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Tough times
Published 3/15/2010 in Commentary : Editorial
Situation demands increase in taxes.
Few things are more painful for employers than cutting staff.
That's the unfortunate prospect at Garden City Community College, which could lose up to 14 full-time faculty positions and nine part-timers due to cost-cutting measures.
Such job losses nationwide became all too common at the height of the recession. And while local employers did cut back on hiring, layoffs mostly were avoided in this part of the state.
That trend could change as a state budget shortfall has GCCC, Garden City USD 457 and others who rely on state aid eyeing job cuts.
GCCC in particular is bracing for the financial fallout of declining oil and gas revenues along with expected cuts in state aid that may force the college to shave $1 million to $2 million from its budget — a situation that could mean the elimination or reduction of some 13 programs in areas ranging from the athletic department to the arts.
Naturally, that possibility didn't sit well with those whose departments could be affected. Not only would good faculty members face unemployment at a time jobs are scarce, educators also worry about the impact on their students.
Meeting student needs while easing the burden on local taxpayers always is a tricky balancing act, and this year's struggle looks to be unprecedented. As GCCC officials await final numbers on lost revenues and state aid, they have to craft a strategy to do more with less — a challenge faced by employers nationwide.
But this is no time to let local education slide in any way, and force businesses that depend on quality education to train workers to look elsewhere. That's but one reason the local entities have to pursue a mill-levy increase to ward off more cuts.
A balanced approach of spending cuts and new revenue remains the only answer, and the public should support as much.
No one likes taxes. But during these difficult times, reasonable citizens should endorse modest tax increases — locally and statewide — to prevent deeper cuts that hinder the ability of schools and other agencies to function, and in turn undermine any hope of a brighter future.
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