Dear Senator Blakeslee,
We are grateful that, at a time when politicians often find it necessary to toe a strong party line, you have not swayed to partisan pressure to sign a “no tax increases” pledge. Instead you have committed yourself to work for a fair budget.
As you know, a budget is more than a plan for spending; it also shows where priorities lie. In fact, a budget is a moral statement that indicates the values that are held highest. In the governor’s proposed budget, health and social services are once again being targeted for major cuts, even though they have been cut again and again. This is short-sighted, as poverty and illness will not magically disappear but will increase, causing more problems. It is effectively saying, “poor and sick people don’t matter.”
The moral fiber of a community is reflected in its care for its weakest members. As clergy and people of many of the faith communities in San Luis Obispo, we ask you to work toward making California a state where people come first, a state in which we can be proud to live.
This article appears in Feb 10-17, 2011.
