WE'VE seen a lot of finger-pointing lately as to who should take up the slack in the midst of corporate belt-tightening and shrinking government budgets. Truth is, it's going to take all of us working together to fix this. Healthy societies pull from all corners to make things work.

We already are living with severe cutbacks, and it is projected to get worse. These reductions come at a time when nearly 190,000 King County residents are living below the federal poverty line.

These cuts are not about "programs" — they are about real people, most likely your neighbors. We are for the first time seeing children living in outdoor homeless camps because shelters are overflowing. An Eastside domestic-violence program is reporting that it turns away 18 victims for every one that it takes in at its confidential shelter.

It is time to take a balanced approach and look at revenues that will improve opportunities for all.

Some argue that now is not the time to talk about the dreaded "t-word" — taxes — when so many families are struggling. But now is precisely the time we need to consider all options. What business doesn't look at both income and expenses?

It's irresponsible to unravel our social services that support so many working families, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities rely on. It is much more expensive to try to fix things once they have fallen into disrepair than to maintain them. And cutbacks today hurt our collective future — when our children are not well-educated and our families are struggling, we won't attract new business that will propel our region forward. Funding social programs and education are the best investments to stay competitive in this global economy.

We believe in the power of philanthropy and operate two foundations, the Zumiez Foundation and the Campion Foundation. We are champions of catalytic philanthropy, where every dollar given is an investment to be leveraged to create an even bigger impact.

But philanthropy alone is not the solution. What works is when we all work together — government, nonprofits, churches, foundations and business. Take, for instance, the YWCA Family Village at Issaquah, an innovative affordable-housing community on the Eastside. We've invested in this venture ourselves — and it's a prime example of how if any one sector had done this alone, it would have just been a housing "project." However, with a dynamic nonprofit like the YWCA at the center, the organization leveraged $10.2 million in philanthropy to secure $42.5 million in public investments, tax-credit equity and bonds, to fund construction. The result is far beyond just a roof over one's head. It is a vibrant community combining 146 units of affordable housing with access to everything one needs to move forward in life — child care, recreation, access to transit, a great school system and a surrounding supportive community for more than 500 people on the Eastside.

Taxes are not the enemy. They can provide the catalytic sparks that ignite sustainable solutions. Thirty-three years ago, Zumiez started with a $35,000 loan from the Small Business Administration — a government program. Zumiez today has more than 440 stores throughout the United States. Think of what a wide positive economic impact that initial government investment created.

As the federal deficit-reduction committee closes in on its Wednesday deadline and the Washington State Legislature heads into a special session Monday, it's time to tell our elected officials that we expect real leadership that focuses on both sides of the ledger.

However, the rest of us can't sit on the sidelines and expect our electeds to define what the role of government is. It's time for all of us to step up and do what must be done.