Most of the state of Texas is a tinderbox. Rain has been nonexistent. Temperatures in the capital of Austin reached 100 degrees 84 times — so far — obliterating the previous high of 69 days in 1925.

It’s also on fire — at least some of it. In the city of Bastrop — pronounced BASS-trahp and not the Louisiana pronunciation Basstrip — fires have ravaged the city. Hundreds of families were left houseless. Possessions and memories are charred crusts.

When a Facebook post went out for monetary assistance for one family, the response was overwhelming. Strangers donated what they could — $10, $5 even a dollar. And this one family, certainly, was not alone. When adversity hits, Americans stand up. When tornadoes ripped through Mississippi and Alabama, Americans stepped up to help. That’s what we do. That’s who we are.

The reason? Others are in need and the little bit we can spare certainly will go toward worthy purchases. We give with no assurances, but with the trust that the money will be spent wisely. We give so others can buy groceries, or a flashlight, or new clothes for the children.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama again pushed — campaign-style — for Congress to pass his jobs bill that he promised would get Americans back to work. The bill, by all accounts, would lead to another bill — for almost $500 billion. There is pushback from Americans already strained with runaway taxation. There is pushback because the Federal government for decades has spent and spent, and still we are nearing crisis. With a national debt of an unfathomable $15 trillion dollars, spending at 50 percent more than is taken in and unfunded “promises” into the hundreds of trillions of dollars, pushback is natural.

But if we could be assured that the money would be put to good use, and spent wisely, we would be more open to giving more to help fix this ailing economy.

Now picture that family in Bastrop. Instead of buying groceries and diapers, the father takes the donated money, converts it to $1 bills and heads to the local strip club, then buys a keg of expensive beer. Would anyone ever give more money to these people again?

But we trust in them to do the right thing, so we give.

Such cannot be said for those pushing a $500 billion jobs plan.