The State of New York is in a fiscal crisis thanks to a bloated budget, and Governor David Paterson has responded with a budget package which hikes fees and taxes. New Yorkers are also facing budget cuts to programs which they have come to rely on.
The problem with using government as a crutch to solve society's ills is summed up nicely by Randi Weingarten: "It takes a lot to make sure there's a program for kids... but it takes very little to have this whole thing collapse." A teacher's union rep, Weingarten is ironically among those trying to squeeze into a crowded space at the budget trough.
The problem, as Weingarten astutely points out, is resting important personal needs on a system that so easily folds under its own weight. By trying to do too much, government ends up helping no one.
Perhaps another New Yorker said it best. As Billy Joel sang on an unreleased track, "The Great Wall of China": "You take a piece of whatever you touch / Too many pieces means your touching too much."
No comments:
Post a Comment