SII Project Summary
by Guest Blogger, 2/12/2002
The Social Investment Initiative (SII) is based on the premise that a discussion of federal budget priorities must begin at the state and local level. Following is a short description of the project.
Project Summary
The Social Investment Initiative (SII) is a two-year planning and action project to put into place initial steps that will build the foundation for a longer-term effort to address domestic priorities.
SII starts from the premise that federal fiscal policy is a reflection of our priorities as a nation as well as a statement about the role of government in our civil society. Conservatives have long recognized this and have launched long-term initiatives to "shrink and re-limit" the role of government through a variety of means including tax cuts that limit federal resources, erosion of federal regulatory powers, and continued assaults on the efficacy and role of government. At the same time, most Americans support investment in a broad range of domestic priorities to improve the quality of their lives and communities; to insure continued economic prosperity and the well being and security of future generations of Americans; and to more fully realize our shared social values. The objective of SII is to more effectively link these widespread public sentiments and understandings into the public policy debate about federal budget priorities. Accomplishing this will involve finding new ways to engage people to make demands on their representatives to act in the public interest.
As we begin to adjust to a changed world after September 11, attention has become focused on national priorities, like developing short- and long-term strategies to stimulate the economy to avoid or mitigate the effects of a recession; the desire to help those who have been affected by the attacks; efforts to insure national security; and initiatives to assist those who are struggling to enjoy the basic necessities of life as the economy falters. In addition, the September 11 attacks brought home to many of us the potentially harmful effects of federal disinvestments. From the initial issue of insuring airline safety, a range of other aspects of domestic security, like strengthening national public health agencies or providing more efficient rail transportation or improving the unemployment system and job training, are being discussed. Where the booming economy had made it easier to scrimp on maintaining the social safety net, now, with the economic downturn and threat of recession, we are seeing the holes in that safety net.
The Social Investment Initiative maintains that:
- The issue is not, as conservatives would have it, the size of government, but its effectiveness in meeting public needs.
- The federal budget, including its impact at the state and local level, is central to realizing the domestic priorities and initiatives that are important to individuals, families, and communities.
- There will be further erosion of the federal government through additional tax cuts and other means (e.g., curtailing of regulatory power) unless counter measures are taken. The effort to reduce government is long-standing and will continue.
- There is a need to build a constituency base that is oriented less towards particular issues and more towards big ideas and visions about the future of this country. A campaign about strengthening domestic investments has the potential for bringing together social justice advocates, as well as expanding that base to include others whose aspirations for their lives and communities may often reflect "social justice" values.
- A good place to begin is with organizations at the state and local level, especially since many of these groups are left holding the bag as government services are downsized or devolved.