Posted by
Satya on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 6:47:54 PM
A friend and I have recently been writing e-mails to one another regarding budget cuts for our state. She believes that increased taxes are a solution to our budget woes; I have a very different opinion.I have enjoyed the back and forth between friends who really like each other but come from opposite ends of the political spectrum...this is one from me to her.
Dear Z,
You and I are in total agreement that education should be a priority for us as a society. I think that there are only long term benefits to be had from a population that is well educated. I’m not as certain that the structure we currently have is the best there is to offer, but I haven’t yet gotten to reading more about voucher systems and other alternatives. In the meantime, we have to do the best by what we have now. It is appalling that Arizona ranks so low in per child spending. I also want equal education opportunities for all children, not just the privileged few that live in a couple of select districts.
Of course, the question is how best to accomplish that. Our budget cannot sustain all of the programs that we are funding. There are, in my opinion, some fundamental areas which the government must spend on. Education, defense, infrastructure and care for the truly needy. Everything else is extra, and once we stop spending on the extras we should have more left for the necessities. I have zero problem paying taxes. They are necessary for building strong communities and a strong country. My problem is with having a small percentage of the population paying for the majority. This country gives people opportunities to grow their wealth and I think that those people should have to pay taxes. But so should everyone else. Taking more from some because they have “enough” to give to everyone else isn’t right. And if people want to choose to give more, then they by all means should. I have been reading about the Fair Tax and support the idea of a consumption tax. For now, we are in a real pickle, since our budget crisis cannot go without immediate action being taken. I hope (maybe wishful thinking) that there are places other than K-12 where that can happen.
I really hope that we learn not to spend what we don’t have, and to spend on what we need, not what we want. Perhaps the future will be brighter.
-S