The fourth-grade instrumental-music program
Why is it that city and town governments, let alone larger entities such as states, provinces, and nations, have been so little able to motivate their citizens into volunteering their time and know-how to meet the community needs? Why is it that instead all, or nearly all town and city services must be paid for at the going rate, and when the money is not there they must be suspended indefinitely?
At the present time in many Massachusetts cities and towns, and throughout the country, given the present economic downturn that some are already calling a recession, adequate funding is not available. We’re told, for example, that in Canton middle school students will idle in vast study halls because electives have been pared and teachers have been laid off.
We’re told that the town of Brookline without a higher tax rate will have to shed three teachers, four police officers, all school library assistants, the equivalent of 2.8 school social workers, the fourth-grade instrumental-music program, as well as the use of one of the town’s seven fire engines from May through August.
For as long as ever families have been surviving, and in good times more than surviving, because of the voluntary labor of their members. And no less than the family the city or town needs "stay-at-home" moms (or pops) or other volunteer "family members" to insure that services are not cut.
Why haven’t we done much more to create within each service area, be it schools, health care, even police and fire departments, volunteer as well as paid staff? Then in tough times, such as now, the volunteers could expand their number so that services wouldn’t be cut. The task of the relatively small paid staff would be to organize the work and make things happen.
Many activities do work in this manner, after school soccer leagues and chess clubs for example. But not enough, and especially not enough in the tough impoverished inner cities where economic downturns are felt the most.
The present system seems indefensible. That in tough times children get less attention, less care, less tutoring, less of everything, which process usually begins with such cuts as losing the school band, theater program, or the privilege of small class sizes. If anything the children probably need more of everything during the tough times, and they get less.
Cities and towns produce nothing of value, nothing that they can sell and thereby make a profit. But they promise more and more services that for their realization require more and more revenue from taxes, usually property taxes. The people have learned through this process that the taxes they pay are never be enough to pay for the services promised. Higher tax rates are always needed with the result that discontent is everywhere.
It might have been different if from the beginning the public schools, fire departments and all the rest were made up of volunteer as well as paid staff. Furthermore this would help the city or town to become what it’s always talking about, a community. As it is the town’s needs, and in particular the needs of growing children, will never be fully met and satisfied.
