We're Not Broke

E.J. Dionne had a great article in the Washington Post a few days ago that explains how federal and state lawmakers have manipulated budget "crises" to cut government programs and weaken public institutions. An excerpt from the article:

“We’re broke.”

You can practically break a search engine if you start looking around the Internet for those words. They’re used repeatedly with reference to our local, state and federal governments, almost always to make a case for slashing programs — and, lately, to go after public-employee unions. The phrase is designed to create a sense of crisis that justifies rapid and radical actions before citizens have a chance to debate the consequences.

Just one problem: We’re not broke. Yes, nearly all levels of government face fiscal problems because of the economic downturn. But there is no crisis. There are many different paths open to fixing public budgets. And we will come up with wiser and more sustainable solutions if we approach fiscal problems calmly, realizing that we’re still a very rich country and that the wealthiest among us are doing exceptionally well.

The budget deficits we currently face are not random, unforeseeable events; they are instead the products of intentional policy decisions. In Wisconsin, for example, Governor Scott Walker approved $117 million in new spending on behalf of special interests and corporations only weeks before he announced a $137 million deficit. In Texas, Governor Rick Perry in 2006 enacted a tax reform plan that has cost the state up to $5 billion a year since 2007.

Our federal and state governments' hands are not tied. If they wanted to raise the money to adequately fund our schools, health care, and other social services, they could.