Consider this insidenova.com article. Here Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart makes an old argument, but it usually comes from Democrats.
A growing population needs more room to play — more soccer fields, lacrosse fields, baseball diamonds and basketball courts – and maybe multiple new indoor-swimming and athletic complexes, Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart said Tuesday.
The need is so great, Stewart said, county voters should be asked to consider a new bond initiative worth as much as $50 million to pay for them.
“We have a young county, our average age is 32,” Stewart said during a break in the supervisors’ first meeting this month. “We have lots of families and they need more athletic fields, and we’re hearing about it more and more.” (continued here)
Chairman Stewart does not exactly use these words, but can’t you hear them anyway?
You can’t object to spending the money! It’s for the children.
So we are going to go into debt to pay for toys? Because its for the children? We want to teach our children that it is okay to borrow money to pay for things we don’t even need? What kind of lesson is that?
Unfortunately, Chairman Stewart is not the only elected Republican board chairman defending misplaced priorities. The chair of our School Board has similar notions. Here is how the PWC Education Reform Blog describes the issue.
Before I begin I want to say that I like Milt Johns. I think he’s an intelligent, kind, and generous man. He’s a brilliant attorney, loves his wife and his kids, and cares about our community. He cares so much that he was willing to run for and serve as the Chairman of our School Board. I’m proud to say that I campaigned and voted for him in the last election.
I disagree with Milt wholeheartedly on the issue of the school pool.
In his latest letter published in local press, Milt said we can’t blame the school pool for all that ills our school system. He’s right on that point because the cost of operating and paying off the debt issued for the school pool isn’t included in the current school year’s budget. The school pool isn’t the reason there are 38 kids in some high school math classes, or why so many of our schools are overcrowded, or why our schools are rationing supplies like ink, toner, and paper in the 2nd week of the school year. The school pool isn’t the reason high school students have to purchase the books they’ll be reading in English or why our teachers haven’t gotten the raises they deserve in the last bunch of years. The school pool isn’t the reason some of our buses have kids seated 3 to a bench.
Milt is absolutely right. We can’t blame the school pool for any of those things.
But we sure can question the wisdom of spending what will likely be $1 million or more a year on a school pool when those things are commonplace in our schools. (continued here)
Supposedly, the Republican Party represents the party of limited government. What’s the object of limited government? We need government to protect each other rights. When does government exceed its limits? How about when government starts spending our money just to entertain us?
Will some people enjoy the soccer fields and the swimming pools? Yes, but there is no way to justify making people who will never use such extravagances pay for them. And what is the point? Without politicians spending other people’s money, we won’t have soccer fields or swimming pools? Our children will be without entertainment? They will die of boredom? If we keep letting politicians spend our money like this, is it not more likely we will go broke first?
Other Views and References
- Nohe/Stewart/Johns Tax-and-Spend Plan Will Keep Piling on Debt on Beleagured PWC Taxpayers (sheriffofnottinghampwc.blogspot.com)
- Trenum Pushes School Board to Request Additional Funds from Developers (bristowbeat.com)
- Budget fight could hurt Beltway-area local governments (www.washingtonpost.com)
- Stewart: More playing fields needed for youth in Pr. William (washingtonpost.com)
Citizen Tom 
“Do it for the children” is the “Open, Sesame” for this decade. Sheesh.
Our nation’s treasury is a magic door to riches? To some people that definitely seems to be the case.
From time-to-time the folks some of the folks I work with get together to play the lottery. I refuse to participate. I don’t think the people I work with stupid for playing the lottery, but I do think the lottery is wrong. I think it reflects that longing for a magic door. Unfortunately, the lottery leads to the wrong door. When will we learn that the door that leads to riches is the narrow door, the door that leads to heaven (Matthew 7:13-14)?
Many people have either forgotten or just don’t know how the lottery originated. Once the lottery was a criminal enterprise called the numbers racket. Seeing how profitable it was, state governments (apparently more powerful crime syndicates 😉 ) took it over. Naturally, they did it for the children. Supposedly, the profits now go to education. Hence, in the name of the children, state governments now advertise the glories of gambling. Apparently, so long as politicians get to spend the proceeds, gambling is A-OK.
Such are the morals of the people we have put in charge of the education of our children. Instead of seeking greatness as the servants of the people (Luke 22:24-27), too many of our leaders just see us as easy marks for their con jobs.