Who's in charge here?
Arizona Republic
Letterhttp://www.arizonarepublic.com/opinions/articles/0613thurlet1-135.html
June 13, 2002
If you were building a house and skimped on the foundation, leading to costly
repair bills down the line, chances are you'd try to do it right next time.
And if you were building a house for someone else, we'd think it would be
downright disturbing if you laid a shoddy foundation.
But that's what Arizona policy makers do repeatedly in the name of fiscal
expediency. The state won't pay for an undocumented 5-year-old's kidney
dialysis after June 30 because there isn't sufficient funding, even though once it
threatens the life of that 5-year-old, we'll pay 10 times more to hopefully prevent
that poor child from dying.
We take people who commit crimes, lock them up at great expense, and treat
them tough by eliminating education, drug treatment and rehabilitation programs.
Years later we release them with only $50, pent-up aggression, and often still
addicted to drugs. We then wonder why they can't get or hold a job and
ultimately harm someone and are sent back to prison instead of becoming
taxpayers.
Sort of like the day earlier this week when I was advised by Maricopa County to
bike to work due to poor air quality, but to also refrain from outdoor activity for
my own health. Could the person to whom this all makes sense please stand up?
Dave Wells
Tempe