Sometimes it seems that Scrooge is running the city. A charity group that feeds homeless people has been told they need a permit, while city commissioners argue over giving loans that resemble charity to corporations here in Wichita.
According to The Wichita Eagle David Hill has estimated that he feeds about 300 homeless people a month. He sets up his operation at the corner of William and Main, and has been serving hot food every third Saturday for the last two years.
This fall the police showed up and asked to see his food safety permit. Hill said he was surprised that he needed it. He works with One Spark charity. He said the police and city have worked with him to get a temporary license and he said he believes he can get the permit.
While Hill is concerned about feeding the homeless, Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau stood up against county economic development incentives. According to The Wichita Eagle he said they violate Biblical law and are like the federal Solyndra scandal. In that scandal Solyndra, a California-based solar-power company went bankrupt after receiving a $535 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Citing the Biblical commandments, “Thou shalt not covet” and Thou shalt not steal,” Ranzau claimed that our economic policies on forgivable loans violate both commandments. He said businesses come in coveting tax payer’s money. Then the city gives them money and ‘that is theft.’
Commissioner Jim Skelton dismissed Ranzau’s comments as mere philosophy and defended the use of the Federal Government to help people out as opposed to some Third World Countries where the government does nothing for people.
It’s unusual to hear any politician defending the Federal Government here in Kansas. Usually when the Federal Government is defended, it is because politicians want to help corporations relocate to Wichita or some other place in Kansas.
As for helping feed the homeless, few if any politicians in Kansas want any Federal money for that.
This Christmas season Scrooge would fit right in. It is usually funding for the greedy—not the needy.
(There has been a petition drive, in Wichita, to try and stop the use of public money for corporate adventurism.)
From Aol TV.
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