From Martin County to Washington DC, the heavy hand of government intrusion into our economic markets continues.

The Federal Reserve is buying corporate debt to juice the financial health of big companies. This, of course, ends up with influencing the stock markets which have no relationship to the broader U.S. economy. The corporatists have friends in high places that allow this absurdity to continue. Yet the staff people who work for these companies are told their jobs have been eliminated.

It is a pattern that continues with the massive bailout of these same large corporations by the government where trillions of dollars are being spent because of the economic crisis. In that case, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has the gall to tell the American people that they do not even need to know where all that government largess is going. It is secret and proprietary. If $100,000,000 or even more goes to Steve’s uncle, he is saying the American taxpayers have no right to know where their tax money is going.

Locally, our very own Martin County Business Development Board (DBD) wants you to reauthorize its ability to give out tax money. This largess will go to favored existing businesses or companies moving to this area that will supposedly create new jobs. In study after study, it has been proven that money given to companies or to industry does not work in this intended way.

Even the jobs created are usually short term and costs thousands more per job than any increased taxes received.  It continues because there are interest groups that keep telling the tax-paying public it is a must have tool in the toolbox.

Here is what that tool does. It appropriates the tax dollars from Martin County residents to incentivizes a company to move here to create new jobs. You may say that is a good use of taxes. Yet is it?

Let us say that new company makes widgets. But, the widget makers that are already here and employing people are now going to subsidize their competition in the widget business with their tax dollars. Is that the American way?

When did it become economically justifiable for the government to decide which businesses are subsidized and which are not? Martin County does not have money to fix roads or drainage, but a friend always helps a friend especially if they can do so with your money.

The Business Development Board is supposedly a private non-government entity. Yet it derives almost its entire budget from their friends on the County Commission and other Martin governments. Everyone has a seat at the table but you, the taxpayer. Is this the way government should function?

What happened to spending your taxes on infrastructure? The vaunted quality of Martin schools is a fiction when compared to those in other parts of the country. If you want to compete for industry, then our schools need to be the best in the world…not better than Clay County’s. If you want industry, then it needs to be simple to open a business rather than making people spend needless months to get their approvals to do so. We need housing at all levels to support a diverse work force. Yet, we fight it at every turn.

The United States, including Martin County, has forgotten why we became an economic powerhouse. It was not because of economic subsidy but rather economic freedom. Existing businesses should not be kept on life support by the government buying their bonds or investing in their stock. Nor should Martin County tax money be used to favor Company A by doling out the money collected from Companies B through Z.

Martin County voters will decide the question of tax incentives this election. I urge you to vote no on this referendum and send the message that your tax money needs to be used for new drainage in Hobe Sound and Palm City. That we need to continue to spend money on our rivers and waterways to improve our quality of life. At the same time, let’s send a message that entities such as the BDB need to stop taking money from the government coffers.

I know I am tired of supporting the County elite in their good life. How about you?