It's not just in the presidential election that we see this clash of values. It happens throughout our political system, wherever policy decisions reflect our values. Today's contrasting front page stories in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution bring this to stark attention.
One story is about payments for unpaid student loans being taken out of social security checks. This was a policy decision in 1996. Of course, debts should be paid, but it seems pretty cruel justice for those who are trying to subsist on their social security checks.
In contrast, on the same front page, is the controversy over whether the Georgia State government will uphold the agreement they previously made to provide some of the funding for a new $948 million stadium for the Atlanta Falcons professional football team.
True, the state's portion would mostly come not from sales taxes or property taxes, but from a hotel tax, which mostly targets visitors to the city.
Nevertheless, it seems a values clash when we can consider any kind of tax to pay for professional sports at the same time we're slashing budgets for food stamps and medical care for poor people because the state tax revenues are exhausted.
Why not a "visitors' tax" for the poor, sick, and homeless?
Ralph
PS: And, while I'm at my peak of outrage over this: why are we so willing to support the money-making professional sports with subsidized multi-million dollar sports arenas, while maintaining one of the lowest levels of governmental support for the arts of any of the 50 states?
Why not a visitor's tax to help build a new symphony hall?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment