The Long Term Impact of COVID-19

What is the long-term impact of Covid-19 on Idaho? It has increased our dependency on the government.

With the pandemic declaration, Idaho received $1B in Covid-19 relief. About 55% of that went to advance Medicare payments to health care providers. Some went to businesses as grants or loans. And, some also went to direct aid to many Idahoans.

Money to Idahoans. Good, right? Before you cheer for money to the people of Idaho, consider the following. The need for charitable contributions went down as people’s needs were shifted to government welfare programs. In conversations with church leaders, I was told me that the number of welfare recipients has dropped significantly since Covid-19. Further, the hours of operation of the Bishop Warehouse have been cut in half, due to low demand. Charities from multiple religions are experiencing similar impacts.

If the low demand were due to recipients learning to be self-sufficient, that would be a good thing. We want people to be self-reliant. But, it is not good if the reliance is shifted to another source, the government.

A wise person once taught me that the function of the government should be to secure our rights. Now, with the federal government and seemingly our state government working in concert, we are being subjugated.

Pastor who stood up for religious freedom against Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to speak in Pocatello

When we permit the government to provide for us, to care for us, we are also handing our freedom to them. The government does not create any resources. The only way for the government to provide for us is by taking resources from us. As a result, the government takes more and more, in the form of taxes and monetary policies. Except, there are strings attached to the welfare that we receive. Think about it. LGBTQ, CRT, vaccination mandate, transgenderism, etc. The level of acceptance of these principles was increased, especially since Covid-19.

By allowing the government to take care of us, we are also trading freedom for security. Also known as becoming enslaved by the government. George Washington explained that government is force. It is not benevolence. When we turn our lives over to the government, it will provide only by demanding obedience and compliance. In turn, we become its slaves.

The immigration policies of our nation during the founding era explain this principle. John Quincy Adams stated:

“This is a land, not of privileges, but of equal rights…coming here, are not to expect favors from the governments. They are to expect if they choose to become citizens, equal rights with those of the natives of the country. They are to expect, if affluent, to possess the means of making their property productive, with moderation, and with safety.

They come to a life of independence, but to a life of labor.”

Early immigrants to our Nation were given nothing, except for the opportunity to pursue happiness. The result was a unified America; she became the most productive nation on earth.

We, too, should not expect anything from our government, but a guarantee of our unalienable rights.

But, what about the charity we receive from churches? First, charities do not take from one and transfer it to another. Second, the conditions of assistance are different. It is spiritual. Churches focus on helping the individual become self-reliant, so they can seek spiritual paths they desire. The objective of religion is vastly different than government.

The Covid-19 pandemic has accustomed many people to look to the government as the guarantor of their security and lifestyle. But, what we get from is not free. Free stuff will end up costing … everything we possess.