Reader:

Three ways your tax dollars are diverted, misused, or returned to political allies.

​

Morning Minute – 12.12.25

“Where Should You Look for Corruption?”​
Corruption doesn’t start big—it grows when taxpayers stop paying attention.

​Corruption inside government doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It grows when people stop paying attention, allowing unethical individuals and organizations to enrich themselves with your tax dollars. Here are three common ways corruption operates out of public view:

1. Hidden Grants with Little Oversight​
In 2024, the EPA awarded a multibillion-dollar grant to a Georgia-based nonprofit whose only employee was Stacey Abrams. Reports later revealed the organization had only $100 in its bank account, submitted no detailed plan for their use of funds, and was provided no meaningful governmental oversight. Under those conditions, billions of taxpayer dollars would be spent with little accountability. This was something exposed only when the next administration discovered this corruption.

2. Government Unions and Political Partnerships​
​Private-sector unions advocate for better pay, benefits, and protections for their members.
But government-employee unions operate differently: their funding comes from taxpayers, not from corporations. Many of these unions direct large portions of member dues to one political party, which in turn pushes for laws requiring taxpayer-funded projects to use their union labor. This creates a cycle where taxpayer dollars indirectly support political agendas while limiting competition and transparency.

3. Family-Run NGOs and International Aid​
Some nongovernmental organizations receive enormous sums from U.S. taxpayers and foreign governments. The Clinton Global Initiative, for example, has long been criticized for directing less than 10% of its revenue to on-the-ground relief efforts while using the rest for internal expenses.
Other NGOs, particularly overseas, work with local partners here in the U.S., who funnel significant portions of government grants back to connected politicians. Much of this activity stays hidden from the public and rarely receives meaningful oversight.

FINAL THOUGHT:​
These are only three examples of corruption among many. Graft and corruption increase government debt, waste taxpayer dollars, and erode trust in our institutions. That’s why every American citizen must stay informed. Corruption ends only when taxpayers understand how it works, and demand that their elected representatives stop the waste, stop the favoritism, and stop the misuse of our hard-earned money.

“Where Should You Look for Corruption?”

That is today’s Morning Minute.

***

If a family member, coworker, or someone you know may find this message helpful, interesting, and/or informative, please share it with them.

As always, your comments, your questions, and your observations are greatly appreciated! Reach out to me at ​lab@larryonlearning.com​.

​​​​​​

***

Thank you to the many subscribers who participated in our recent poll! The opinions were split 50/50 between those who preferred panel discussions with subject matter experts, and those who preferred in-depth articles on trends, events, and markets. We will use your preferences as we augment the format of our newsletters in 2026.

***

Here are some recent Morning Minutes you may have missed with actionable ideas, useful instruction, and step-by-step methods to help you, your family, and/or your team to be more, do more, and achieve more.

​"What Will YOU Do Next?" See how that learning from setbacks, mistakes, and disappointments can create a life well-lived. Discover a short story that describes how the author was challenged at an early age with a substantial setback. Learn how that what YOU DO NEXT will determine if you will build better habits, stronger character, and/or real personal discipline!

​"Master Your Emotions for a Successful Life!" By controlling your emotions you create resilience and set yourself on a course toward a more purposeful life. Discover the 6 emotions of anger, fear, joy, envy, hate, and love. Learn specifically how to react to these emotions and use them to improve your relationships, your life, and your success. See how that managing your emotions stets you up for a successful life.

​"Build Stronger Teams by Building Stronger Leaders!" Training & empowering the right people multiplies your impact creating superior results! Discover the 5 steps you can use to promote, attract, and train strong leaders. Learn why and how that creating stronger leaders creates stronger teams!

​"Building & Nurturing Strong Relationships!" How much is a relationship really worth? See why creating and maintaining great relationships is absolutely worth the effort? Discover 6 identifiable traits and actions that are present in great relationships. Learn how that the "Golden Rule" impacts the success of relationships with family, friends, associates, and customers.

​"How BAD Company Corrupts GOOD Character!" Why choosing the right relationships protects your habits, your character, and your destiny! Discover the steps a person goes through to create good character. Learn how that keeping bad company can destroy your character with bad language, bad ideas, and unhealthy actions. Discover how that the company your keep will determine the direction of your life.

​"How Do You RECOGNIZE Evil?" By what standard, or by what reasoning, do you determine what is, and what is not, evil? Discover and discuss how one may determine what is evil. Learn how that the popular culture description of "my truth" may keep us from discovering the real truth about evil. See how that, without a standard of what is good and what is evil, that people can fall prey to the worst forms of evil.
​

During this holy season may God bless you, your family, and your team!

Larry A. Bonorato lab@larryonlearning.com 864-630-2625

(published by Bonorato Creative Group, LLC; all rights reserved)