Need social programs

Christmas is traditionally a time to give to those less fortunate. Our governor and state legislators seemed to forget this last week when they passed the “largest tax cut in the state’s history.” This will be a nice present for those lucky enough to be making over $500,000 a year.

I do not think these are the people Jesus had in mind when he said “whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters you did for me.” One legislator, Denise Garner, spoke against this tax cut that will deprive Arkansans of $6 million in revenue over the next few years. Garner, a nurse practitioner involved in many social improvement nonprofits, pointed out this money could have been spent on the 3,000 disabled Arkansans on the waiting list for Medicaid DD waivers, or mental health services in our state where suicides have increased 41 percent in the last 20 years, or hiring caseworkers for our underfunded foster-care system or on the 13,000 children in need of social services. Gov. Asa Hutchinson claims everyone in the state will benefit, but according to Garner, most Arkansans will only have $40 to $60 more in our pockets.

The governor also suggested ordinary people can spend their own money better than our state government can spend tax money. Most of us will give what we can to help the needy this Christmas season. Unfortunately, we can’t start up a mental health clinic, or a day-care center, or hire foster-care caseworkers. These are the kinds of big community services state government can create that no one individual can create alone.

Our legislators may not want to do the work of overseeing needed social programs. Many other people, such as Denise Garner, know how to create programs that lift the least among us into productive citizens. They have proof that these programs work and truly benefit everyone in the state. I think Jesus knew this too.

JEANMARIE MAKO Pettigrew