What does it say about the marketplace when startups turn directly to government for launching? And then get P.O’d when they get a “no”?
Nonprofit startup scraps plans for recovery center in Concord
A startup Manchester nonprofit has abandoned plans to open a recovery center in Concord after a discouraging meeting with state officials, the founder of the group said on Thursday.
…“From the time I walked through the door, I got the impression that they were against startup nonprofits like Midpoint competing with bigger agencies. If they wanted to discourage me and my organization from getting involved in addiction services, they did a very good job of it,” Burke said.
…Midpoint’s website has one page which is devoted to fundraising. Burke said he needed to raise $100,000 in public and private funds to reopen the South State Street location in Concord. It’s been a struggle raising money, and without state funding it would be useless to try to open the recovery center.
Let’s be blunt and politically incorrect – there has seemingly been a “gold rush” of established and new companies/non-profits/charities/service organizations all zooming in on addicts’ perceived needs. All of them have government money, small or large, in their revenue streams. It is what I’ve been saying for years now – charities have turned from the individual to just persuading a few politicians in moving from the individual hearts and wallets to gaining entrance to the public Treasury. They DEPEND on government funding. It’s their version of the Holy Grail because once latched on, they ain’t letting go.
Sorry, Merle Burke, but your business model sucks if you think that merely sauntering up and virtue-signaling “we’re here to help addicts” is a sufficient plan. They were right to turn you down – who are you to DEMAND that government fund you simply because you are a “non-profit” that wants to service addicts, even if they are the “item of the year”? You chose the cheap and easy way out – and failed.
I can understand why you did so – look at all those that came ahead of you that made it happen. But at some point, as Margaret Thatcher said, you run out of other peoples’ money and that may be what’s happening now.
I do wonder, especially with WMUR’s report on the US Surgeon General telling us that MORE Americans SHOULD be carrying Narcan to save their fellow addict citizens who have overdosed. Sorry, even though I have a son that is an addict (perhaps recovering but I’m never sure), I’m not going to do so. I do think that moving addicts to a “you have a disease” model instead of a “responsibility” model is eliminating shame and stigma too far the other way. After all, if everyone is going to take care of ME, why should I take care of myself – I merely got a disease and the idea that some (if any) the bad consequence is due to a bad decision is out the door. That’s seemingly a model that is crowding out self-responsibility in this age of our Larger and Larger Welfare State. Look, there are people that need help, should get help, and at times, really do use it as a hand up instead of as a hammock. I’ve met the former and helped them, too, but too often in running our daycare, too many were using it as a hammock. Don’t tell me that “well, no one WANTS to be there!”. Nonsense, I watch some for years and saw no effort to get out of that lowest common denominator status. Welfare got them attuned to that lowered status but their needs were met for free. If everything is given to you by others, and there is no cost or little effort required of you, then why should we be surprised when the caseloads are high or that the spirit to desire and work for more vanishes into the labyrinth that is the welfare system?
Yes, I’m taking advantage of the “safety net” right now as I’m looking for a new opportunity (and finally some things are starting to break for me as I keep beating the hastings for that opportunity). As I told our last DCYF social worker (and yes, she was one of the good ones!) before our adoption of The Grandson became finalized, there is a need for a Safety Net – I just don’t want to be in it. Lately, I am becoming more and more convinced that too many may not have liked getting into it but aren’t doing a whole lot to get out of it. Sure, SNAP (food stamp) recipients are heading downward – way downward. I haven’t, however, seen any studies that proclaim that this is a result of just the economy getting better (which it is), hard work in finding employment (which probably true in some cases), or that the welfare programs are changing in that you will find work, do community service, or get training? Anecdotally, I tend to think it is the latter – any of those three means getting up and doing.
But I digress. Methinks that our elected officials need to be providing much oversight on the growth of govt spending in this area – no government can service all needs for all people all the time. After all, when the government is giving money to charities, that doesn’t mean that we citizens are being charitable, it just means that government is being charitable with other peoples’ money – which is to say, not charitable at all.
And we individual aren’t being charitable either – we’re merely paying taxes (which isn’t a choice).
(H/T: Union Leader)
