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Releasing Criminals and Balancing Budgets; Gay Rights in Kentucky Schools

By Theresa Fritz Camoriano

1.     Cutting State Spending to Balance Budgets

In this Christmas season, we might remember that Jesus was born in a barn, because his family had to travel to Bethlehem to register for taxes.  Otherwise, he would have been born in a nice, sturdy home built by his carpenter father.  So, taxes have been impoverishing us for a very long time!  This year, due to a recession, the governors of many states are finding themselves in a tough spot.  They are not receiving enough money in taxes to cover their usual expenses.  Instead of taking serious steps to tighten their belts and cut expenses, as we would do in our household budgets, some, like Kentucky’s Governor Patton, are trying to make the process of cutting expenses painful enough that people will be willing to raise tax rates.  If we compare the state budget to a household budget, it is as if the Governor has decided to cut the basics, like food and shelter, before making any cuts in the budget for mink coats and expensive vacations.

Governor Patton has begun the process of cutting spending in a very unusual way, by releasing many convicts from prison.  Some of the convicts are people who had been convicted of victimless crimes, in which case their release is not a threat to the safety or security of innocent people and probably is a good idea.  However, many of the people being released were in prison for theft or burglary, which are not victimless crimes, and there is a significant threat that they will repeat those crimes or that the crimes will escalate.  If a person is willing to burglarize a home, would he also be willing to harm an, innocent person who happens to be in the home at the time?  Since protection of innocent people against criminals is the principal job of government, it is very disappointing to see that the safety and security of innocent people is the first thing Governor Patton is willing to sacrifice.  The early release of thieves, burglars, or other people convicted of crimes against innocent people is a very bad idea and must stop.

Here are some suggestions gathered from wise think tanks about recommended methods for cutting spending:  First, the states should look at every function they perform and ask whether this is really a function they should be performing.  If not, they should stop performing that function.  Next, if it is a function that should be performed by the state, they should ask how it can be performed more efficiently and less expensively – by using technology, by putting it out for competitive bids, or by some other means? 

Across-the-board budget cuts may be a good idea, since they do not permit political game-playing, although they do not distinguish between departments that have a lot of fat and departments that are operating efficiently.  Governments also could create incentives for departments to find ways to save money.

In addition, states should take an inventory of their property and see what can be sold or leased in order to cut expenses and increase income.  Much government land sits unused.  If it were sold, it would stop being a drain and begin generating taxes.  State golf courses and parks could be leased out to private operators, generating an income for the state rather than being a drain.  Many opportunities exist in this area.

2.     Kentucky’s Boyd County Schools have voted to ban all clubs from meeting at the schools, in order to prevent a controversial gay-rights group from meeting there.  Since the school districts operate on taxes, they are not permitted to discriminate against a gay-rights group.  It is very unfortunate that the school board has found it necessary to prevent many  worthwhile groups from meeting and enriching children’s lives, but it is certainly understandable that the school board does not want to be promoting a lifestyle that many consider to be immoral.  Unfortunately, this sort of lose-lose situation is what happens when schools are tax-funded.  If the school were a private school, it would be able to set its own policies and teach morals in accordance with the parents’ values.  Instead, being tax-funded, the school board finds itself being forced to teach values that a large portion of the people find repulsive.  If we do not want to force people to fund an education that they find immoral, the only real option is to stop forcing them to fund government schools.

See also The Heartland Institute proposes money-saving strategies for cash-strapped states http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=11130

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