Weekly Editorial Recap

WEDNESDAY

Downgrading america

Maybe Standard & Poor's will succeed where the tea party movement failed.

The unequivocal message of November's elections was for Washington to get a grip on runaway federal spending and stop growing the national debt. In response, President Obama, Senate Democrats and House Republicans hailed a hard-fought compromise that trims barely a few billion dollars from a still-growing budget that has doubled over the past decade to more than $3.5 trillion. ...

Message forgotten.

On Monday -- Tax Day, appropriately -- the key credit agency Standard & Poor's lowered the federal government's long-term fiscal outlook from "stable" to "negative," and warned that if Congress and the White House can't agree on immediate, drastic steps to limit deficit spending, Washington will lose its triple-A investment rating.

That step would make already stingy credit markets even tighter. If loans become even more expensive and less available than they are today, the country's timid recovery could return to recession.

The message to Washington: Get serious about balancing the budget. ...

Standard & Poor's is a new messenger with the same old message. Washington had better start listening.

FRIDAY

REVENUE GRAB

The Clark County Commission sent two clear directives Tuesday to the various entities it oversees:

First, if you've got it, spend it. And second, do unto others as others have done unto you.

Still reluctant to pull the trigger on the kinds of budget cuts needed to make county government sustainable in the years ahead, commissioners directed staff to explore raiding the Metropolitan Police Department's $84 million in reserves to preserve as much payroll as possible. ...

Meanwhile, county leaders continue to complain and lobby to prevent the Legislature from swiping county property taxes to shore up the state's 2011-13 spending plan.

The message to Carson City: Keep your hands off our money. The message to the sheriff: What's yours is ours.

Principle has left the building, with frugality and fiscal responsibility close behind. Anyone who undertakes the hard work of cutting spending, limiting salary growth and making do with less now knows those labors will eventually subsidize the less diligent and accountable. ...

When every tax dollar is precious at every level of government, such naked, desperate displays of power should be expected. Every available dollar should be used for the most productive purpose possible.

Transferring police funding to the county doesn't accomplish that.