Interesting question. First, let’ s be clear: We all want the same things. We want good
health, good education, and good jobs sustained by reasonable taxes. To me, it’ s not
about spending but efficiency. It’ s about outcomes. If we can provide our current level of
services at the state and local level but for 10, 20 or 30 percent less money wouldn’ t we
choose to do that? Yes. From my very limited experience with state government I’ d argue
that we don’ t provide services very efficiently. This has nothing to do with the quality
of our state employees; this has to do with the infrastructures and red tape by which they
are so often bound. I commonly use Lamoille County Court Diversion and the Lamoille
Family Center as two examples of non-profits, which, through state and federal funds
and local fundraising achieve outstanding results for a fraction of what it would cost a
state agency to deliver the same. These NPO’ s are a great example of how public/private
sector partnerships can deliver. And, they create local, well-paying jobs to boot. Not bad.
We must learn from these groups. We must support their missions.
