Voice in the Crowd, 515 words
Political courage is rare.
By Pete Chaney
IPS Features
If Franklin D. Roosevelt had taken a poll to see if Americans wanted to go into World War II to face the death and destruction that lay ahead, there would have been opposition to this country being involved. The fanatics of Germany and Japan would be ruling the world right now.
If Harry Truman had asked his staff to see what people though he should do about committing American troops in Korea and later about firing Gen. Douglas McArthur, he would have found no one wanted him to take the initiative. South Korea and even Japan would probably be Communistic if we had not jumped in. And if “Give ‘em Hell Harry” hadn’t stopped McArthur from invading China we might have seen a nuclear World War III.
Today’s politicians check the latest polls to see what to have for breakfast. They tailor themselves to the latest opinion results. Few are brave enough to take an unpopular course, especially regarding taxes.
The public wants and needs services from the government. It would be nice if these didn’t come with a price tag, if they were free. But they are not. Chattanooga and Hamilton County are an example. The people wanted better schools in a merged system serving both city and county. City residents voted to tax themselves extra to pay for this. The county residents didn’t. They wanted the services without paying for them.
In the State of Tennessee, services of the government are increasingly expensive. It would be nice if no one had to pay for them. But either you pay for them or do without.
Gov. Don Sundquist bit the bullet some time back and used the dirty word—“income tax.” With shortages of state revenues and a rise in costs, he saw no other way other than expanding an already overloaded sales tax program. He would probably be the first to oppose income tax in the state, if there were another way. He put it on the table.
When the General Assembly took on the issue, they were intimidated by mobs of protesters.
They refused to consider an income tax. They refused to find a solution to the shortfall. They went into the reserve tobacco settlement money to fund this year’s budget. What about next year? It’s like using a Band-Aid for a hemorrhage.
Gov. Sundquist vetoed the budget the assembly passed. He called for a special session. Now some elected officials say they won’t go, which means they won’t face the issue and solve it.
At least, Gov. Don Sundquist has courage, a rarity in a politician or elected official. Of course, he has the sanctuary of being a lame duck governor. But he knows his place in state history rests on these issues. He has faced this and—rightly or wrongly—done what he thought was right.
He has acted in the tradition of courage that this country and state have been fortunate enough to have when they were needed. He is making everyone look honestly at the problems that must be solved.
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