From: Mitchell, Jerry (3337) (Jerry.Mitchell@esavio.com)
Date: Fri Aug 24 2001 - 12:42:31 MDT
> At 09:23 AM 24/08/2001 -0400, Jerry Mitchell wrote:
> >I'm suggesting getting rid of public schools for private and
> letting the
> >private school decide how to do its job. If you dont like a
> low cost, high
> >volume school, dont go to it. You'll have a choice to go
> where ever you want
> >and can afford. Its the same point as to why it cost more
> now to hire a
> >private full time tutor then go to private school. If you
> want to be cheap,
> >send your kid to the K-mart version (as if those types of
> schools didn't
> >already exist). I would expect the norm classroom size to
> stay about where
> >it is and the cost of doing it to drop a good chunk with
> private industry
> >doing it. Your choice here is McDonalds Hamburgers, eating
> at nice dinner at
> >Chilis retaurant, or Filet Mingon from an expensive
> restaurant. All options
> >would be available!
>
> So you reckon that people at the bottom of the economic
> ladder should get
> to send their kids to the same kind of school that they do
> now but pay for it?
>
> OK. :-) Do you remember why these people are called poor? It
> is because
> they don't have money. Given the choice between putting food
> on the table
> and getting their kids some kind of education, guess which
> will get dropped.
>
> If the upper classes don't want a poverty-stricken class that is self
> perpetuating, hates the rich vehemently, and is a breeding ground for
> disease and warped memes, then they need to do the sensible
> and humane
> thing and ensure that kids of the poor have a chance at a
> better life.
> Often the only way to do that is to give them a good
> education -- free.
>
> I have nothing against private education, but it is not the
> solution to all
> educational needs. Likewise free market economics can be
> extremely useful,
> but there are definite limits to its usefulness.
>
> Cheers,
>
> - Miriam
Let me get the big question out of the way here:
Do you have some way magic way that you are projecting the number of this
underclass would be worth caring about? If its less then 1 percent, then it
shouldn't erupt into this volcano of rioting and burning that's being
insinuated (I know, that's insensitive, but so is life).
Now on to the economics of this.
Id be willing to bet these poor people you talk about have cable TV, air
conditioning, play lottery, and generally have more money then you suspect
(at least that's the poor I get to see and know). Most of the state
lotteries are financed from incomes from below 25k a year. Sooooo, what we
have is a situation where the people most certainly DO have the money, but
choose to do stupid things with it. So, because I work hard, studied, and
now make a pretty comfortable living, the burden shifts over to me. My sin?
Hard work. What the primary feature they possess that enables them to raid
my wealth? Slothfulness and stupidity.
On another note, they might have more money (if they didn't blow it all) if
you remove their taxes responsible for schools and education.
The market ALWAYS seeks to balance itself. If producers won the game and
charge a million dollars for a spot in a school desk, guess what, no
students. If the consumer wins and pays 1 cent for the same desk, guess
what? No producers. The market works and the only alternative is human
judgment (which I have less faith in).
Oh, now that I think about it, whose to say their wouldn't be FREE schools
for those suffering in squalor. Charity based organizations pop up
hospitals, libraries, and other structures all over the place, why not with
schools? They don't now because the government picks up the slack from
private industry (actually, the government has stolen most market).
I put forth the premise that in such a society, there would be so much
productivity and wealth, you would have to hide to get people from throwing
decent jobs at you (as in now, even in a market slowdown, the US is
seriously needing immigrant workers because there's no one here willing to
do the work). At the point a society becomes primarily free market driven,
the only reason NOT to have enough wealth to live comfortably is because of
choice. In short, they made their bed and I'm not making it up for them. If
you can demonstrate that these people would constitute enough of a number to
really care about (damn being insensitive again), then I'm all ears on how
to teach them to work hard and smart as long as I am not forced to assist
against my will. Catch me on a good day and I can be quiet generous.
Jerry
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