Commentary 

A Faithful Budget

Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum

This column is being written before the results of the election are known. Regardless of the outcome, however, the winners will face tough challenges. Growing numbers of persons unemployed and in poverty require consideration and response even as budgets get more difficult to balance.

Former President Bill Clinton was quoted during the most recent campaign as saying that we have to decide if we are a nation that says "we are in this together" or a nation that says "you are on your own." Certainly a philosophy of the role of the social services safety net must be agreed upon as we attempt to balance budgets at all levels of government and to get control of the national debt as well as debts at all levels of government and the need for critical infrastructure improvements.

One approach that I believe should be on the table in a serious way is that enunciated by a group of nuns in "The Faithful Budget."  (http://www.faithfulbudget.org/) Failure to take into account its major provisions will mean that we expect as the wealthiest nation on earth to continue a society of haves and have-nots. Some will denounce the budget's provisions as socialistic; others will embrace them based on their religious doctrine. I believe they are as American as the notion of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

There are many more details in the Faithful Budget than can be considered here, but a review of its preamble will give you a flavor of what it is about. While endorsed by dozens of religious organizations "where respect and care for one another is a sacred imperative," the Faithful Budget proposes that "American society as a whole is, or should be, also such a place, where we delight in the value of each and every one, and gladly accept a mutual responsibility for one another's wellbeing." It goes on, "Government of, by and for the people at its best is a vital forum for promoting the common good and ensuring that no one is left behind." The communities of faith that put together the Faithful Budget "call on our elected leaders to craft a federal budget that fulfills our shared duty to each other in all segments of society to those who are struggling to overcome poverty or are especially vulnerable, and to future generations through our collective responsibility as stewards of creation."

As was noted during the presidential campaign by many commentators, there was little or no mention of the issue of poverty and no mention of climate change. Yet the Catholic Sisters who have promoted the Faithful Budget through their Nuns on the Bus campaign state emphatically that "it is simply not true that we must reduce assistance for the poorest among us in order to achieve fiscal recovery." Instead, "we need the government's continued partnership to combat poverty by providing a truly adequate short-term safety net, and by means of policies that serve to prevent poverty, reduce extreme inequality, restore economic opportunity for all, and rebuild a robust middle class." And the Nuns say that the Faithful Budget "must encompass a reverence for our created environment, making choices that protect air, water, and land..."

Now that we know the outcome of the election, can we expect that the concepts of the Faithful Budget might at least be considered?

Virginia Report on Comcast Channel 28

Tune in to Ken's weekly television program, Virginia Report, on Reston Comcast Channel 28 for public service programming. Ken interviews state and local leaders who are making news by making a difference. Watch these upcoming programs:

TONIGHT - Wednesday, November 7 at 10:30 p.m. - Peggy DeVincenzio and Lawrence Riso, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National Capital Area Chapter, "Preventing Suicide"

Tuesday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, November 14 at 10:30 p.m. - Pat Hynes, Vice Chairman and Hunter Mill District Representative to the Fairfax County Public Schools, "School Board Update"  

"Virginia Report" is also available online at www.rctv28.com/virginiareport.html for viewing on your computer or iPad.

Calendar of Events 

The 2012 Fall Multimodal Transportation Public Meeting for Northern Virginia has been rescheduled for November 13, 2012 to give stakeholders the opportunity to review and provide comments on projects and programs to be included in the Fiscal Year 2014-2019 Six-Year Improvement Program (FY14-19), including highway, rail and public transportation initiatives. The meeting will be held at the Virginia Department of Transportation Potomac Conference Center, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax. All are invited to come and speak with transportation agency representatives. If you cannot attend the meeting, you may send comments to Diane Mitchell, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1401 E. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219 or email to SixYearProgram@vdot.virginia.gov by November 30, 2012. Comments on rail and public transportation may be sent to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation Public Information Officer at 600 East Main Street, Suite 2102, Richmond, VA 23219 or by email to drptpr@drpt.virginia.gov.

Get Up & Get Moving--Don't Let Back Pain Keep You Down, Thursday, November 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Reston Hospital Center, 1850 Town Center Parkway, Classroom C, Reston. The event is free but reservations are required. Call 1-877-689-DOCS (3627) to reserve a spot. For more information, visit www.restonhospital.com

Reston Community Center (RCC) announces this year's annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, in partnership with Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Reston Interfaith. Donations will be accepted through November 19, and volunteers will sort and deliver donations on Thanksgiving Day. Community members who wish to volunteer to sort and deliver donations on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, must register in advance. Participation is free and the volunteer event will start at 10:00 a.m. and end around 1:00 p.m. or whenever sorting and delivery is complete. Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com for more information and to register for the Thanksgiving Day activity.