If Government Doesn’t Do It, Who Will?

During the years that I served in the Colorado state legislature, I encountered people who asked that question from a sincere perspective. For some people, it is easy to view government as a benevolent, caring, efficient, and low-cost problem-solving engine.

As a Republican, it would be easy and all too predictable for me to accuse Democrats of embracing that perspective, while suggesting that Republicans don’t. However, experience has taught me that there are plenty of Republicans who can embrace that perspective when it benefits them. My goal is not to place blame, but to encourage.

A mentor of mine once shared his perspective that the best possible outcome that government could hope to achieve would be to break even, to do-no-harm, a zero-sum game. His argument was that, in order for government to give a dollar to someone in need, it must first take a dollar from someone who has one.

The problem is that government tends to be expensive. Thus, in order for government to give a dollar, it must take a lot more than a dollar in order to pay for its service of redistributing dollars. Just that quickly, the best-case scenario vanishes, and we are drawn into a political debate about the cost and expanding role of government.

Generally, people who are agnostic or atheistic toward faith might look to government as an engine by which the objectives of society can be organized and accomplished. Meanwhile, people of faith might look more toward their church or denomination as a vehicle by which assistance can be provided and problems solved. As with political affiliation, having faith or lack thereof doesn’t always determine a person’s opinions regarding the proper role of government or the best way to solve a given problem.

So, here I am, six paragraphs into violating what many families agree to never discuss during a holiday meal: politics and religion. I freely admit that I’m a former politician and a man of faith who has little interest in shaming or blaming. We have an ample supply of both in our society, and my goal is not to stir the pot or rile you to anger. Rather, my goal is to encourage you to find better answers to the “Who Will?” question.

Foster Care is one government service for which we might be grateful. Too often, kids are left parentless due to violence, drug addiction, imprisonment, or some other human tragedy. When no family member is willing or available to care for a child, the state takes custody and works to place the child in a foster family. Approximately 250,000 kids enter foster care nationally each year.

For some kids, foster care is a temporary situation. For others, aging out of the foster care system at the age of 18 becomes a harsh reality. The system that previously took care of them has few, if any, answers once they turn 18. That’s where the private sector can step in and be the better “Who”.

Harbor 58 is a non-profit organization in my new Florida home community. They’re about to begin construction of a village of tiny homes specifically for youth who have aged out of foster care: https://www.harbor58.org 

Residents will receive access to internship programs, financial planning advice, and help in obtaining a driver’s license. They’ll also receive free internet and have access to low-cost laptops and tablets. Harbor 58 will also assist residents with state Medicaid access, for which they qualified until age 26.

That’s just one small example of how the private sector can be the better “Who”. Take time to look in your community for similar efforts through a faith-based organization or other private-sector non-profit organization. You might even find an opportunity to start your own organization to be the better “Who” to solve a different problem.

But being a better “Who” might mean doing something on your own. Take, for instance, Sean Stockman, who lives in the metropolitan Detroit area. On July 30, 2023, Sean posted his first video to YouTube under his “Midlife Stockman” channel. He cleaned up an abandoned preschool in his community. He trimmed and mowed the grass, removed debris, and made the property more presentable.

As of today, Sean has released 102 such videos and has over 700,000 subscribers to his channel. That’s approximately the number of people who live in a US House District. But those 700,000 people support Sean’s work by watching his videos, purchasing merchandise, and contributing financially to specific projects that they take on through Sean’s work. How many members of Congress have this kind of support from their constituents?

Sean didn’t wait for the government to help people in his community; he went out and helped people. Thanks to the Internet and the YouTube platform, Sean is closing in on a million-member community of people who are answering the “Who Will” question with a resounding “We will!”

If you’re burned out on political division. If you find yourself being angry about something that you read or posted online. If you crave happiness in your life. Then find a Harbor 58 or Midlife Stockman in your community and get involved. Be part of a solution. Or, if you are unable to get out and explore on your own, then take time to learn more about one or both of those online “We Will” opportunities and help make the world a better place.

Chris Holbert served as a Republican Colorado State Representative (2011-2014) and Colorado State Senator (2015-2022). During his time in the Colorado Senate, he was elected as Senate Majority Leader (2017-2018) and was twice elected unanimously as Senate Minority Leader (2019-2020 & 2021-2022). Subject to term limits, Chris moved with his wife to Florida in 2022.