Star editorial accuses Melvin of “generational theft”

by David Safier

"Generational theft." It's one of Al Melvin's favorite terms, which he hauled out once again at Friday's Republican PR tour forum. For Melvin and other Republicans who use it, it refers to passing budget deficits onto future generations, period.

Today's Star editorial takes Melvin apart for his limited, shortsighted use of the term. Some excerpts:

The young and those who are not yet even a twinkle in anyone's eye will pay in the opportunities they may not have because of decisions legislators make today.

And that's also a definition of generational theft.

[snip]

Because of three-plus years of state budget cuts, our universities are soon going to charge more than $10,000 a year for in-state students. That's double the price of five years ago.

[snip]

On the whole, Arizona's K-12 public education system is poor, and three-plus years of state budget cuts aren't helping.

[snip]

[T]he governor and lawmakers have been seeking ways to stop providing [health] care to some people – and ignoring the economic impact: that uninsured people get sicker before seeking care and that the cost thus rises. If poor people are unable to pay, the expense is passed on to the rest of us as higher premiums and bigger bills. It's a false saving at best.

Who's hurt? All of us, of course. But especially young people who need good prenatal care and, after birth, preventive care, early diagnoses and treatment to grow into healthy, able adults.

The whole editorial is worth a read.

What Melvin and his fellow travelers ignore is the theft of earnings and buying power from 90% of Americans by the top 10% and the beggaring of the government by lowering the amount the wealthiest Americans and corporations pay in taxes. We don't have to look at future generations to find that brand of theft. It's part of the here and now.