Full disclosure: I am a self-described “conservative liberal” Democrat who recently retired after 30 years as executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor.
While the current administration is trying to develop a balanced budget and even decrease the $36 trillion national debt, the following are some key terms, definitions, and thoughts regarding this most important time.
COMPASSION: Compassion is a deep feeling for and understanding of suffering and a desire to alleviate it. If we prioritize “those who need us most” when making difficult fiscal decisions, we would be a much more compassionate nation than what we are currently exhibiting.
NONPROFITS: Not conducted or maintained for the purpose of making a profit. Nonprofits in our community work hard to support and address youth development, seniors, medical needs, housing, education, food insecurity, domestic violence, and much more. With the administration stating that federal human services funding will be dramatically cut, nonprofits are expected to do more in the future with fewer resources. It is not a good formula for success nor compassionate.
TARIFFS: Tariffs are used to restrict imports. Simply put, they increase the price of goods and services purchased from another country, making them less attractive to domestic consumers. Bottom line: The ever-increasing tariffs being levied now result in price increases on everything from food staples, cars, energy, and many other items, and are expected for the short and long term. This primarily impacts our neighbors who are already struggling to survive each day.
BALANCED BUDGET: A balanced budget (particularly that of a government) is a budget in which revenues are equal to expenditures. Having run a nonprofit for three decades, we had some years where revenues exceeded expenses or vice versa. However, we operated in a break-even mentality and were mostly successful overall in achieving that annual goal. I am a huge fan of balanced budget financial management. However, you can prioritize those most in need with a compassionate mindset when making balanced-budget decisions.
BAD MATH (How I define it): When an anticipated and rationalized mathematic outcome has no chance of happening. This administration is promoting $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next 10 years and $2 trillion in expenditure cuts as the formula for addressing the national debt. Therefore, $4.5 trillion in tax cuts minus $2 trillion in expenditures equates to $2.5 million in additional national debt. There is no debt reduction, and not even close to a balanced budget. Eliminating tax breaks, especially for billionaires, corporations, and those with middle six-digit incomes, and eliminating some of the expenditure cuts that largely hurt our most in-need Americans would be a much more compassionate strategy and would actually balance the national budget.
ENTITLEMENTS: Entitlement is the state or condition of being entitled to something, or a right to benefits specified by law or contract. For 50 years, I paid into both Social Security and Medicare. Millions of others have made the same investment over many decades, and we are all entitled to a reasonable and continuing return. Politicians need to stop using entitlements that we are owed as bad words. For millions, especially the poorest of our nation, these are the most critical safety nets for our retirement years and should not be cut.
DEPORTATIONS: No definition is needed given the extensive coverage by all the networks. I have no complaints when we deport thousands of undocumented individuals who have been guilty of violent or recurring crimes. But we must differentiate that from our Dreamers, visa holders, and those who have lived here for decades as contributing members of our society (those who fill important workforce positions, pay taxes, etc.) but still do not have their citizenship. Get rid of the criminals, but show some compassion and common sense by keeping the good folks in our country.
As a nation, we can be fiscally responsible and compassionate. It all comes down to making the right choices so that all of our neighbors have the best opportunity for the American Dream.
Bottom line: If we are going to give $4.5 trillion of recurring tax breaks, we are not being serious about being fiscally responsible. Nor are we being compassionate while targeting cuts to basic needs and services necessary for our nation’s poorest. We should be better than this. spt
