All We Ask Is That The Government Not Hurt Our Efforts To Do Good

        Thomas Jefferson said, “That government is best that governs least, because its people discipline themselves.”   We are constantly engaged in a philosophical and ideological struggle over the role of government in everyday life.  Those of us in the faith community are challenged and even commanded to help the poor, feed the hungry, lift up the downtrodden and care for the needy.  The sad truth is that many people of faith have abdicated this responsibility over to the government.  But not everyone!  There are many churches, agencies, and groups in this community who take their benevolent responsibility seriously and are changing lives in a positive way.  These are situations that the government should be applauding and encouraging, certainly not hurting!

        The Lexington Kiwanis Club has reached out to those in need by focusing on lifting up and enriching the lives of children through an annual summer camp.  When the camp first started in 1928 the target group was children who were malnourished and susceptible to the dreaded disease of tuberculosis.  Kamp Kiwanis today focuses on children who often come from troubled homes and do not receive the love and encouragement that is so essential in developing a positive self-esteem.  We still have children who don’t have enough food to eat and we feed them well, but the most important thing is to feed their spirits and develop their sense of self-worth.  We want each child to know they are special and loved in the eyes of God. 

        Our operation of Kamp Kiwanis, which gets more expensive each year, is strictly through private funds.  The only help we get from the government is that we ask the Department of Social Services to select the children to ensure we reach those who need this experience the most.  We receive no governmental funding or subsidy.  This is the reason why so many of us are dismayed by the recent action of the NC State Legislature to tax our primary source of revenue for our camp.  

        The new tax was implemented as an entertainment tax to generate more revenue from sporting events, concerts, and theater.  This is a tax we understand and support.  Governmental fairs were exempt from this tax but for some inexplicable reason or grievous oversight, county fairs were not.  Since 1946 the Lexington Kiwanis Club has owned and operated the Davidson County Agricultural Fair with the sole purpose of raising the funds to operate Kamp Kiwanis.  We are a non-profit that exists to help others.  The Kiwanis Club members volunteer their time to run the fair.   All of the proceeds go to bless the lives of these children who attend camp. No one is making money.  Everything is done for the children.

        We operate on a razor-thin margin.  All school children can enter the fair for a dollar.  The adult admission is $7.00.   We don’t charge for parking.  If this tax had been in effect last year, the club would have been forced to pay $6,800 to the state.  That would equal 970 people paying full admission or to put it another way; 27 children would not be able to attend camp. 

        I applaud the efforts of Representative Sam Watford who has introduced an amendment to exempt county fairs from this new tax.  He not only knows of the good work we seek to do, but realizes how detrimental this tax will be on a small organization like Kiwanis.  There are many times it is necessary for the government to get involved in the lives of citizens.  But when citizens are not only doing the right thing, but seeking to break the cycle of poverty so that the next generation will be less dependent on the government, the last thing the government needs to do is weaken that cause. 

        We can, and should, continue the debate on the role of government in our lives.  The more that faith groups and civic organizations can do to help people in need is a win/win for all of us.  It fulfills our mission and it reduces the burden on our government.  All we ask is that the government not hurt our efforts to do good.