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Sunday, March 31, 2019

UPDATED: Trump administration proposal to cut Special Olympics funding may be unpopular, but it’s right

UPDATED:

President Trump heard the outrage loud and clear, 'cause he just announced that he will NOT seek to cut nearly $18 MILLION in funding from the Special Olympics.
 

The Trump administration budget, as in prior years, proposes cutting $17.6 million of federal funding for the Special Olympics. Even though this particular spending cut has been ignored by Congress in previous years, the public response has been mostly outrage.

But despite the outrage, the Trump administration is right: the federal government should cut its funding for the Special Olympics.

Consider the role of the federal government. Everything it funds should have good answers to these questions: What does the program do, and is it absolutely vital to the country? If the answer is that it's not vital, but it just seems like a nice thing to do, then it’s hard to justify it forcing people to spend their money on something they could voluntarily donate to.

The Special Olympics does not need federal funding. Thankfully, they do a great job generating revenue on their own. During the 2016 fiscal year, they earned $111.7 million in revenue (with only about $11.5 million, or 10 percent, coming from the federal government) and had $109.9 million in expenses, meaning they had a $1.8 million surplus — plus, $61.3 million in net assets. Corporate sponsorships and direct mail contributions comprised more than 80 percent of its revenue stream, while investments and other fundraising comprised about another 10 percent.

More
 

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I’m a big supporter of SO, but it is a perfect example of where government should not be involved. I am happy to contribute and am confident that $1 of direct private contribution goes much farther than that same &1 paid in taxes, winding its way through an expensive and inefficient buerocracy and pennies of that dollar ultimately ending up at SO.

Anonymous said...

Well done, Mr. President! Special Olympics is a worthwhile cause, one that's well funded without federal government dollars. All who donate their time and money to the cause should be congratulated.

However, a brief look at how much many senior officers of the non-profit make ($110,000 and up) show salaries that may seem a little high, perhaps reflecting the federal government's longstanding and frankly unnecessary largess. Maybe a little trimming would be in order.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely distasteful. Shame on all of you who agree with this.

Anonymous said...

This funding is such a small part of the 1 trillion dollar deficit Trump has accrued.

Anonymous said...

shameful

Anonymous said...

special lives matter

Anonymous said...

The assessment is that Special Olympics already has (and has had for a long time) way more than enough money to carry out its mission. Thank you private donors and community chest organizations.

There is no shame in not giving people what they don't need.

Anonymous said...

How about cutting that military budget. 1 dollar for every 20 spent and every single child in America could attend college free. Nah, just take it from the people most incapable of pleading their case.

J.C. said...

I support Special Olympics and I agree with the President. They may have needed the funds in the beginning but someone is obviously doing a great job with the organization because it is now self sufficient. I guess those of you that are appalled must get welfare so you can sit at home and not work. Hope they cut your freebies next LOL!

Anonymous said...

"How about cutting that military budget. 1 dollar for every 20 spent and every single child in America could attend college free. Nah, just take it from the people most incapable of pleading their case."

Maybe you should read the preamble to the Constitution to find out what the purpose of our government is. Just the first line, that's all you need to read. Go ahead, I dare you.

Anonymous said...

3:38
Show me where it says the government must pay for it.

Anonymous said...

"Promote the general welfare" is right there too.

wrench said...

Cut N.P.R. while you are at it. They have their fund raisers and they can sell commercials like the other media outlets.

Anonymous said...

Which one of the enumerated powers does the special Olympics fall under?

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
— Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution

Anonymous said...

SO Aka Dems

Anonymous said...

Yup ZERO FOR NPR

Anonymous said...

What 220 cut funding for our military? Just zip it with your lack of American knowledge.

Anonymous said...

Cut it $2 for every $20 and they could give them all the same Volkswagen to drive cut it $3 for every $20 and they can all live in the same type of apartment housing so forth and so on and what do you end up with? Think about it go on I dare you, Read a book learn some world history. You are clueless on how economy's work. Do you even work?

Anonymous said...

We have a special needs nephew who has participated in the SO but in my opinion the government should not give SO one cent. Eunice Kennedy started it. Let the Kennedy's fund it. They have no problem giving themselves awards and demand praise at the event let them fund it.

Anonymous said...

Here's an example from Guidestar. SO of NJ have over 14 million is assets. 2017 they collected just over 7 million Over 3 million went toward salaries. SO of IL 11 million in assets. 2017 collected over 9 million paid out in salaries over 5 million

Anonymous said...

There they go, thinking with their hearts instead of their heads.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe what is happening. You all know for a FACT if a democrat did this there would be a massive public outcry. Anything Trump does, no matter how horrible, you all just blindly follow it. Thank goodness we outnumber you.

Anonymous said...

@3:38 don't start quoting the Constitution to me when you and many others don't give three F's about it.

Where are the military men lining up to destroy the Federal Reserve and abolish the income tax? Both unconstitutional. Where are the military men lining up to stop the persecution and unconstitutional removal of rights given by God from people convicted of a crime and having served their time?

*Crickets*

The Constitution is nothing more than an argument of convenience nowadays.



Anonymous said...

The Gov waists more than that on Lunch every day !!!!!

Anonymous said...

He remembered the gene pool of his supporters.

Anonymous said...

OOPS! In Trump world ,. you spoke too soon.