Among other things, education money should go to parents, not to schools. Public schools should have to compete with private schools and homeschoolers for students and funds.
I know what happens when this kind of thing is proposed: “ZOMG the parents will just spend the money on cigarettes / booze / [insert indulgence of choice] !”
And some would. But a vast majority wouldn’t — so once again, the many are punished for the stupidity of the few.
A better idea might be instead to lower tax rates so that people could keep more of their own money, and spend it on the education of the children. Of all the baleful “benefits” first instituted by Napoleon and Otto von Bismarck, “free” schooling (subsidized by the State) is one of the worst.
Doesn’t education money come from tax payers? Why turn around and give a fraction of it back to the people from whence it came?
I had a “stimulus” discussion with a democrat friend of mine this weekend (who was pretty much aligned with me when it comes to taxes), and I said to him, “I’d rather not have to send $5000 to some government bureaucrat in order to have them give me $1400 back.” Seems more efficient just to let us keep our own money.
IRISH DEMOCRACY is a wonderful, workable, system.
The answer to the predictable objection is, “And if the parents DO spend the money on booze, that will STILL constitute an improvement.”