Are we are not our brother’s keeper? is a letter to the editor in today’s Daily Herald.
The preamble of our state constitution holds state government responsible for, among other things, to “provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people,” to “eliminate poverty and inequality,” and to “maintain orderly government, and assure legal, social and economic justice.”
One can say that this is similar to the Biblical “brother’s keeper” concept which emphasizes a sense of community vs. individualism. Instead, we have a philosophy of government obsessed with no tax increases and smaller government regardless of the effect upon people.
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The governor has said he will veto any tax increase bill, and proposed a balanced budget that makes draconian cuts in education, health care, payments to health care providers of the aged and disabled, and many other services to the disadvantaged.To correct the problems of revenue and school funding, and to provide adequate services for the needy, Senate Bill 2288 has been introduced. It provides for lowering property taxes and funding schools through the income tax, which will be increased, and will enable the legislature to meet the challenges of the constitution’s preamble.
If we feel that we are our brother’s keeper and believe that we are to help the “least of these” among us, we should demand that our representatives act accordingly.
Darwin Cooper
This is a prime example of why we are living in a Nannocracy. Community to Mr. Cooper means State control. Community to me means your neighbors and friends who come together to help each other in times of need. An example of a neighbors and friends helping others can be found at DebbiTepper.com and MargaretLindner.com.
Mr. Cooper, it is very nice that you want to help others, but stop taking money from me to server your purposes. It is my money and I will help those I believe deserve it. I believe more people can be helped if the State bureaucracy is not involved in the decisions. In addition, SB 2288 is a massive tax grab where
of the $8 billion estimated to be raised by SB2288 and HB750, only 7.5% will go to education, 36% will go to property tax relief, and the remaining 56.5% will go to fund state debt, road construction, state employee pensions and unpaid Medicaid bills, which do not benefit education