The Politics of Money

Having been underemployed for a year, and having a husband who has been underemployed for two years, I have felt the brunt of the economic downturn. Sure, there are people who have had it worse off, but life has not been what I expected when I graduated.

As such, I have an increasing interest in the health of the economy. Every time a business goes down, or the government cuts support of an institution, I cringe. Not only do I have concern for those who lose their jobs, but I also think to myself: "Great. More over-qualified competitors for low-paying jobs." I don't even know how high school students get part-time jobs anymore.

Here in the Capital Region of New York, school councils have voted to close a number of elementary schools. One district even voted to completely get rid of public day care programs.

I may not have been the best economics student, but I did have to have some basic knowledge in order to get my degree. I understand the budget crisis. I understand that certain things need to be cut. What I don't understand is why administrators' first choices include cutting educational institutions and programs that provide essential services to many, many people. How can they deny public access to medical aid (ie. Planned Parenthood) without looking at their administrative costs? How can they close schools without addressing the consequences and not look at their own salaries? And although many people may disagree with me, I fail to sympathize with teachers who fight for a salary raise, even though it means other teachers will lose their jobs.

Greed is a funny thing. And I'm not saying I am without this vice. I can be greedy too. How many times have I refused to give $5 to a charitable cause and then spent $20 on a t-shirt? Greed is a human trait. I haven't met anyone that doesn't have some quantity of it. However, it would be nice to see a politician who curtails his/her greed for the benefit of the constituents. And this greed does not always come in the form of money. I'd really like to know how many times a representative votes for his/her own interests vs. those of the voters.

Politics seems to be a no-fly zone for charitable people. In order to get into positions of power you have to be greedy. You have to be willing to pimp yourself out for campaign contributions. You have to be willing mud-sling your opponents. You have to be willing to make promises to voters that you have no intention of keeping. Wouldn't it be nice if people could be elected without millions of dollars for campaign contributions? I know, I dream.

In the meantime, I wonder how more job losses are really going to help the economy?