This is the face of the extreme budget cuts taking place nation wide in our fire departments, our school systems and our public health facilities. Renee Muhammad, pictured here, used to be a fire fighter in Camden, New Jersey before she had to turn in her gear recently, emotionally surrendering a career in which she undoubtedly saved many lives. Muhammad is one less person in Camden who will be on the ground should an emergency arise. She is also one less person who will be paying into the tax base that supports her community. As a country, we had better be prepared to lose more people in public service like her in the name of the popular call for government budget cuts that is sweeping the nation, with the new Obama budget cuts poised to be enacted.

We have a lot to lose if cutting government budgets leads to higher unemployment, even worse public schools, and endangered public safety. Unemployment has led to the inevitable defunding of the tax base. That cannot be denied. The public sector cuts that have already taken place as a result have sharply harmed our quality of life. Is there any question that New York City's poor response to December's storms, which caused avoidable deaths, was caused by this attempt at saving money? Tragic loss is the trap at the end of a road paved with public sector budget cuts. The proposed Obama budget cuts are just a first step in that direction.
An economic "solution" like this cries out for a life-sustaining alternative.

The Guardian UK has outlined an obvious fix to the situation we are facing. Raising taxes on businesses and the richest Americans by 10-15% would create enough revenue to reduce the deficit and balance budgets without hurting economic growth, or human beings. Even Reagan himself raised taxes and saw the economy grow. Women like Renee Muhammad could keep her job, paying desperately needed taxes into the system while keeping us safe. The wealthy and the business community would also be able to rely on solid services even they need like fully-funded police. So why are our leaders (and many citizens) obsessed with slashing monies for essential services? Because of a recurrent lie being told.


And we in particular can't fall for the lie that cutting taxes for the rich will help the economy. As African Americans, a larger portion of our community is employed in the public sector compared to the general population. Many of our elders and others in vulnerable positions are reliant on the kinds of programs whose spending leaders are planning to cut or freeze. If America has a lot to lose through austerity programs, black America will lose a whole hell of a lot. The black unemployment rate is already twice that of the general population. We just can't take anymore willful economic destruction.


If we don't demand that our local and federal officials stop draining public budgets and raise taxes on the rich instead, they will never do it. And we will be the ones who suffer in the end when public sector jobs and social services disintegrate to the point that the basic security we enjoy as American citizens today becomes a luxury.

What do you think we should do? Should America just tighten its belt even further and take the risk that even without a strong public sector our social fabric will remain intact? Or do we demand that our government tax the rich -- who can afford it?

I have a feeling that the founding fathers would be on our side.

Leave your comments below!