Human smuggling and drug trafficking along the border are tragic issues that take a toll on human life.
Congenital heart failure, cancer and other diseases take an immense toll on human life as well.
Both are issues in the state of Arizona that need to be addressed, and by different means.
However, Republicans in the state Legislature have proven that they are content with addressing only one of those problems.
A bill that would allocate $5 million to Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu to fund equipment and supplies to help fight illegal immigration and drug smuggling in that county passed committee last Wednesday in a 13-0 vote.
An editorial in The Arizona Republic criticized the state government for choosing to fund such efforts instead of restoring transplant funding for 100 Arizonans.
Republican legislators have refused to restore funding they cut last fall for those transplant recipients on the state Medicaid program. The GOP justifies these cuts because they claim the state doesn’t have the money.
We know that isn’t true anymore.
Admittedly I am no math person — I’m majoring in journalism for a reason — but wouldn’t some simple compromising fix this problem?
The Arizona Republic editorial made a similar argument. Restoring transplant funding would cost the state only $1.4 million.
Why couldn’t we split the $5 million allocated for an anti-smuggling unit and direct the remaining to transplant funding? It’s a simple fix and everyone would benefit.
But the fact of the matter is that Republicans have relentlessly refused to make compromises and have instead proposed countless bills marked by imprudence and lunacy.
To imitate our state legislator’s wisdom, here are some other sensible suggestions of where to allocate our money.
First let’s buy new American cars for every single Arizonan. Maybe GM would move their plant to Phoenix and our economy would flourish.
Perhaps we should also throw a free extravagant ball that costs billions of dollars, featuring every big name performer in the country. After all, Arizona is all about gaining national publicity and attempting to set national records. Just imagine the positive PR.
Or we could use taxpayers' dollars to employ personal therapists and psychologists for our legislators. It’s tough work being a lawmaker, especially if you’re a Republican. I cannot imagine the brainpower and concentration it took to come up with the idea for an official state gun (Senate Bill 1610).
Sadly, no amount of mockery or sarcasm will bring sense out of the thoughtless and coldhearted decisions to fund an anti-smuggling unit instead of life-saving transplants. This is a serious issue with fatal consequences.
At the end of the day, a young child may still lose his mother or father because they were denied medical assistance.
What price tag do we place on that? No editorial parody or ridicule will ever mend the pain for that young child. This is not a laughing matter.
Republican lawmakers should take heed of their inappropriate spending, and stop such tragedies from happening.
Emilie can be reached at eeeaton@asu.edu
