Today I saw a poster with the caption: “Defund police; fund schools”.
Per the Urban Institute state and local governments spend $123 billion on police including police, sheriffs, state highway patrols, etc; $82 billion on corrections; and $50 billion on courts.
In contrast per the Department of Education the federal, state, and local governments spend $762 billion on public elementary and secondary schools. Spending on private education contributed an additional $70 billion.
It should also be noted that the nationwide on-time high school graduation rate is 86%. In essence the dropout rate is 14%. It should go without saying that increasing the amount spent on education beyond its present $800 billion some-odd will do little for those who’ve dropped out of school. At least unless other things change than just how much money is spent.
I don’t oppose spending more on education as long as we get value for what we’re spending. I don’t believe that’s happening now.
Here’s my point. Any notion that schools are being shortchanged and the money is being spent on policing is a fantasy. If total police budgets were reduced to zero, it would be a drop in the bucket of education—a roughly 14% increase. And, of course, were public police budgets cut to zero, poor minorities would suffer the most.
ROI anyone?
Let’s be honest. Re-channeling funds to public education is about teachers and administrator’s salaries and pensions. Protection of everyday citizens be damned.
I know you disagree, Dave. These leftists are pure evil. They don’t give a damn about crime or children.
My daughter’s eyes are being opened wide after only 18 months. She is privy to the insider discussions. Its just as wicked as it seems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fpNKAvvkj0
I think that practically nothing that humans do is through pure motives, whether good or evil. Based on lifelong contact with politicians and activists I think they believe that enriching themselves through their jobs is a perk of the job or a fortunate coincidence. In that sense they’re kidding themselves. I think they have a hierarchy of values which inevitably results in their public duties getting shortchanged.
Innumeracy of various kinds is another problem. They just know what they want; they don’t know what getting what they want will mean.