Elect me, and I’ll give your money to...

December 2006

A visitor to New York went to a concert at the Mendelssohn Theater.

He was quite impressed with the architecture and the acoustics. He asked the tour guide, “Is this magnificent structure named after Felix Mendelssohn, the famous composer?”

“No,” replied the guide. “It’s named after Jack Mendelssohn, the writer.”

“Never heard of him”, said the tourist. “What did he write?”

“A check,” replied the guide.

This classic joke from the email circuit is funny, because it has long been true. In the Old Country, the government or powerful aristocrats paid for most public buildings, charities, and cultural events. And so these things were often named after government officials or royalty.

But in 1776, we kicked out the English nobles, and we created governments that did not do these things, so we could have the lowest taxes in the world. We used private associations and voluntary donations instead. Since the best way to get big donations is to flatter and honor the most generous donors, we named things like the Atlantic City Public Library after billionaire steelmaker Andrew Carnegie, and a wing of the Atlantic City Hospital after Frank Sinatra, rich men who made big donations. This system worked well.

Voluntary associations in America did more good and cost less money than governments and aristocrats in Europe. Voluntary associations could not be wasteful, corrupt, or incompetent. If they were, they would stop getting donations and would collapse.

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French scholar, visited the United States, observed that our voluntary associations made democracy a success in America, when it failed in France.

In his famous book, Democracy in America, deTocqueville wrote: “Americans of all ages, all stations in life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations.” “There are not only commercial and industrial associations in which all take part, but others of a thousand different types — religious, moral, serious, futile, very general and very limited, immensely large and very minute.” “Americans combine to sponsor festivals, fund schools, build churches, distribute books, and send missionaries to the ends of the earth...In every case, at the head of any new undertaking, where in France you would find the government, or in England, some local lord or magnate, in the United States, you are sure to find an association.”

DeTocqueville concluded that these private associations in America gave our citizens the skills and experience that free citizens need to identify and solve problems on their own, take personal responsibility for our society, and choose capable leaders.

But all that is changing.

More and more charities and other private associations are getting more and more of their money from government. And they are becoming more and more like government agencies. More and more of them are honoring politicians instead of private donors these days.

I admit I did not make a scientific study. I just collected some invitations I got to some recent awards dinners.

Last month, AtlantiCare Hospital joined with the Atlantic City Regional Mainland Chamber of Commerce to honor politician Senator Wi l l i a m Gormley as, “ Mainlander of the Year.”

The Disabilities Resource Center in Atlantic County honored politicians at its 2006 Laureate Awards Dinner. Atlantic County Executive D e n n i s Levinson was named Special H o n o ree for 2005, and C o n g re s s m a n F r a n k LoBiondo was Special Honore e for 2004. In October, Jewish Family Services of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, along with AtlanticCare Behavioral Health and the Family Service Association of Atlantic County all honored Atlantic County State Assemblyman Frank Blee (Republican) and State Senate President Richard Codey (Democrat). And of course, every year, the highly paid executive directors of dozens of “non-profit” cultural and arts organizations honor the state politicians who created the 12% motel tax that pay their salaries.

If my personal observations show a national trend, we have lost the “voluntary associations” that were the backbone of Democracy in America for 200 years. Instead we have a new class of “royal” officials who are re-elected year after year. One way they stay in power, is that they are constantly praised and honored by the charities and associations they give our tax money to.

For more information, visit libertyandprosperity.org or contact Somers Point attorney Seth Grossman at seth@dandy.net or 609-927-7333. Seth Grossman also hosts a two way talk radio program on 1400AM Sundays Noon to 4PM and breakfast discussion groups every Tuesday at 8AM at the Breakfast Shop, 910 Bay Avenue in Somers Point.