Non-Happy Endings

Given the very real stakes and potentially tragic outcomes that could easily result should the current policy debates between social justice activists and limited government movements swing too far toward the direction of under-funding our social structures, it is refreshing to read a humorous take on the issue.An article by Allison Kilkenny presents this issue in a very ironic and irreverent manner. So much so that when I first read a quote she attributed to the Denver Post, I was certain it was a parody, that it could not possibly be a real news story. Then I checked into it, and oh wait… it’s actually true. I’ll recap it for you. It appears that the citizens of Colorado Springs have embraced the idea of cutting taxes and limiting government’s scope so much so that now:

• More than a third of all the cities street lights can no longer be lit as there are no funds to pay for the requisite electricity;
• The city is selling its police helicopters on the Internet;
• City parks no longer have trash cans as there is no money to pay workers to empty them;
• The frequency with which the city can afford to mow public green spaces has been so drastically reduced that officials are asking residents to take up mowing responsibilities with their own lawn mowers;
• Public recreation centers, pools, and museums will close permanently in less than two months;
• Buses no longer run on evenings and weekends, stranding those who cannot afford cars;
• The city can no longer afford to repave streets.

All this may seem tolerable and not much of a big deal to those who, for the moment, are comfortably upper-middle class and conceives of themselves as hardy, independent contributors who will unfailingly accrue profit and resources to themselves. But I need to point out that it’s all fun and games until you find yourself jobless, poor, and out of luck. The line between those two realities is thinner than most people like to admit.

If in our abundance, we are willing to destroy the social safety nets our grandparents built up over the last sixty years and to tell our fellow citizens, who do not enjoy the same access to resources that we do, to go to hell, we better pray we never end up needing those vanished services ourselves.

Your thoughts?

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