I would be willing to bet just about anyone who attends a local village, township, city or county government meeting that during the proceedings they would hear at least one mention of the availability, application or acceptance of a federal grant of some sort.

These grants are sought after by both bureaucrat employees and elected officials who are enticed by visions of grandeur for projects the municipalities otherwise simply cannot afford and for the expansion of government and always under the guise of necessity.

However these monies, which almost always require matching funds from the communities, ultimately result in local tax increases as well.

These grants are not free, as  those who endorse this practice claim it’s money coming back to the community from the federal government. This is simply not true.

These grants, which come with defined guidelines are little more than a federal takeover of the autonomy of local governments, but few seem to realize that or even care. The result is the nationalization of local governments via partnerships and contracts which also has a direct impact in the erosion of our rights and liberties under the associated federal mandates.

These grants are created by congress as earmarks and pork barrel spending contributing to the already gargantuan national debt and none of these monies actually exist. These grants are created out of thin air by the privately owned and  never audited Federal Reserve Bank, lent to the government with attached interest, which will be  shouldered by our children and grandchildren.

Considering there are more than 3,000 counties, boroughs and parishes in the United States and about 30,000 incorporated cities and towns — nearly all of which have their hands out for grants in one form or another — it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these grants are major contributors to the nation’s fiscal woes.

The first step to fiscal responsibility is to stop applications for federal grant money and to live within our means as a county, city, village or township. So far, not a single county commissioner is willing to take that first step or even slow it down, not even the ones who claim to be conservative.

I will work to stop this and I hope that the folks in the local councils and boards will join me in this fiscally conservative endeavor.

Ray Kirkus

Candidate,

Berrien County commissioner,

Ninth District.

New Buffalo