October 7, 2001
BY CAROL KAMIN
SPECIAL TO THE EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE
The U.S. Constitution makes it clear. "We the people" declared that government's purpose is "to provide for the common defense (and) promote the general welfare."
After the horrific events of Sept. 11, we have seen "we the people" in the form of government at all levels, gearing up to "provide for the common defense," and thank God it is. In the weeks following the attacks, when the need for collective action was clear, the public did not turn to corporate giants; it turned to government.
People turned to government-supported firefighters, police officers, rescue workers and clean-up crews. They told our elected leaders that they were prepared to sacrifice - to do whatever it takes - to make sure our country would never again be vulnerable to attack. But what about "promoting the general welfare?"
Isn't domestic security as important to our recovery and well-being as national security? How can we be strong if families are struggling without such fundamental supports as access to health care, including mental health care; affordable, quality child care for working families; schools and universities that have the capacity to produce well-informed, compassionate and successful Americans; child abuse systems that have the resources to prevent and address the nightmare of abuse and neglect; and basic supports to our most vulnerable families such as food, housing and decent jobs? Closer to home, Arizona's elected officials are struggling with our own state's "domestic security." They are rightly concerned about dismal economic forecasts and are preparing for a special session of the Legislature the week of Nov. 12 to address the projected $1.6 billion state budget shortfall over the next two years.
But even before the Sept. 11 attacks, Arizona's revenue picture didn't look good. Problems associated with Arizona's inadequate tax and revenue base are neither new nor unknown.
We know what's at risk from budget cuts: after-school programs, the safety of our child-care centers, quality education at all levels, mental health services, and prevention programs that prevent damaged lives will be near the top of the list. Cuts in these vital services will only make it harder for families in the tough times ahead and have the clear potential to weaken us when we need to be most strong.
Arizona's leaders have the opportunity, and the obligation, to lay the foundation so that our kids and families have what they need to survive and thrive. The last thing we should be doing is making it even more difficult for a new generation of Arizonans to be healthy, secure and educated.
We should take an honest look at Arizona's tax and revenue system, and just as we are examining all of our spending to determine what's most important, we also should examine the multitude of tax credits we have instituted to determine whether they fit the current situation.
President Bush has acknowledged the need for us to sacrifice so that we may regain the confidence and security we all so desperately want. People all across the country have come together to donate money, blood and time. The feeling of sacrifice for the "common good" pervades the land.
At the state level, we, too, must come together to ensure that our children - the most vulnerable among us - and the institutions of our state that make us strong are not put in harm's way. No possible solution or strategy should be discounted.
The only things that should be off the table are rigid ideology and short-sighted cuts in services that prevent our state's children, youth and families from flourishing and succeeding. We have options. We are not helpless. We can free up revenue by bonding for school construction, tap the Rainy Day Fund, eliminate tax credits, make intelligent budget cuts, increase taxes, or a combination of all five. We need to think creatively so that state fiscal policies contribute to the economic stability of our state and the well-being of our families.
Carol Kamin, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Children's Action Alliance.
