How much Welfare?

Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution reads, "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imports, and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States...

The definition of "general" according to Webster's Dictionary is...
1) involving or applicable to the whole, 2) involving, relating to, or applicable to every member of a class, kind, or group, 3) applicable to or characteristic of the majority of individuals involved, and so on. You get the "general" idea.

In recent months Congress has passed certain legislation to benefit "a few". Did you get help with your mortgage? Did you get to trade your car in for a new one at a discounted price?

I'm NOT saying I wanted to. "Generally" I don't want my family, neighbors, and total strangers to "help" me at their own expense. I'd hate to think that I got a break on my mortgage interest and a reduced payoff of my house at the expense of someone who doesn't even own a house; or worse yet someone else who lives in a lot less house because they sacrifice to pay their bills and save money for a rainy day. I'd hate to think that I got a new car (maybe a third car for our family) purchased by hard earned dollars of someone else who has only one car (and the wife drives her husband to work everyday so she can chauffeur kids around).

Where did it say in the Constitution that we can tax one group and give it to another group? I read the words "common" and "general" for the recipients of tax dollar initiatives. I think that means that everyone who pays taxes would benefit from the initiatives created by the taxes. Where does it say we can "redistribute" the wealth?

So now we're going to take from many (the "general" public) and give to "a few", health care. Let's reread the Constitution. I can't remember it saying, "and provide for the common Defence and "explicit" Welfare of the United States.

Health care is in need of reform. There is no doubt. I'm not saying we should do nothing. I'm not saying we don't have a moral obligation to change things. I'm not sure, however, that it's the role and duty of Congress, or our tax dollars, to do so per the Constitution. If you've read it somewhere, please comment.