Logic and emotion are completely different, but they have one thing in common. Each of them affects our actions in various ways; it can be dangerous to let either one influence us too much.
This all would seem very prevalent in these tough economic times, but it seems our state Legislature is solely letting emotion drive their cause.
“Logic is important in the world, and zealots are emotional. Right now, leading our Legislature, we have zealots. The logic just doesn’t work; they are emotional to their cause,” said Dr. Gary Nine, superintendent of the Florence Unified School District.
It seems that because the legislators are appealing to our emotions rather than our minds, the constituents might have to do their job for them this time. That is why Nine has proposed that the state implement a temporary 1 percent sales tax increase. More taxes? In a recession?
The idea is that if we all make a small sacrifice, then no one is left shouldering the entire burden. Plus, the increase is very small; it would cost the average Arizonan about $12 more per month. The payoff, however, would be huge; a much-needed $1 billion dollars would be brought in.
Because Arizona must operate on a balanced budget, a state stimulus plan is out of the question. If we wish to keep our spending where it is, revenue has to be brought in from somewhere. This is extremely important because slashing programs left and right will equate to burning bridges that would lead to future success.
Obviously, one of these bridges that the Legislature feels it should burn, is education. Arizona is already ranked 49th in the nation for per-student spending. Any cuts would leave us in last place, and cynics could no longer use their infamous line, “At least we aren’t last.”
“If we do what the Legislature is proposing to do, then for two years, between the impact we have educationally, the number of people that are thrown out of work, the number of people that leave the state and the decrease in the tax base, America would be in a recession, but Arizona would be in a depression,” said Nine, who held a rally at the state capitol on Sunday.
ASU would be directly affected by a tax like the one Nine proposes, regardless of whether the extra funding went toward the state’s universities or toward K-12 education. If the extra funding goes toward the universities — well, let us just say that these cuts wouldn’t happen. If the funding were to be funneled toward K-12 education, the talent pool among potential students for Arizona’s universities would go up.
It is a win-win situation.
Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that we often take our pursuit for a higher education for granted until our bridge to success is in danger of burning.
But the bridge to success does not have to be sent up in flames. If we all bear a small burden, our children will thank us and Arizona’s educational infrastructure will continue to exist.
Andrew welcomes your thoughts and comments.
He can be reached at andrew.hedlund@asu.edu.
