Lawmakers want to borrow $437 million from the
Alabama Trust Fund – a savings account resting on royalties from the state’s
oil and gas reserves – to temporarily bandage a gaping wound in the General
Fund, the state’s main operating budget. The Alabama Legislature failed to
solve the issue – one that stems all the way back to Bob Riley’s tenure as
governor – so voters will be forced to approve the measure or trust that the
legislature can go back into session and pass a viable alternative before the
clock runs out October 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Though many voters are justifiably concerned about
shifting these dollars around, they should be more worried about how the
legislature would respond if we fail to approve the measure. The problem has
lingered for years, and during the last regular session, our lawmakers failed
to act again. Why trust them now, especially when they’ll only have 12 days to
remedy the problem should the referendum fail?
Alabama lawmakers failing to act just months before
the clock counts down to zero is unforgivable, and passing the buck to voters
is the very definition of cowardice and recklessness. But our frustration over
their inaction does not warrant playing a dangerous game of chicken by voting
down this amendment, crossing our fingers and hoping the very lawmakers who
aided and abetted this problem will wake up before October 1 and solve the
problem.
And any lawmaker who takes to his soapbox to whine
about his colleagues’ lack of fiscal self-discipline and to oppose this measure
may have a point – but it won’t be his mother being tossed off life-saving
medical services should we vote down this temporary fix. As for leaders,
especially lawmakers, who are urging us to defeat this measure, please ask
those individuals to present you with their proposed bill that they claim would
remedy the problem. We have yet to see one, but you might have better luck!
Voting no in a misguided and equally reckless move
to “teach them a lesson” won’t teach our lawmakers anything, and the suffering
will fall directly on those most in need. Resulting budget cuts could affect
those relying on state-subsidized hospital care and could even result in the
early release of state prisoners.
And Alabama voters typically only have one selfish
concern when it comes to such referendums: Will it raise my taxes? This
proposed action won’t raise anyone’s taxes, nor will it create any new taxes.
It won’t cost us anything as the measure would simply take monies that are
already in state coffers and use those to provide basic, essential, no-frills
state services.
Failing to approve the measure could also embolden
lawmakers who have already proved they are hostile to any state spending that
doesn’t include corporate welfare to resume their attack on Alabama’s most
vulnerable citizens. We should not give them the opportunity to do so.
And we should all be concerned over a long-term fix
to our budget and revenue woes, but our immediate concern should be to avoid an
immediate budgetary collapse, not sticking it to our feet-dragging
representatives or playing a neglectful game of chicken with every state
function from hospital care to protecting us from violent criminals.
The Capital City Free Press strongly urges Alabama
voters to take back their voice in resolving this problem by passing this
referendum September 18. It’s too late for our legislature to provide an
adequate, responsible and equitable alternative, and as shown by their repeated
failures regarding this problem, we cannot trust them to do so anyway. Do the
responsible thing – vote “yes” September 18.
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The September 18, 2012 special election contains one
item, a proposed amendment. The following is the full text of the ballot
measure: (PDF).
or call 1-800-274-8683.
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