted from the government to charitable organizations. The government will provide backup as needed. The poor will be helped by organizations better suited to provide for them and all citizens will be able to experience the joy of charitable giving without the threat of incarceration.