[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Too close to the problem?

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Too close to the problem?
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1206062936.shtml


   Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher says we don't have a spending
   problem, we have a revenue problem. I'm sure the DFL Legislature
   agrees. They also think that Minnesota health care costs can be
   trimmed by 20 percent in less than four years, all while improving
   quality and with greater access.
   Health care is rocket science. Advanced degrees and training are
   clearly required, as is continuing education. So is high tech
   equipment and laboratories, which in turn needs top flight engineers
   and researchers. Mistakes can be fatal.
   K-12 education is not rocket science. Advanced degrees are of no
   significant value. Its best practitioners seem to in fact be those who
   respect proven techniques, e.g., phonics. Mistakes are correctable.
   For these reasons, the Legislature is obviously much more familiar
   with K-12 education than health care. In fact, a significant number of
   the Legislators are or were teachers. And Education Minnesota has over
   50 lobbyists at the Capitol, many times the second largest delegation.
   What is complicated is the finances, and the Legislature is the direct
   cause of most of that.
   Yet, the Legislature is sure that there is significant waste in the
   health care system that they don't understand, yet cannot find any
   waste in the K-12 system that they do understand.
   This does not compute.