Budgetary Issues

The scene in Wisconsin is truly troubling. Adults in Amerca, the wealthiest nation in history, acting like destitute people in the Mideast struggling for freedom, for what? They are entitled to more pay and better benefits by working for government than they would get in the private sector. Teachers are entitled to their salaries and generous benefits and pensions even though they have not improved edcuation one whit. I wonder if when Social Security and Medicare are cut, if seniors will be manning the lines with signs about Hitler. I hope not, but this is an entitled world. The government has created a society that is less independent, less innovative, less free by providing virtually everthing the public wants. Thomas Jefferson said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have."

I was discussing the university situation with a senior administrator last week. I was asking why the university does not simply cut programs that are not worthwhile or have insufficient student demand. I suggested the first to go should be the Education School. It produces poorly educated graduates who know little more than how to prepare lesson plans. I was immediately told that that school will never be cut because it brings in lots of grant money. That made me wonder how much the federal government provides universities in terms of grants. A quick Google search suggested that the federal government, through the NSF, NIH, Dept of Energy, Dept of Agriculture, and on and on, provide anywhere from 50% to 80% of university grants. The budget is not going to be an easy thing to cut substantially. Every federal bureaucracy has extended its reach to many many constituents. I had one environmental economist tell me that the EPA is his full employment act. He raises millions of dollars in grants to work on public goods and externalities. He wouldn't be supportive of a reduction in EPA funding. The educators are not going to support reductions in the Department of Education.

Stay Tuned