Tame the Beast, Don’t Starve It
EAST HAMPTON, CT – With the end of the debt ceiling debate in Washington and the beginning of the Malloy tax hikes in Connecticut, there is a perceived choice between taxes and services. But its a false choice because people really want both: better services at a lower cost. This IS possible – in fact, its what the private sector does every day.
Here’s more from my CT News Junkie op-ed for August 5, 2011:
Some would prefer to starve the beast — curtailing or wholly eliminating government functions to save money and shrink the size of government. Though attractive for its simplicity, it would assuredly prove unsustainable in the long run because while many Americans don’t like the way government provides services, it does not mean they do not need the services. Most people agree that there is a basic need to build and maintain infrastructure, provide world-class education, ensure public safety, help society’s least fortunate get back on their feet, and care for the disaffected, the handicapped, and sick. Anorexia isn’t a healthy way for people to lose weight and it is an ultimately unpopular way for government to shed its excess pounds, too.
Read the entire piece at CT News Junkie.
