[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Structural Sacred Cows 2

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Structural Sacred Cows 2
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1236133232.shtml


   Continuing with [1]Gregg J. Cavanagh's list of Sacred Cows that need
   to be corralled to get Minnesota's State Budget under control:
    1. Cut the size of the Legislature.
    2. Eliminate the education monopoly.
       "The teachers' union has a stranglehold on K-12 education in this
       state. The result is high per-pupil education costs and a
       never-ending demand for increases in funding, despite questionable
       performance in many districts. Private schools should be allowed
       to compete for K-12 students and dollars."
    3. Turn off the welfare magnet.
    4. Place a moratorium on light-rail projects.
    5. Reduce or eliminate the corporate income tax.
    6. Outsource whenever possible.
    7. Repeal the prevailing wage law.
    8. Ban project labor agreements.
    9. Stop trying to run everything.

   ***
   This is one of those polarizing issues where few minds get changed no
   matter what the latest budget figures, test scores, or research
   correlating them might indicate. But recent news prompts me to try
   again anyway. It's for the children.
   Hidden away in the "Stimulus" Bill is the revocation of Washington
   DC's voucher program. As I understand it, there's a long waiting
   list/lottery to get in. It pays out about half what the DC schools
   typically spend per student. The "Stimulus" Bill does provide that the
   program can continue if Congress so votes. If they do nothing as seems
   the intent, it lapses. I also heard today that two classmates of the
   Obama children use this program.
   The program is tremendously popular with the parents. The program is
   tremendously unpopular with the unions, or at least the unions'
   leadership. The compromise? Slide it in legislation in the middle of
   the night, feign surprise when the press uncovers it later.
   The academic gains appear to be substantial and undeniable. The unions
   argue that the same level of parental involvement would achieve
   similar results in the public schools. The tie breaker for me? More
   than 25 percent of Washington and Baltimore area teachers send their
   own children to private schools.
   Closer to home, what harm would a voucher program do in Minnesota? We
   can structure it to hold the public school harmless, even a modest
   profit center by getting money to educate students that aren't even
   there. The competition would be positive, forcing both public and
   private to truly look at issues like teacher quality and paying
   accordingly.

References

   1. http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1235862252.shtml