The latest Redmond Area Parks and Recreation operations levy was voted down in November, and it still bothers me.

I know that I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, but this particular result only makes sense in a community that has lost faith in its government and its neighbors. Only 33% of the district’s voters were in favor of funding the staffing, operation and maintenance of the aquatic/recreation center we are building today. We voted to build it but didn’t vote to fund it?

What are the board and the managers of RAPRD to do? Is continuing to build a facility “we” apparently aren’t interested in funding responsible? Should we stop? Or, should we finish it and then mothball it until we have funds at some future date to operate it in a responsible manner? Should we operate it with our current budget with skeleton staffing, and an abbreviated schedule, disappointing its users?

Because current funding only supports current staffing and programming, what should be cut? I assume the first cut will be our current pool facility.

There seems to be a shared belief that if something is important, private enterprise will fill the gap. Would it? Doesn’t history show us the opposite? These programs were created because they are of general public value and businesses didn’t provide them — because they couldn’t profit in doing so. That does not mean that they have no value to a healthy, functioning society.

Wasn’t this the reason why the regulation of business came about and public services were funded in the first place? Businesses, in our economy, must pursue their own goals: Their economic survival. Any benefit to society is a bonus. Profit is their priority, not human wellbeing.

Why did voters approve the building of the facility if they had no intention of funding its operation? What accounts for this disconnect? Who does it serve?

How can a community, or nation, thrive — or even survive — if a large portion of its members are undervalued, ignored or denied opportunity?

The word “sad” cannot begin to explain how I feel at this outcome. This failure is a product of our current toxic, political and anti-government atmosphere. This is quite the message to kids and community members in need of assistance, which at some point, includes us all.

The message is that if at some point you can’t afford something yourself — tough luck. Privilege and opportunity are assured only for the select few.

To do this is a denial of community and society’s value, and assures that very result. Such a “society” cripples, impairs and diminishes us. Many are left behind in a struggle, unable to contribute much to those around them, their lives reduced to base survival.

Great societies are so because their members are healthy, motivated, free to risk and attempt, and capable of doing so. Without cooperation, some kind of minimal support, a fair structure, endless competition promises only that there will be losers and those losers will do so consistently.

Our system is built narrowly to favor the winners. And so that group, as they increase their advantage, push everything further out of balance — and then we blame the poor and powerless. Competition and cooperation are both necessary. Denying members the support and opportunities they require damages them and us. A vibrant economy and healthy society is possible only if we work to assure both. A healthy society is not possible in a world of denial and lost opportunity. To so injure and impede others is to do the same to ourselves.