Re: [OT] Iraq

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:17:15 -0600, LX-i <lxi0007@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Rick Smith wrote:
"LX-i" <lxi0007@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2ZSdnWoW6pdAimbbnZ2dnUVZ_qGknZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[snip]
But the idea that the "government is the solution" in the first place is
what boggles my mind.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, ...
That to secure ... rights, governments are instituted among
men. deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed, ..."

A "revolutionary" idea that probably boggled more than a
few minds, in its day!

Well, sure, take the sentence out of context... :) Compare
expenditures per student with average test scores, and even a Democrat
should be able to see that private education is a much better investment
than public education.

Tell that to Milwaukee taxpayers, who pay MORE per student for the 25% attending private
schools under voucher than they pay for the 75% in the public system.

Total per student expenditures for public schools are about twice that of private schools.
Public schools spend 50% of their budget on administration whereas private schools spend
only 25%. Taxpayers should be clamoring for MORE administrators in both systems, because
it would save them money. Here's why --

When public schools account for administrators, they use something called Fund Based
Accounting, which makes each Federal program a little profit center. If the program
doesn't bring in more money than it costs, the program and its administrator get the axe.
It's little different from a private business, except the revenue source is Federal
government rather than consumers or local taxpayers.

The Feds are paying more than half of Milwaukee's public school budget. Private schools
have much fewer opportunities to feed at the Federal trough. If public schools fired half
its administrators, putting it on par with the private system, Federal subsidies would
disappear, causing property taxes to go up about 50%.

Don't blame the Milwaukee public school system for the seeming inefficiency, blame
Washington. Is it inefficient? Students in both systems get about the same dollar amount
in instruction (teachers' salaries). Test scores are about the same for both. There's no
evidence that private schools are cheaper or better than public.

There is healthy competition between public and private at the university level. Neither
is a clear winner over the other. Both public and private spend the same $20,000 per
student (vs. $8,000 for high school). Contrary to popular belief, universities' greatest
source of funds is not the state (for public) nor tuition (for private), nor endowments.
Most of the money comes from research grants and patent royalties. For instance, Uiniv. of
Virginia, a public school, receives only 8% of its revenues from the state and 15% from
tuition and fees. It it funded 43% by patents and 16% by research.

.

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