Letter-writer Susan Pacey-Field complains in Saturday’s Reno Gazette-Journal that Gov. Jim Gibbons won’t raise taxes and is instead doing the three things he should be doing at this time of falling tax revenue: 1.) Cut spending. 2.) Cut spending. And 3.) Cut spending. And in that order.
Let me ask you something: Are you paying a lot more for gas these days?
Of course you are. And that means you have less money to spend from your paycheck every week. So what have you done to fix that situation of having less money to spend? Have you gone to your boss and demanded that he pay you more money to cover the cost of rising gas prices…or have you tightened your belt and cut back on spending for things which aren’t as high on the ol’ priority list?
Exactly.
But not Susan…at least not when it comes to government spending. To the suggestion that government, like the rest of us, tighten its belt, Susan responds in typical liberal fashion:
“Tell that to the mom who has to rely on an after-school program that will no longer be there when she needs it. Just try to explain this to the college student who can’t get into the class he or she needs to graduate because it has been cancelled due to budget cuts. When you start hacking into the bone, that makes it very difficult for it to survive without harming those it serves.”
Hacking into the bone?
Would Susan please explain to the rest of us why it’s the government’s responsibility to take care of somebody else’s kids after school? Hey, Susan, some of us have our OWN kids to provide for. Why is it OUR responsibility to provide “an after-school program” for your hypothetical mom?
And would Susan please explain why, say, the Culture of Pizza, Introduction to Gay Plays, Chicana Feminism, Multicultural Diversity Education, Men’s Glee Club, Advanced Volleyball and the History of the Beatles courses in Nevada’s universities are needed to graduate and can’t be cut?
And would someone also explain to me why the governor’s senior staff - Diane Cornwall and Mike Dayton - aren’t out here defending the governor’s belt-tightening decisions rather than me doing all the heavy lifting for them? Isn’t it time for them to go…or at least pay me a royalty or something?
Posted on June 8th, 2008 by chuckmuth
Filed under: Nevada
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