Proposition C: A lot of money … better late than never

Frontiersman editorial board

It's true, $230 million is a lot of money. It's also true that most of that money would be targeted to schools outside of Mat-Su if Proposition C passes in November. Some opponents liken the General Obligation bond proposal -- which is largely earmarked for construction and renovation projects at rural Alaska schools -- to a blank check, and some local opponents say voters in the Valley should oppose the proposition simply because it wouldn't be of direct benefit to our schools.

It's the same shortsighted set of arguments that always surface when spending is the issue. There is the argument that this kind of spending will ultimately come back to all Alaskans in the form of taxes. There is the argument that the budget is already in enough trouble without adding a huge spending burden to the formula. Some problems simply can't be analyzed on a "T" account, however. Sometimes people, even people with financial concerns, have to consider the long-term effects of holding the purse strings a little too tight. Sometimes ignoring a problem costs more than spending on it. In fact, many of the schools that badly need this funding would have been better served had they been maintained to begin with. Ignoring their needs has brought a more painful bill to bear now. Still, it is a bill that must be paid.

We're not talking about building a ski resort. We're not talking about an overpass or even a sports complex. These are schools we're talking about. Many of these schools have been ignored for decades. But even that may not bring the issue home. A school is just a building. We're really talking about students. The students of Alaska are not a problem to be dealt with on the local level.

The students of Alaska are a promise that all Alaskans have to fulfill. Yes, this seems like a big price tag, but it was our inactivity for so many years that left us with a big bill. And what price tag is too large for the education and safety of our children? We fret over solutions for fiscal problems that are here right now. We wish the solutions to those problems were all clean and quantifiable -- something with immediate, visible results. Some of the solutions likely are like that. However, a critical element in any strong economy is home-grown talent -- an educated work force. You get there by taking care of your schools and the students who must learn there. You take care of all of those schools and students, not just the ones in your neighborhood. This one is important, voters. The ones about children always are.