Opportunity missed
Human flourishing suffers when government programs are not reconsidered
A budget deficit is a great opportunity for a government to reconsider the programs offered to residents of a state, county, or country. For me, this is less of an economic consideration than it is one tied to human flourishing.
True resilience is built through human connection, compassion, and community. You can’t get to human flourishing through the outsourcing of our own responsibilities for one another to agencies and politicians. Yet very infrequently do government officials ask questions about whether existing programs starve people of their humanity.
Gov. Brad Little’s latest budget proposal follows perfectly in line with my thesis: He carefully considered how to sustain the government programs above all other considerations. This represents a very big missed opportunity.
You will recall that I have projected that the state faces a budget deficit this year and next, getting close to $800 million or more in FY2027. …
