That's not the way the government works. You can't just take $1

When Lisa Kennedy Montgomery declared, “That’s not the way the government works. You can’t just take $1 billion from this program, $1 billion from over here, and then put it toward your pet project,” she was not merely speaking of budgets and money. She was unveiling a principle far greater: that order, discipline, and responsibility are the foundations of power, and that without them, chaos devours even the mightiest of nations. Her words ring with the wisdom of restraint, a reminder that governance is not the same as personal desire, and that public resources exist not for the whims of rulers but for the welfare of all.

The meaning is sharp and clear. To govern is to steward what belongs to the many. The programs of the state are carefully built over years, funded by the toil and taxes of the people. They are not treasures to be seized at will, nor fountains to be redirected according to personal ambition. The warning in her words is against corruption, against vanity, against those who would treat the common purse as a chest of gold to fund their pet projects, neglecting the true duties of leadership.

History gives us stern examples of this truth. Consider Louis XIV of France, the Sun King, who drained the wealth of his people to build the glittering halls of Versailles. Though his palace dazzled, his nation suffered. When his successors continued to spend without care, the foundation of the state crumbled, leading to revolution, blood, and ruin. A king may take from one part of the treasury to feed another, but when those funds serve only vanity and not the common good, the wrath of the people eventually answers.

Contrast this with the wisdom of Solon of Athens, who, seeing his people burdened by debts and corruption, reformed the laws and forgave debts to stabilize the city. He did not strip funds to enrich his favorites, but sought balance, ensuring that both rich and poor could survive. His stewardship reminds us of the truth in Montgomery’s words: that government cannot be bent to private will, but must remain a careful harmony of justice and restraint.

Her words also speak to the temptation of those in power. A leader, surrounded by wealth and influence, is easily tempted to believe they may simply move resources at will. Yet the government is not a single person’s possession—it is a structure, a covenant, a delicate machine built upon laws. To ignore these boundaries is to dismantle the machine itself, leaving behind only disorder. The wise ruler is one who respects the boundaries, even when they hinder personal ambition.

The lesson for us is this: in all forms of stewardship—whether over money, time, or responsibility—we must remember that what we hold is not ours alone. It is entrusted to us, and must be used with care. The selfish heart seeks pet projects, but the disciplined heart seeks the common good. To waste the resources of others for vanity is to plant seeds of decay; to use them with justice is to build foundations that endure.

In practical action, this means: be mindful of how you handle what is entrusted to you. If you are given authority, use it not for vanity but for service. If you are given resources, allocate them with wisdom and foresight. And if you are a citizen, watch carefully those who lead you, remembering that their hands touch what belongs to you and to your children.

Thus Lisa Kennedy Montgomery’s words echo as a warning across generations: “You can’t just take $1 billion from this program, $1 billion from over here, and then put it toward your pet project.” It is a truth for rulers, but also for all of us who hold any measure of power: that responsibility must outweigh desire, that stewardship must conquer vanity, and that only in discipline can we preserve the trust of those who depend upon us.