Balancing Act

“If we want something, we do it ourselves.”

Constance Robinson

Mayor of Paragonah, Utah

The debt crisis sure has everyone in a pickle. The politicians are scrapping, the due date is looming, and hopes for a solution are dwindling. Folks in Paragonah, Utah (population 485) don’t know what all the fuss is about. Town leaders there have balanced the budget every year for the past 15 years, and they don't expect to stop any time soon.

It’s not that Paragonah is flush with cash. Folks there are facing the same tough economy as the rest of us, but they take a no-nonsense approach to money. First, if you don’t have it, don’t spend it. The mayor says they don’t go in for the “fancy stuff.” The town hall is a small log building, which does double-duty as the library and triple-duty as the museum. Second, if you want something done, do it yourself. Residents pitch in because they love their town and want to help their neighbors. Simple as that.

Paragonah residents think this same two-prong approach can work for the rest of the country. But who’s going to take notice of a tiny town in Utah? The U.S. Senate, that’s who. It recently awarded a commendation to the people of Paragonah for their fiscal responsibility. Now, if the senators would just borrow a few pages from Paragonah’s playbook, maybe they could get us out of this economic pickle we’re in.

Read the article ® Paragonah praised by U.S. Senate for staying debt free
Art by Adi Holzer