Congratulations Wildman, we both now have daughters who've weathered the storm. That which don't kill them...

Dweste, I think Grouch clarified that moving wasn't the only option, but taking care of and being accountable for oneself and their charges is socially preferable.

I think it a safe assumption that at some point all of us need a helping hand somewhere. I know I certainly have a time or two. No man is an island, but neither should they be reckless and irresponsible. I believe in a common good, as I am sure most here also do, which is why I pay 40%+ of my income to taxes, as well as donating a considerable amount regularly to charity. What I do not care for is when the two are blended, and the money I give the government to run the government gets used instead as charity, or to help the needy. The reason is that once it is used to bail out a select group of unfortunate people, whether their calamity is through their own neglect or incompetence or simply one of the risks of life, then it is no longer the common good, but a special interest, and most often does not remedy the real cause of the problem, but only serves to relieve some of the symptoms.

Some time ago I posted a quote from Davey Crockett, called "Not Yours to Give" (actually a quote of an interviewer of Mr. Crockett). I believe his argument holds just as true today as it did in his time. Rather than continue to reiterate the theme of his statement, I would suggest that anyone who hasn't yet read the transcript should do so.

After I read it the first time, yes, it was all so simple.

I am all for people helping people, but it ought to be at more of the grass roots level, and not a function of federal government, unless it is directed more towards the common good. Cleaning up NOLA after Katrina had many "common good" aspects that the feds needed to and did pay for, but also many special inhterests that should've been left alone, or at most handled by the local community and maybe the state governments.

The survival aspect of all this for me is that our currency isn't devalued by charity, leaving more revenue to deal with real common good problems, like a rotting infrastructure, strategic energy developments, medical research, etc., thus providing all of us a better chance at getting by, especially in times of crisis.