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What
if Riley's plan is voted down? Opinion
Columnist Eddie Lard 07/18/03 A caller last week chewed my ears for about a half
hour about Gov. Bob Riley's tax package. He wasn't happy about it, and
confidently predicted voters would shoot it down. The problem, he said, is that state workers aren't
earning what they're being paid. Any new money would just go to already overpaid
school administrators and teachers. What the state needed to do, instead, is to
cut taxes. That would attract more businesses to Alabama and make the state
richer, he reasoned. (By that logic, Alabama should be the richest state in the
nation since we have the lowest taxes, I countered. He wasn't buying.) Too many people, the caller went on, want a
government handout. But not his children; he has taught them to work and pay
their own way. His son in college, for example, didn't ask him for a dime for
his higher ed costs. Likewise, state workers need to work harder to earn what
they get rather than Gov. Riley asking for more money. He
didn't stop there, continuing his argument about the evils of taxes. I finally
told him I had to get back to work, thanked him for his comments and urged him
to take a close look at the governor's plan. It was obvious he didn't know what
was in it. But then, he didn't need to; the only thing he needed to know was
that it included a tax increase. Missed opportunity: After we'd hung up, I realized I had missed my chance to show how even
he and his independent offspring (and everybody else for that matter) benefit
from those evil taxes. I didn't ask what college his son attends. But it's a good guess he goes
to a state-supported college or university, since the son didn't need Dad's help
in paying his college bills. I wonder if the caller knows that the tuition his
son pays covers only about a third of the cost of teaching him, and that state
taxpayers pick up the other two-thirds. I wonder if he thinks the state and local taxes he pays covers the cost
of his children's education in grade schools, or that he realizes other
taxpayers in this state are subsidizing his children's schooling, as they did
mine and my children's. Plus, I wonder if he recognizes the high costs of other common but
essential government services, such as police and state troopers, prisons and
programs for the handicapped, mentally ill, the aged and, yes, poor children. I kick myself for not bringing that up. But I suspect it wouldn't have
mattered anyway. His mind was made up: The state had all the money it needs. And that's what makes the job of selling Riley's plan so difficult.
Riley, this newspaper and all the groups that have endorsed the plan can make
strong, compelling arguments why more tax dollars, more accountability, tax
fairness and initiatives to make our schools better are needed. But it won't
make a difference for people whose minds are closed. Most people, I hope, will
earnestly look at Riley's plan and the state financial predicament and make
their decision about how to vote based on fact. One fact I'd like voters to consider is the alternatives. And there are
alternatives. If state voters reject Riley's plan in September, one of two
things will happen. One we already know; the governor told us back in his State of the State
address in March. Several state prisons will be closed and thousands of felons
set free; state troopers will be laid off; senior citizens will be sent home
from nursing homes; and school extracurricular activities from football to field
trips will be eliminated. Riley's budget, in fact, called for a 19 percent cut
in most state agencies, a cut none of them would be able to sustain and provide
adequate services. Taxes anyway: The other option is that the state Legislature will come back into
session in September and pass a slew of tax increases that don't require a vote
of the people. Don't expect those taxes to be more fair or less painful than
Riley's package. In fact, they will be worse, because more equitable taxes, such
as property and income, will be off the table. Expect, for instance, a heavy
dose of sales taxes. Also expect a major, stronger push for gambling. I said there were options. I didn't say there were
better options. Alabama's best bet is Riley's plan. It's a rare
chance to accomplish several long-needed goals with one vote: Make government
more efficient, better fund the services we need, improve education and spread
the tax burden more equitably. I hope my caller reads this. If he's right and voters
kill the plan, he might be tempted to gloat. But he won't be gloating for long. Eddie Lard is an editorial writer for The News and editor of the Commentary page. His e-mail address is elard@bhamnews.com.
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