This article originally appeared in The Detroit News December 23, 2025.

My great-uncle George Pancio — Uncle Bud to us — was the Santa Claus in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Growing up in western New York, my siblings, cousins and I simply knew him as the town Santa Claus.

For decades, Uncle Bud hosted an annual Santa on the Rooftop tradition, appearing on the balcony of his house while TV cameras and hundreds of people gathered below. Santa told stories about Mrs. Claus and Rudolph and sang carols with the crowd. When Santa pulled out his lists of naughty and nice kids, I was mighty relieved to see my name on the correct list.

Santa would visit our house, just to say hello. He dressed in a splendid red suit with thick white trim, black boots and a wide black belt. Santa carried a strap of silver bells the size of plums, and he smelled of pipe tobacco. He sprinkled us with magic pixie dust to help us fall asleep on Christmas Eve. My sister remembers lying in bed, struggling to stay awake so she could watch Santa arrive with our presents, but the pixie dust was “too powerful.”

Years later, we learned that Uncle Bud wasn’t just any Santa. He trained under Charles W. Howard, an early Santa in the Macy’s parade. In 1937, Howard founded a Santa school in New York, training others how to perform the role with jolly professionalism. Today, his Santa school is the world’s oldest, now located in Midland.

Uncle Bud took over as Macy’s Santa in 1966 and held the role for a decade. He was remarkably convincing. His children remember attending the parade in New York City, amazed when Santa called out their names as his float went by. He performed on “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” He was even inducted into the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame.

Despite all his experience, Uncle Bud never tried to explain North Pole economics. Supply chain woes never affect Santa’s toy shop. The elves aren’t concerned about wages or inflation. Santa’s sack of toys never runs out. That’s because his economic engine is a fantasy.

But that doesn’t prevent political leaders from acting as real-life Santas. Lawmakers reach into the toy bag and pull out gifts for constituents — free college, sports stadiums, paid sick leave, taxpayer-funded child care, electric vehicle credits.

Similarly, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. has a slew of stocking stuffers: business subsidies, brownfield credits, tax increment financing, tax abatements and refundable tax credits. All ways to take from the many and give to the few.

Government shouldn’t try to be Santa. Private spending, whether a business investment or philanthropy, is nimble, targeted and voluntary. A person recognizes a need, develops a relationship with the person in need, and deploys resources — all before the government holds its first committee meeting.

Philanthropy is often superior to government spending. The Philanthropy Roundtable analyzed 71 studies comparing services provided by both public agencies and private organizations. In 56 of the studies, the philanthropic provider was more efficient.

Government can outspend private charities, sure, but the spending is wasteful and disfigured by political calculations. Government services rely on coercive mandates and inflexible bureaucracy. Every public dollar spent is first taken from someone else. Public agencies can become more focused on maintaining public spending than actually solving the problem.

Personal generosity connects the giver and the recipient in a way that blesses both. Government programs, however well-intentioned, can’t replicate that.

Government makes a bad Santa Claus.

I should know. I knew the real one.

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