Remember, though, that neither local nor state governments may run a deficit (with the small exception in Massachusetts of snow removal). Krugman's answer?According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States economy lost 273,000 jobs last month. Of those lost jobs, 29,000 were in state and local education, bringing the total losses in that category over the past five months to 143,000. That may not sound like much, but education is one of those areas that should, and normally does, keep growing even during a recession. Markets may be troubled, but that’s no reason to stop teaching our children. Yet that’s exactly what we’re doing.
There’s no mystery about what’s going on: education is mainly the responsibility of state and local governments, which are in dire fiscal straits. Adequate federal aid could have made a big difference. But while some aid has been provided, it has made up only a fraction of the shortfall. In part, that’s because back in February centrist senators insisted on stripping much of that aid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a k a the stimulus bill.
As a result, education is on the chopping block.
First of all, Congress needs to undo the sins of February, and approve another big round of aid to state governments. We don’t have to call it a stimulus, but it would be a very effective way to create or save thousands of jobs. And it would, at the same time, be an investment in our future.
Beyond that, we need to wake up and realize that one of the keys to our nation’s historic success is now a wasting asset. Education made America great; neglect of education can reverse the process.
Here's an idea for a Federal funding source that will never go anywhere because there's really no desire at the Federal level to see education properly funded. Not that I really want to become dependent on Federal money. When you become dependent on money you become easy to control because you need the money. It's how the system works. Provide money, then add strings later. That's how the process with the State has traditionally worked.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, the group that profits the most by a well educated populace is the corporate interests. Just as when public education was originally founded their looking for a trained workforce. Yes, we're the training ground for the employees of the future. So the funding source could be a tax on corporate profits to directly fund education. A sliver of a percentage of profits would adequately fund public education and provide the training that future workers need. It won't work because the corporations don't want to pay for training. They want someone else to do it.
To tie back to my first paragraph my biggest fear is that once the Federal Government gains conrol through money then the impetus will become publicly funded privatized education and not the current public education that we've all grown to know. There's money sloshing around and money attracts privateers.