KUER News Transcript: November 2, 2000
By Ciel Hunter

HOST: The federal budget surplus has prompted talk on the future of the country. But the people whose future it is have their own ideas on how to spend it, says KUER Youth Election Fellow Ciel Hunter.

Spending. Surplus. Medicare. Tax cuts. These words are defining this election season. On the streets and in back rooms adults and politicians are whispering, talking, and debating about budgets and taxes. Adults are doing so with an emphasis on what will affect them right here, right now. Politicians, meanwhile, are packaging the issue in the best way possible to get votes and win elections. Where is all the idealism? Where are all the ideas that at first glance may be considered unreasonable but really could make the world a better place?

That's where teens come in. Teens are just as concerned about this subject as the next person. And why not? Government spending decisions will affect them just as much as everybody else. However, sometimes teens just have a different perspective. They are more concerned with the future of the country than the present because that is when they will be living as active, working adults. This is most easily seen with the issue of tax cuts. Teens see that tax cuts don't currently play a role in their lives. So, many, like senior Rose Ellen Epstein believe that the money should be used in a different way. A way that could possibly improve the world they are going to live in.

EPSTEIN: "I think the money should definitely not be given back in tax rebates, it should be reinvested in the government. You know, roads could be repaired, schools could be given more funding, we could create a national health program, you know. That would be really, really awesome"

The range of teens' opinions and desires may shock adults who often stereotype teens as uncaring.

TEEN: "I think the budget surplus should be spent on improving the general quality of life for all people. And I think that once we create a society where everyone is able to have a decent quality of life, that we'll be able to grow in other areas."

TEEN: "If we could spend more money picking up, even like, the streets and city parks, making sure the whole city is a place where all of us would want to be, then it would be a much better investment than a lot of other things the government spends its money on."

TEEN: "The arts need more encouragement if they are going to flourish and we're going to have a more artistic and more cultured community."

TEEN: "I think that the money that the government has should be spent on fighting the war on poverty."

TEEN: "Medicare is really important. Because, having lived in Europe, I just... it was like a first hand experience. My brother broke his arm and they fixed him and it was free. It really adds a sense of security to your life.

There is one other issue that is very important to teens: Education. Being current participants in the education system, teens have many views about spending in education, most of which amount to pleas for more money. Their requests range from reducing class sizes and increasing teacher pay, to better textbooks and more financial support for higher education.

TEEN: "There is so much emphasis placed on higher education that I think the government should have a role in paying for it, because the really good colleges are thirty to forty thousand a year and not everyone can afford to pay that much."

Students' concerns also extend past their immediate needs and into the future.

TEEN: "Money should be spent a lot on education because educated people are the ones who will make a difference."

Some say it's idealistic to wish for scholarships for a whole country, or a substantial Medicare system like those found in Europe and Canada, but is sure doesn't hurt. Without those wishes, change won't come. So maybe adults should follow the example of youth and open their eyes past the little white picket fence protecting their home from the world outside. Baby boomers used to be idealistic dreamers. Now they are concerned homeowners. Listen to the breath of fresh air from your children, your nephews, or your nieces and look to the future of the country.

HOST: KUER Youth Election fellow Ciel Hunter is a junior at West High School in Salt Lake City.

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