To: Friends of Freedom

From: Rep. Steven Thayn Our country is in financial trouble for several reasons. One of the main reasons is that few openly discuss our current outmoded, inefficient entitlement system that was created before the importance of the family was recognized. Consider:

1. 2/3 of the federal budget is allocated to social services (entitlements)

2. 85 percent of the Idaho’s budget is for social services (Education and Health and Welfare)

3. In 1900, only 8 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was needed to fund all levels of government

4. By 2010, over 40 percent of the GDP will be needed to fund all levels of government

5. The area of greatest growth has been in social services (entitlements)

6. In 1900, the percent of the federal budget allocated for social services was 0 percent!

7. Now 2/3 of the federal budget is for social services!

I repeat. It is time to reconstruct our social service delivery system based upon four guiding principles.

      1. Improve delivery of social services

      2. Provide social services at less cost

      3. Local funding and delivery of social services

      4. Increase the capacity of the family to provide its own social services

It is critical that social services be improved. The current system is a mess. It creates dependency, harms those it tries to help, and increases the seriousness of almost every problem it addresses i.e. unwed pregnancy, school readiness, poverty, medical costs, etc. 

Reconstructing our new social service delivery system must be done at less cost. The current system is a drain on the economy, a stress on family finances, and harms the people intended to be helped. The current system is rife with misuse, abuse, and corruption. It treats symptoms; not causes.

Reconstruction can be done by utilizing two common sense tools. First, reallocate resources away from the federal government to the local government. The federal government has not proven to be a good steward of social service resources. This incompetency must be recognized and curtailed by cutting federal budgets and letting states keep their own resources. Second, recognize that the family unit’s purpose is to provide social services and make a concerted effort to strengthen the ability of the family to provide its own social services. The single most important government action is to reduce taxes rates.

Finally, involve the family unit as an active partner in the delivery of all social services from education to retirement. The obvious place to start is reforming education by encouraging willing parents to partner with teachers in the teaching process. For more information, contact me at ssthayn@aol.com for a 12 page thesis on this topic.