Bush Budget to Cut Deeper Into Education
From the AP:
President Bush’s budget would cut money for education, the second straight time has he has sought less school spending after a first term of steady increases.
The Education Department would get $54.4 billion for discretionary spending in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. That would amount to a cut of $3.7 billion, or 6.4 percent, from this year.
When I first read this, I immediately thought of the hypocrisy of announcing major new education initiatives during the State of the Union and cutting education funding six days later. Then I realized that money probably isn’t the answer. I have neither the time nor the expertise in the art and science of education to really back this up in any empirical way, but it seems to me that schools with all the greatest technology and facilities aren’t necessarily any better than those without them. Certainly some minimal budgetary foundation is needed so that qualified teachers are attracted to historically sub-par schools. Before I start to sound like a Communist, I’ll sign off by saying that money isn’t the answer. Or drugs, for that matter. Don’t do drugs.
February 9th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
We need to prepare for the Baby Boomers and start cutting back on government spending. I think Bush?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s budget did not go far enough in trimming government coffers.
In about 10 - 15 years, there will be no way that we can afford to pay for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
We could radically increase taxes. However, this will cripple future generations. We can increase the budget deficit. But it will lead to serious systemic risks to our economy. We should reduce benefits promised during a previous era of prosperity in our country. Of course, we can try a combination of all three, but we would be left with a situation akin to eurosclerosis.
We must make the painful choice of reducing benefits and reshaping Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to care for the very neediest in our country. It will be hard, but the demographic trend is inexorable.
Reality shouts that this is not a Republican or Democrat issue.