"Just because a problem exists doesn't mean government should try to solve it." This principle of governing is always important to remember and follow, but never more so than in the economic crisis that now faces the families and businesses of our state.
We have reached the point where we treat the government as if it is our savior - our only source of help in times of trouble. Not only do public officials create supposed solutions to every problem, the public itself now expects and demands it. That must change.
Government programs crowd out innovative, non-governmental solutions from the public's imagination because people think, "It's the government's job to fix that problem; I don't have to think about it." They also remove the sense of personal responsibility to help others, as we think, "The government is taking care of people, so I don't have to."
Frequently when government is called on to solve a problem, there is a person or another entity that could address it more appropriately and effectively. The cry, "We need to do something!" may be true, but "we" doesn't necessarily mean "the government."