Yes, it is nice to have parks and open spaces. However, each time the government buys such property, it is taken off the tax rolls and requires more government employees and tax revenue to manage it.
Bear in mind that about half of our state is already owned by various government entities and Native American tribes – 36 percent state and federal, 11 percent tribal and more for schools districts, counties and cities. Some other western states have even higher percentages of untaxed land.
The editorial criticizes House Republicans for writing a budget that includes only “a paltry $61 million” for the government to buy more land this year, instead of the $900 million recommended by President Barack Obama.
That, in a nutshell, is why we have a $14 trillion debt and are running an annual deficit of at least $1.6 trillion. Every time our elected representatives try to cut back on spending, there is an outcry about a worthy cause being shortchanged.
Of course one can make a good case for more parks and open space. The fact is that our federal government can’t presently afford it. We cannot always have everything that everyone wants. When our political representatives try to be responsible by cutting unnecessary costs, let’s not vilify them.
