The Three Million Dollar Question

While last night's City Council meeting did not raise any issues particular to city schools, it did provide what is going to be the quick answer for councilors who get your letters:

"But we already are $3 million in the hole for snow-plowing!"

This shouldn't put us off. Snow-plowing is, in Worcester as in many Massachusetts communities, underfunded in every budgetary cycle, and while the city manager has been working to raise the budgeted amount, during any snowy winter, we spend more than we have to keep the streets clear.
We just spend the money, because we need clear streets.

Now here's the part that I don't get: how is it that we just spend, without ever questioning it, snow-plowing money, but when it comes to the money that's used to educate the next generation, we have full drawn battles to get a minimum?

Shouldn't we just spend the money, because we need educated kids?