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Our View: Annual Bleating About Budgets Begins
When it’s a sunless day, some of us see only the clouds, others look for a silver lining. We’ll let you decide for yourself which category Fairfax County Executive Edward Long fits. The county executive last week began anew what has become an annual tradition: hand-wringing over next year’s county-government budget. In a presentation with soon-tobe-out-the-door Superintendent Karen Garza, Long laid out a glum forecast that, he says, will require county leaders to cut spending, increase taxes or both. A relatively flat real estate market, the prospect of declines in funding from the state government and increasing school enrollment are among the reasons they cited. “Projected revenue is not sufficient to cover the county’s debt service, compensation and prior commitments requested by the Board of Supervisors,” county officials said in outlining the situation, neglecting to mention that of those three, only the first (debt service) is a must-have. The other two are wants, not needs – desirable, but not mandatory. As usual with such budget gamesmanship, color us unmoved. The county government and school system have enough of a revenue stream to make it through another soft year with judicious trims and scaled-back expectations. Given that the average county homeowner saw a $300 boost
in real-estate taxes this year alone, perhaps another round of stick-it-to-the-homeowners is unwarranted. Voters seem a little disillusioned with the annual budget game-playing; on Nov. 8, they turned down the proposed meals tax by a healthy margin, a warning to the Board of Supervisors that ongoing efforts to pick the public’s pockets may not be rewarded next time they come up for re-election (not until 2019). The departure of Garza will strip the School Board of one of its most aggressive, if only sporadically successful, weapons in its never-ending battle to wrest more funding from the Board of Supervisors. Garza’s tenure may have been brief and focused too often on triviality such as a small adjustment in high-school starting times, but she certainly was front and center doing the budget bidding of the School Board. An acting superintendent just isn’t going to have the same oomph, and there’s no chance a permanent successor will be on board in time to have an impact on the upcoming budget season. It may be wishful thinking, but perhaps the supervisors were chastened enough by the overwhelming opposition to the meals-tax proposal that they will “suggest” that the School Board dust off last year’s discarded task-force report on projected cuts, and start implementing them.
Is There a Light at the End of Tunnel Politically? Editor: As I consider the results of our most recent presidential election, I can’t help but express apprehension. In the interest of full disclosure I am a lifelong Democrat, and have been proud of the ideals associated with my party. However, my apprehension isn’t solely about our president-elect, although there is quite a bit which should
concern us all about him. My fear is the coupling of a rightwing Congress with an extremist president. A Congress that has been champing at the bit to deregulate Wall Street, cut entitlements for the elderly and the poor, cut funding for education and provide tax breaks for the wealthy. Combined with a president only too happy to accommodate them.
I hope I’m wrong, that there are still good men and women left in government to stand up for the poor, indigent, elderly, people of color, different genders, ethnicities and sexual orientation. We all need a light at the end of the tunnel, and dare I say it, “hope” is mine. R.J. Narang Vienna
Congress Needs to Take More Action on Alzheimer’s Editor: This past election season left many Americans feeling divided as a country. But Alzheimer’s disease is not a red or blue issue. As a young professional and Alzheimer’s advocate, I have seen loved ones affected by this disease. Alzheimer’s is the only one among the top 10 deadly diseases without any way to prevent, treat or even slow its symptoms. Today there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and in 2016 alone the disease cost the nation $236 billion. Despite this, I am excited and opti-
mistic about the recent increases in federal funding for Alzheimer’s research. If you take a look at diseases like breast cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS, you can see breakthroughs in early detection and treatment after the federal government made a significant investment. U.S. Rep. Don Beyer recently helped to make Alzheimer’s disease a national priority by co-sponsoring the HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act (HR 1559). In its new rule, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) included HOPE Act provisions. Now, doctors will get paid to
conduct cognitive assessments and refer families to resources. For the first time, people living with Alzheimer’s will have access to diagnosis and care planning with a medical professional. Rep. Beyer, will you also co-sponsor Palliative Car and Hospice Education and Training Act (HR 3119)? The legislation will ensure that those with this disease will get the “comfort care” and support they need from a trained workforce. Michael Hess Arlington
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Opinion
Find more letters and an archive of editorials at www.insidenova.com/ news/fairfax (Click on “Opinion”)
December 1, 2016
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