We’re going to the polls soon. I thought I would share an excerpt from a post from last year about how our decisions reverberate into the future. Enjoy.
From Politics in an Odd-Numbered Year VI: Blessed are the Young, for they shall inherit the Debt
…I’d like you to join me in a little exercise. Many of us had to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution when we were in school. The Preamble enumerates the various purposes behind the Constitution. The final purpose stated is to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”…For 20 years starting in 1982, I walked the halls of many a public school (and, yes, briefly a private one) and very rarely was I older than the buildings I studied in. I benefited from the foresightedness of the communities and the largesse of their citizens in many ways. One example that stands out - I went to Concord High and sat in some of the same rooms that my teachers sat in when they were in that same High School. Even when this community wasn’t as affluent as it is today, the citizens made the sacrifices necessary to insure that their children had opportunities to beyond those of their predecessors.
Even though I’m not crazy about debt and I’m certainly no fan of tax hikes, I supported the school bond (along with most of the voters in the 2004 election) and even worked on the campaign; because I believed that we needed to do it for our future. That belief in the future of this community is also why I type into the ether with this blog; because those who would jeopardize it for their own political gain must be challenged.
While it is sometimes treated with little interest, capital funding for public projects is in it’s own way a statement of our commitment to future generations. Saddling the next generation with hundreds of millions of dollars of debt in order to barely meet the current infrastructure needs sends the message that we really enjoyed our low taxes. Balancing our budgets, controlling growth, and efficiently preparing for the future sends the message that our future is precious. Even in Scripture one’s heart can be determined by where his treasure is placed.
That last statement from the Preamble also establishes a sacred trust between us, those who came before us, and those who will follow. The treasure we share today came about by wise stewardship of those who proceeded us; our liberty was secured by the selfless service and sacrifice of millions of men and women; and we presently join into a on-going legacy of opportunity which is the envy of the world. The blessings of that trust should not be squandered in ignorance for a small, immediate, and fleeting gain; but that treasure should be increased by shrewd management and guarded with fierce scrutiny by all citizens. Future generations should share in this trust, and not be overly burdened with the debt so that a selfish few could claim that they once held power.
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