Calvin Coolidge: Public Expenditure
on Tuesday, October 27, 2020Calvin Coolidge Money Quote saying it is easy to bestow public money when there are so many looking for the opportunity. Calvin Coolidge said:
“Nothing is easier than the expenditure of public money. It doesn’t appear to belong to anyone. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody” — Calvin Coolidge
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In this quote, Calvin Coolidge is commenting on the psychological tendency for politicians and public officials to be frivolous with taxpayer money since it does not feel like it truly belongs to any single person.
Coolidge suggests that spending government funds captured from the public via taxes is too easy, as there is an “overwhelming temptation” to shower benefits on constituencies to garner popularity, even if the spending is unnecessary or wasteful. Without a direct personal cost, it is too tempting to treat public money carelessly.
The quote conveys Coolidge’s view that there needs to be prudence and restraint in expenditure of taxpayer dollars. Since the money was collected from citizens, it should not be treated as if it has no real owner and dispensed freely without consideration for accountability or value. Coolidge seems to be advocating for responsibility and care in oversight and allocation of public finances.
Birthday: July 4, 1872 – Death: January 5, 1933