“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the constitution which granted a right to congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents….”
-James Madison, 4th president of the United States and “Father of the Constitution”

SInce that time, no such article has been added. The headlines today include the fact that the United States Department of Agriculture has purchased millions and millions of dollars of food using “the money of their constituents.”

From the USDA website: “Through the Recovery Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made $100 million available to the states for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which acquires food that is distributed to local organizations that assist the needy – including food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens.”

This is an unconstitutional expenditure.

“But wait, you are evil! This is to benefit needy people of our country!” people may cry.

Do not misunderstand. It is not that the needy people of our country should not or will not be helped. However, it is not the job of Big Government to do it. Of this, there is no question if one looks toward the Constitution for guidance. The people of this country are among the most generous people in the world. There is no need for Big Government Bureaucracy. Let the people donate the money to their favorite local charity – or donate food – or volunteer somehow to help whatever cause you believe in. Maybe start your own charity. If you think that more should be done then do more – and get your friends and other like-minded people to help.

This $100,000,000 is not “Government Money”, it is money seized from taxpayers – the very same people who could have just donated it themselves – without the expensive bureaucrat middlemen.