Schools and Libraries - Let's Fund Them

Over the last couple of days there has been some disturbing news coming from Richmond. The first is that the Governor is proposing $720 million in cuts to K-12 education and millions more to children's health insurance. The second is that as a result of the shortfalls local government will face because of reduced state aid, library services will need to be cut back.

If the education cuts go through (and I hope they don't), it will be to the detriment of students across the Commonwealth. Here in the City, we aren't sure of the actual impact, but in preliminary discussions with County officials (we get school services through them), they don't think the outcome will be cut. Fewer teachers, larger classes, programs getting cut ... all options that aren't good for our kids. As for health insurance cuts, that comes back to local government, too, in the form of people going to local health and human service centers. And to all of us in the form of going to the emergency room for basic medical needs, which increases health care costs all around.

As today's Washington Post pointed out, Fairfax's library system is also facing pressure to cut back. That's a big deal for the City where the regional library - the crown jewel of the system - is smack dab in the middle of the City. It's not just a library, it's central to the City's economic development progress and our downtown.

At some point, we've got to make a choice about not just what we want our government to be, but what we our society to be like. Education and library services are investments in our economic future. Cutting back so significantly as proposed only hurts current and future economic growth. Instead of being global leaders, we face the possibility of becoming laggards. And as I've expressed before, I think basic health care is a right. And to take that away from children is really unfathomable.

I've been a proponent of lower taxes and holding the line of spending. But to a point. We're getting to a place where the cuts will have more negative effects, both in the short and long-term, than positive. I'm not advocating for a specific solution, but I do hope that our leaders in Richmond think seriously about how they can generate more revenue in addition to making smart, strategic cuts. Otherwise, Virginia and the City of Fairfax will suffer for decades to come.