Government does very few things well

In response to Burt Constable's Tuesday piece on how "Government can do more than wage war and collect taxes," I warn that the government does very few things well, and their inefficiencies cost us all money in higher taxes (please note that I am not being critical of any of the hard-working federal, state, or local government employees whose hands are tied by unreasonable bureaucracies).

Additionally, Mr. Constable seems to have fallen prey to the "...the government is obligated to help people" mindset.

I believe that what makes our country great is that people, through hard work and intelligence, have the ability to help themselves. Ask any immigrant here, and they'll tell you that there are opportunities here that just are not available to them in their homeland. They are not here for the free programs, although if easily available, who would turn them down? The best thing that the government can do is to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit, to let people keep more of what they earn, and to create an environment where those who choose to contribute to society or take risk can be rewarded. If we can achieve this state, the need for "programs" should be reduced significantly!

Keith Gray

Mettawa