Alabama legislators have one primary duty: Pass a balanced budget. They failed in 2012. Legislators “balanced” the budget contingent on voters passing a constitutional amendment in a special election on Sept. 18. This raids the corpus of the Alabama Trust Fund to bail out the state general fund without paying it back.

But the constitutional amendment is about much more. It allows legislators not to balance the budget for the next three years and to kick the can down the road past the next election. It also sets a new aggressive level of yearly contributions to the state General Fund that is likely to exceed earnings on the Alabama Trust Fund. The Alabama Trust Fund is currently set up to be maintained in perpetuity for our children.

Contrary to the amendment’s scare tactics, if the constitutional amendment does not pass, grandmoms won’t be thrown out of nursing homes, children won’t be neglected and prisoners won’t be released to roam the streets. Sensible solutions are available to restructure the state general fund and to cut spending and waste.

Please join me in voting no on Sept. 18 and send a message that we expect fiscal responsibility, not more gimmicks.

Elois Zeanah
Tuscaloosa