The numbers look big in the national pot, but $13.68 million is no small number for a county of only 100,000 people. Gas is on its way to $4. Food is getting more expensive. Our personal savings rate is in negative territory. I just don’t see how a local program based on voluntary contributions can be sustained.

You say it can be done. As far as I know, nothing like it ever has. In 1962, 28.5% of seniors lived in poverty. Local communities were not moved to action, but our nation was. Today, the poverty rate among seniors is in line with that of working-age adults.

We can’t just shut off federal aid programs. The consequences would be unacceptable. We must first have a viable replacement. That’s a problem because no one wants to pay to duplicate our efforts. Why spend $13.68 million on food that is already paid for? It’s a bit of a dilemma.

So why not focus on unmet needs? If churches rush in to fill the voids left behind by government cut-backs, there will be no need to restore spending when there’s more room in the budget. Why haven’t we seen more of that?

I’m certain we could do it. You must remember 3 things while crunching those numbers. 1.) There are more than 115 congregations in Lenawee county 2.) They are already helping in welfare causes 3.) They could do exponentially more if the money that went to the state was left in their pockets! Anyone can throw the numbers of need in one pot….and see that it is a big pot! It needs to be broken down to the local level and it becomes easily managed. Before Uncle Sugar came along…who took care of the poor and needy? Answer: The people in their local community. And it did them good! The moral responsibility should remain with them. Thanks for listening.

Medicare generally requires that recipients work for a covered employer for at least 10 years. Most people don’t pay for Hospital Insurance (part A) because they paid Medicare taxes while they were working. There is a monthly premium for Medical Insurance (Part B), about $1,200 per year. The entire program is federally subsidized.

By contrast, Medicaid’s function is not to act as health insurance per se, but rather to reimburse providers for expenses incurred by people who cannot afford insurance. It’s geared towards certain low-income families, the disabled, pregnant women and the elderly. Coverage is assured, regardless of employment history or the ability to pay premiums. In this way, it is a welfare program — free insurance for the poor.

(By the way, the cost of Medicaid is split between the states and the federal government. Federal contributions are based on state poverty levels. Medicare is administered at the federal level.)

I read Russell’s post on the well in Kenya a few months back. What an outstanding achievement! I’d love to follow your progress as the project proceeds. When do you start? Can you post photos and comments?

I don’t want to belittle your congregation’s good work, but to put things in perspective, $10,000 is just 0.87% of Lenawee County’s estimated monthly Food Stamp bill. In order to meet the needs of your community, you (and other local churches) would need to duplicate the Kenya Well fundraising effort 115 times over, and you’d need to do it each and every month, regardless of economic circumstances.

Can Lenawee County’s churches raise $13.68 million per year for local food aid? That would be amazing. But then what about housing assistance? And energy? Child care? Education and job training? And to add another dimension to our discussion, can our nation’s poorest communities achieve the same feat? After all, there are places where poverty is substantially higher, and median income is substantially lower.

Churches can do fantastic things, like dig wells to provide clean water for a thousand orphans in Africa. We need to acknowledge, though, that some challenges are simply beyond the reach of small clusters of even the most committed, well-intentioned people. To conquer these challenges requires unity.

Here is a link to support the definition of Medicaid:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/medicaid.htm

And, yes, I do think faith based organizations could handle the volume in Lenawee County. I do think those numbers could come down if properly administered. Again, I share your concern for the poor and needy. We just differ in it’s administration.

It might not conform to certain political ideals, but some of the biggest strides we have made have been by way of our largest communities: the states and our nation. No, it’s not perfect. But consider the alternative.