UTNE Reader Article #3 April 1999 Glenn Tracey Cohort III

Dowie, M. (1998, August). Show Us the Money. UTNE Reader, 88, 24-27.

The opportunity to develop change in our society is always interesting to discuss and the author of Show Us the Money has proposed one idea worthy of some consideration. Dowie believes that the redistribution of wealth over the next twenty-five years invites government to become more proactive in creating a system denying continued concentration of an estimated $10 trillion moving from one generation to another among the richest members of society. Is this another idealistic leftwing attack on the wealthy in an attempt to use a windfall, Inherited wealth made ruling class children lazy and indolent, in order to build a safety net for the poor? Although the role of taking from the rich to give to the poor is one of many things our government is entrusted to do, an evenhanded method of sharing societal resources has proven difficult to accomplish. The development of foundations that could help resolve income disparity and alleviate social injustice by involving community activists is suggested by Dowie as one way for government to help the neediest. The idea that current laws could be changed using tax incentives to encourage establishment of philanthropic foundations that were more democratic in their management is a sensible approach to resource redistribution. However we need to be careful in designing a program that will look at our individual wealth and decide how we can share it with our families and communities. The most important element in changing society is to improve the way we use our resources in addressing our needs. Foundations have proven to be an effective method of building the assets in our society which promote opportunity for the future. Balancing the continued increasing role of government with the individual choice we value is challenging, but can improve the current social programs by creating funding of community based research designed to encourage individual growth. Welfare is an example of a program that has not worked to promote change because it couldnt provide the foundation for an environmental renewal. Reinvesting resources in a more democratic system of redistribution could involve more individual choice being made available to the members of society that have the most knowledge of their needs. Using our city as an example of recent government policy with resource allocation is a chance to see if current methods will result in economic growth that can bring about social improvement by providing employment in technology industries. Trying to provide the assets for the members of our city most in need of these jobs to gain skills necessary to compete for them is poorly funded and extremely complex when considering their needs. Creating jobs that benefit the community can be better accomplished when supported by programs enabling the individuals within the community to be successful in those jobs. Using the inherited wealth of our society could be a source of foundations on which to build the assets needed to accomplish this.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 1999