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Friday, June 12, 2009

Voters Want More School Funding - Until They Get the Facts

For followers of the Rendell "Tax You More Bus Tour" and the debate on education funding, I would recommend checking out this analysis from Education Next

The authors analyze polling, which indicates public support for increasing public education spending and teacher salaries. But they also find that those surveyed believe, on average, that public schools spend $2,000 per-pupil, rather than over $10,000, and underestimate teacher salaries by about 30% (or $14,000).

When told of the actual levels of education spending, support for increases declines.

1 comment:

Elizabeth A. Male said...

The electorate needs to understand the following:

1. Government has no money but that which has been plucked from the pockets of the people via a fee, fine, tax, license, interest payment, etc.

2. Anytime a citizen argues for increased government spending, they are in effect asking and arguing for the government to TAKE MORE from them resulting in a reduced standard of living.

3. If left to our own devices, free of government intervention, I believe that each of us would contribute to that which we are called to contribute. Some are called to feed the poor. Some are called to medicate the poor. Some are called to house the poor. Certainly some would be called to educate the poor.

The private sector is best equipped to deal with the allocation of scarce resources through the discovery of the true price of the expenditure.