Hey, every little bit helps, as the folks in Washington state are learning when it comes to cutting back on those folks who insist on taxpayers funding their every whim — OK, they’re in prison, so it’s not so much “whims” that are being discussed, but still, the Washington officials are finding ways to cut back.
Yes, that sounds like Hell freezing over — “Washington officials are finding ways to cut back.”
But remember, this is Washington STATE, not Washington, D.C.
They are cutting back by “recycling inmate uniforms, switching to juice boxes and providing shorter socks,” according to the Associated Press.
See, sometimes you don’t have to make a huge step forward to make a big difference.
Sometimes you can baby-step your way to success, and that is what the Washington officials are doing.
For instance, changing from juice dispensers to individual juice boxes in the self-serve cafeteria will save $120,000 a year.
Short socks saves $22,000.
Thousands more will be saved by reusing prison-issue clothing.
What Americans ought to be asking is, why aren’t these same cuts being made in every penal institution in the nation? For that matter, why aren’t equally deep cuts being made in federal and state offices all over the nation.
We may not have the gumption to cut the army of regulators who make a career out of making our lives more difficult, but that doesn’t mean that American taxpayers have to fund their coffee breaks, too.
Maybe we buy too many pens, or pay out too much for office furniture.
If short socks will create more than $20,000 in savings in one state, who knows what we could save, if only we would try?
Believe it. Taxpayers would appreciate the cuts.
— Chuck Smith