Sheriff right about funding

Ozzie Knezovich (May 14 guest column) talked about the need for local control over funding. Money to government is like food. Gluttony is not a good thing, but neither is starvation. Government income (taxes and fees) needs to be regulated, not cut off. The drive to starve government at all levels creates weaker government, not fit government.

The government provides support in a number of ways that contribute to a healthy and highly functional population. A sick, worried population that is deeply in debt is not a confident and resilient population. Government regulation is one of the checks and balances for greed and the clever manipulation of the laws that actually undermine healthy responses for support.

Knezovich is correct in asking for a policy that is flexible and that allows local communities to respond to changing circumstances. Being rigid and inflexible creates situations similar to throwing stones in a moving river – they create whirlpools and backwaters that trap flow and prevent forward movement. We have the resources we just need the will and the willingness to be responsive instead of reactive.

Kathryn Alexander

Spokane