| Wolf Eagle |
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| The Truth about Big Government |
| The last century has seen the rise of bigger and bigger government, with very little discussion or debate on merits or the implications. This isn't just a rising problem on the national scale but on the local scale as well. For example, let's briefly discuss the population growth of Rhea County, Tennessee. We will not go too far into the details and bog this down, but we can venture back to 1900, which is well over 100 years ago. I think it is agreeable that 100 years being a century and all, is a very, very long time. So, to compare relative local government growth, so as to keep up with population growth fluctuation, I invite someone else to sit down and figure all those details out. As for this task, I am merely presenting to you the statistical data for Rhea County from the years of 1900 to 2000. I am simply trying to understand how local government services, employees and massive expenditures in tax money are not in line with the population growth of the county. To me it would seem that if area growth was at a 10% increase then a 10% overall increase in manpower, services etc., would be in order. It sure seems that the money spent in Rhea County is NOT in line with the growth. Another classic example is the city of Dayton which has a population of only 6,180 people in 2000. This number is virtually the same (within 600 people) as it was 20 years ago. So why the need for so many more police, firemen and the "pet" projects that have drained, and continue to drain the city dry? Remember folks, I am not making these numbers and statistics up. Any complaints about these numbers call the U.S. Census Bureau and fuss at them. |
| Population of Rhea County, Tennessee from 1900 thru 2000 2000 28,400 1990 1980 1970 1960 24344 24235 17202 15863 1950 1940 1930 1920 16041 16353 13871 13812 1910 1900 15410 14318 Source: http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt |
| As you can see, the population in Rhea County in the year 1900 was 14,318. The county population grew only by 1,723 people in 50 years with a population of 16,041 in 1950. From 1950 to 200 the population grew 12,359 in the next 50 years from 1950 to 2000. As you can see the growth in Rhea County slumbered the first 70 years with a population variance of 14,318 in 1900 to 17,202 in 1970. This is only 2,884 people in 70 years! During the 30 years that followed, Rhea County grew from 17,202 in 1970 to 28,400 in 2000. Why in the past 30 years with 11,198 more people with 4,056 of those reflected in the 2000 census has county departments grown to such magnitude? Why would a sheriff's department have the need to require the massive increase in not only manpower but budget money when the population doesn't justify it? Is the massive growth in the need for money due to something other than population growth? If so, what would it be? Could it be that crime in Rhea County could be wrapped up and produced on a video and labeled "Rhea County Crime Gone Wild"? In any event, who cares right? Feel free to watch this embedded video below which sheds some light on how big government is not good for none of us. |
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