Boy Scouts, $900; lawmakers, nothing

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We weren’t quite sure what to make of the tale of the Boy Scout troop in Tilden, in Randolph County, that took it upon itself to help reduce the state’s massive debt, which is approaching $12 billion.

What can a bunch of Scouts accomplish against this budgetary leviathan? Well, by holding several typical small-town fundraisers, these intrepid lads managed to raise $900.

Then they traveled to Springfield and donated it to the state to help pay off the government’s staggering debt.

We can hear the naysayers laughing and hooting already. What a foolish way to spend their time and money, these doubting Thomases might say.

We also can hear the idealists singing the praises of the Scouts for their altruism and good will.

When you look at their activities in the context of what their chief debt-reduction competitors have done, one thing is clear: The Boy Scouts are $900 ahead of state lawmakers and the governor.

While lawmakers dawdled, the Scouts toiled.

While the governor made speeches, the Scouts made a donation.

Yes, perhaps the money would have been better spent on some charity in Tilden itself. But it’s the thought that counts, and these plucky Scouts are to be congratulated for recognizing a big problem and doing their best to solve it.

By the time the Legislature adjourns, we hope the same thing can be said for lawmakers and the governor.