Choices

I love Arkansas. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived, saved for three long months in my then-mother-in-law’s home in suburban Milwaukee in the summer of 1993. That’s an old story best left untold.

Arkansas is my home and it’s a place of immeasurable beauty, wonderful people and considerable potential. Some of that potential is being realized these days in this corner of the state, but most of the rest of the state lags behind.

As much as I love Arkansas, I also recognize that our state has some challenges that must be overcome. We are still among the poorest states in the U.S., ranking 44th in per capita income in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Adjusting for the low cost of living in our state bumps us up to 36th, but that’s still too low. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 15.2 percent of Arkansans were impoverished in 2020, the fifth-highest percentage among all states. US News ranks Arkansas No. 41 in terms of education — it’s just one ranking, but it’s similar to others.

There’s a common thread here. For our state to improve the quality of life for all Arkansans, the effort has to start in our public school classrooms. Education is the key to improving our state’s economy, to lifting more Arkansans out of poverty and to providing an opportunity for future generations to have a brighter future right here in our beautiful home state.

Currently, our state coffers are overflowing to the tune of $1.6 billion. Gov. Asa Hutchinson wants to use some of that surplus money in one of two ways — for an across-the-board income tax reduction or for an immediate increase in minimum teacher salaries along with raises for every teacher in the state.

The state Legislature is all on in reduced income taxes, but the idea of providing more money for teachers is dead on arrival. They’ll get a little bit more on their paychecks if income taxes are cut, of course, but that’s it.

The people who will benefit most from an income-tax reduction, of course, are the wealthiest Arkansans. A two percent tax cut equals $10,000 more in the pocket of someone making $500,000, for instance. For someone else, say for instance a teacher making $45,000, the same tax cut is worth $900.

Of course, the guy with the half-million dollar annual income likely holds a little more sway with politicians who need generous donors to support those expensive campaigns. There might not be as much immediate political benefit from raising teacher salaries.

Here’s what paying our teachers will do, though: It will allow us to attract and retain more well-trained and well-qualified teachers to educate our children. It might keep that talented, motivated elementary school teacher — the one who can help give your child or my grandchild the early foundation for a quality education — in Arkansas instead of Texas.

I’m sitting here today, making my living writing about the world around me, thanks in no small part to the dedicated teachers who taught me to read and instilled in me a love for learning at a young age.

We can put a few more dollars in the hands of the wealthiest among us. Or we can make a real investment in the future of our state. Those are our choices.

Sadly, I fear the wrong choice has already been made.

Scott Loftis is managing editor for Carroll County Newspapers. His email address is SLoftis@cherryroad.com.