Education funding cuts
You get what you pay for, and we Floridians have always undertaxed ourselves compared to other states.
It's part of our ethos here in God's Waiting Room, and some would argue that low taxes are what have fueled an economy that has, until now, been based on immigration from other states and countries.
A lot of our retired residents escaped from such high-tax states as New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. They've put kids through the education system Up North, and they're through with that. I would be, too, if I'd had to pay that much.
They have some pretty fine public schools up there. I just visited an elementary school in New Jersey whose multi-media computer room was filled with the latest Apple computers, and the courtyard contained a $90,000 Zen garden for the children to relax in while they contemplated the meaning of life. One classroom door label said, "Mandarin Chinese."
Admittedly, this was a high-end residential community, but clearly the residents were willing to tax themselves to the hilt to give their kids the very best. Here in Florida, they'd just complain and try to hang on to what was theirs.
We could have a top-notch education system, regardless of whether we were in a boom or bust economy, if we had the will.
CHAN LOWE has been the Sun Sentinel’s first and only editorial cartoonist for the past twenty-six years. Before that, he worked as cartoonist and writer for the Oklahoma City Times and the Shawnee (OK) News-Star.
Comments
From what I have personally seen of the current crop of precious little darlings I vote to cut education spending even further. Let the breeders shoulder the cost and throw their money out the window instead of mine.
Posted by: Frank in Wilton Manors | June 19, 2009 6:35 AM
Yea, I give all the biotech firms we spent zillions of tax dollars to attract about 5 or 10 years before they realize that they can't keep any skilled employees because said employees can't find any place they'd want their kids to go to school.
Posted by: Tom | June 19, 2009 9:11 AM
all the biotech firms we spent zillions of tax dollars to attract about 5 or 10 years before they realize that they can't keep any skilled employees because said employees can't find any place they'd want their kids to go to school.
Maybe we should stop squandering tax money on boondoggles. I suspect if we get the government out of the education business the quality of education will increase while the cost goes down.
Posted by: Lolly | June 19, 2009 9:49 AM
All kids grow up to make a contribution to society. What kind of contribution (constructive or destructive) depends on their education. So, what kind of neighbors do you want when (and as) they grow up?
Posted by: concierge | June 19, 2009 10:12 AM
Very "tolerant" Frank.
Posted by: Frank is an ass | June 19, 2009 2:46 PM
Frank, you realize that these students are the same people who will or will not attract businesses to our states? They are also the ones who will be voting to decide how social security will be saved? Or who will be elected? Or what laws will be passed?
I'd like them to be well educated and able to think. A well educated populace doesn't just benefit "breeders." It benefits all of us, and the fewer narrow minded, poorly educated voters we have in our state the more well conceived and fair our laws will be and the more attractive we will be to businesses.
Posted by: David Freeland | October 26, 2011 5:18 PM