On Saturday 29 April 2006 22:09, Roberto C. Sanchez wrote: > > Can't afford to go to a school at all? Sorry, you don't get an > > education, because it's a privilege of those who can afford to pay for it > > out of pocket rather than a right as a citizen. > > > > Sorry, I prefer knowing that everyone in my society has an opportunity > > for an education by virtue of their being a member of the society. > > I think you misunderstand. The point is that if public education were > eliminated, you would no longer be taxed for it. Thereforce, your > disposable income would be higher and you could then pay for your > children's education. That is, assuming you could not afford it before.
Except that it's not a 1:1 tradeoff. The tuition cost for a good private school is more than what an individual family would get back in their taxes by eliminating public schools. Substantially more. What you're forgetting is that the cost of public education is spread out over the entire community, rather than placed just at the feet of those with kids in the system at the moment. That reduces the amount a given family needs to pay, and spreads it over a longer period of time. My neighbor growing up never had kids, but her property taxes helped send me to a good public school so that I had a decent education and am now contributing to the economy that is paying for her nursing home, and my social security income tax payments allows her to afford to eat. It does all come around in the end. A rising tide lifts all ships. Selfish greed just leaves most people destitute. -- Larry Garfield AIM: LOLG42 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 6817012 "If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it." -- Thomas Jefferson -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
