Kids deserve best

Simply Sleight, by Kari Sleight

Alaska and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have many things of which its residents can be proud -- pristine wilderness out the back door, trophy salmon abundant in our streams and rivers, majestic moose grazing in our front lawns and the mighty Bald Eagle soaring above our heads. One only needs to glance out their window to capture the beauty that surrounds us, a beauty Outsiders envy and many pay large sums of money to enjoy for a mere week or month. For most visitors, it is their dream vacation -- that once-in-a-lifetime excursion they spend months or years planning.

We also enjoy a strong sense of community, evident in the many local celebrations and events held from Talkeetna to Sutton throughout the year. One only needs to look around at any chamber of commerce, Rotary, Lions or Moose meeting to catch a glimpse of the many civic-minded people residing in the Valley. In addition, the countless number of volunteers who keep the many nonprofit organizations, such as United Way of Mat-Su, Blood Bank of Alaska, Alaska Family Resource Center and the Red Cross, operating efficiently and effectively are astounding. I've witnessed the incredible generosity demonstrated by caring Valley residents who come to the aid of those in crisis, people they've never met. Donations of food, clothing, household items and money come pouring in for a family that's been displaced by fire. Christmas presents arrive by the truckloads so those less fortunate can continue to experience the magic of the season.

It's true, we are blessed with many positive reasons to live and work in Mat-Su. We have many things to be proud of. There are those who say it's due to our small town atmosphere, and that's what residents of small towns do. I agree, to a point.

While the Mat-Su Valley continues to share many characteristics of a small town, we are growing. With that growth comes the problems and ills many medium- to large-sized cities face on a daily basis -- community characteristics we won't read about in any travel brochure, characteristics unworthy of bragging rights.

I often here the mantra resonating through the community of putting our children first -- after all, they are our future. Some of the statistics that comes through this newspaper's office seems to contradict that mantra, or at least make it seem we only afford it lip service. Alaska has one of the highest rates of child abuse in the country, and Mat-Su has one of the highest child abuse rates in the state. Drug and alcohol abuse was cited as one of the highest concerns in the Valley in a recent community needs assessment compiled by the Mat-Su Agency Partnership. Violent juvenile crimes are escalating, along with the less serious "petty" crimes one normally associates with a small-town atmosphere.

Our school districts, courts, law enforcement and social service agencies all allude to budget cuts, lack of funding and insufficient staffing for their inability to meet the many needs of our children. Some political camps claim the need for increasing taxes to fully fund the programs we need, while others tout the need to eliminate the fat and reduce the size of the government. I believe the solution lies somewhere in between.

When a business is faced with a tough economic climate, we must become more prudent with our resources. We scrutinize our expenses carefully and find ways to increase the productivity in our employees. We analyze our staffing, our supplies and our utility usage. We dig into every nook and cranny in order to realize the maximum amount of profit on every dollar. We need to ask some hard questions at times, such as, do we really need six supervisors or can we really function with five? Sometimes we have no choice but to raise our rates or increase our prices.

I suggest we ought to hold our state and local leaders to those same standards. I have standards and tools to measure productivity and performance in each of the departments of this newspaper, and I would hope the government would have the necessary tools to measure the same in the many agencies and departments throughout the state, borough and cities. Some of the agencies and departments were created and staffed during the economic boom in the late 1970s and early 1980s when funds were plentiful. Now that money is tight and less plentiful, all areas should be examined for efficiency and necessity. After those audits are completed, and we continue to face a shortfall, then we need to raise the issue of increasing the taxes or "rates," as any business would.

Above all, we can't continue to cut or eliminate the essential services our children need to become productive, civic-minded community leaders. After all, they are our future, aren't they?

Kari Sleight is publisher of Frontiersman.