Legislative Tangents AAC
F A M I L Y & F R I E N D S » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » Continued From Page 10 <<<
port the general operations of county government. In fact, oftentimes the more a county builds, the more it suffers a drain on its general revenues and thereby its ability to provide core services. Counties are defined, constitutionally, as political subdivisions of the State of Arkansas. Counties exist as a mechanism to more efficiently provide state services to the citizens of Arkansas. As such, counties are as much an arm of the state as any state agency and deserve to be treated as such. Te last 30 years have seen huge
increases in state revenues. Tese revenues have been necessary to pay for services such as primary education, higher education, health and human services as well as roads, law enforce- ment and prisons. Tere is no denying these services are vital and that they are needed. Tese services however, are not the whole picture. Te state is incapable of providing all necessary services to its citizens. In order to do this it created counties. For counties to carry out these responsibilities funding is required. Te state ignores county government at its own peril. Everyone supports education. Likewise most support a well-funded system of health and human services. It’s inarguable that a good system of state highways are necessary for a prosperous state and it goes without saying that we need prisons for those who can’t get along in polite society. As important as these services are however, those state services provided by counties are just as important. In fact, county government, as that arm of govern- ment closest to the people, may be the most important. Without the provision of such core services as a network of county highways that
federal government, is necessary to insure the growth and prosperity of our state’s middle class. It simply must be funded in a reasonable fashion ...
“C ”
ounty government, every bit as much as state and
dwarfs the state highway system, tax collection for fire departments, improvement districts, municipalities and schools, law enforcement, jails, courts, land records and much, much more, it is simply not pos- sible for most people to enjoy a decent standard of living. People of means have, from time immemorial, been able to enjoy high standards of living without the benefit of much government has to offer. Gated communities, private law enforcement and private schools are common even today among those who have been highly successful. Te vast majority of individuals, however, do not fit this description and are un- able to provide these services on an as- needed basis. Government was created to fill this need. Government is the mechanism that makes a decent stan- dard of living possible for the average person—it is what enables a vibrant middle class and a vibrant middle class is, arguably, the engine that drives prosperity all of the rest up and down the social scale. County government, every bit as much as state or federal government, is necessary to insure the growth and prosperity of our state’s middle class. It simply must be funded in a reasonable fashion or, as county infrastructure begins to deteriorate and
crumble, the vibrancy of middle class and, hence, our main economic engine will suffer.
Tat is the basic argument. Over the next year I will continue to flesh out this theme in a run up to the 90th General Assembly. Perhaps we can persuade a few in the legislature of the worthiness of our cause.
Advertiser Resource Index
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