We Need a Dad

Do you remember when you were a kid and your father was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? When he said it, there was nothing left to say. We need that kind of leadership today.
This has been a most unusual year. Many families are struggling. Small businesses have suffered severely. Many small business owners who have spent their lives building their business, have had to shutter the doors. Many have huge amounts of debt left to pay with no income with which to pay. Tough choices must be made.
These choices will be made at every level. From the local businesses to the family table to the halls of Congress in Washington and the General Assembly in Raleigh.
At the kitchen table, when the adults, Mom and Dad, sit down with the family to make plans, after Dad has lost his job, the scene can be very unpleasant. The family sits down and tries to establish a budget for the long-term family survival. It’s not easy and everybody has to sacrifice.
First you list down your income or liquid assets, the money you have available to spend, then you list your expenses. You have fixed expenses that must be paid, rent or mortgage, utility costs, car payments, etc. and then there’s everything else. Mom and Dad announce that everything that isn’t necessary must be cut out. Only things that are absolutely necessary will remain in the budget. Therefore, dance lessons, karate lessons, nail and facial appts., dining out, movies, vacations, etc. can’t continue.
The children pitch a fit, cry and make the case for how important their particular self-interest is. His or hers is much more important than the other siblings. Some reasons are because he or she is older or younger, or more deserving for whatever reason. They plead in a passionate way. But Dad, the leader, explains that it’s not what anybody wants but it has to be done. Otherwise, there’s no money to pay for the necessities and the family won’t have a home or food.
The children aren’t happy and they cry, get angry, pout for awhile. But Dad knows best. He stands his ground for the survival of the family.
The children will point out that they have college funds that can be spent. There is a savings account that can be raided. Dad points out, that money is not to spend. It must be left untouched and used only as a last resort for emergencies. The kids are not happy and the family is very upset with Dad. But Dad knows he is responsible for his family and hangs in there. That’s leadership. It’s desperately needed for survival.
Some leaders today are exactly like those spoiled children. You will soon see it in full display when the North Carolina Legislature goes into session and begins the tough work of completing a budget for the next biennium.
We don’t have the full picture yet, but we do know that income is down. There will be some tough choices to be made.
Thank Heavens, we have been fiscally conservative here in North Carolina. Republicans have been called horrible names as we fought to maintain a responsible budget during good times and replenish the “Rainy Day” fund for when the bad times hit. There were many on the other side who acted like the children at the kitchen table. “We need that money and we need it now.” I’m so glad we didn’t listen and didn’t buckle under the pressure.
We’ve all heard the statistics of the advantages to having a dad. Children who live in fatherless households are 4 X more likely to be poor, are at higher risk for drug or alcohol abuse, twice as likely to commit suicide, and the list goes on. Dad’s leadership can’t be minimized.
We need a dad at the state government level. We need a sensible leader, looking out for the long-term survival of our state.
I hope Governor Cooper will surprise me and display that leadership during the budget debates. That was not the case during the last budget cycle. He vetoed the budget because he wanted more spending. Hindsight is always 20/20. There were sizable increases in that budget but because of the veto, spending went back to the previous spending of the prior budget.
We now know it was a blessing. Since revenues are down, the additional spending would have been a serious problem.
Some of my legislative colleagues are like the spoiled children who really don’t care about the survival of our state. They only care about their own self interests. The rest of the state (family) be damned.
Senator Joyce Krawiec represents District 31, which includes Kernersville, in the North Carolina General Assembly.