We have been conditioned to believe the more we spend for a good or service the better it is.  But that only works in a competitive free market without government subsidies. Markets become distorted when government spending is involved.  We have forgotten education should be market driven, by PARENTS – not the government.

The decline of public schools in the United States is a perfect example of the consequence of government intervention into the market.  I have innately understood for some time now the more government money goes into public education the greater the negative impact to education; but I've been trying to reduce the 'why' to something easy to understand.  I know it seems counter-intuitive, but stick with me here. 

We all know the U.S. is slipping in competitiveness with other countries when it comes to education. We keep spending more money on our public schools while public education, in general, keeps getting worse.  We know the private sector and the free market deliver the best goods and services at the best price.  Why would it be any different in education?  It isn’t.

Private school teachers make substantially less pay and benefits then public school teachers. Yet they deliver better educated students.  Why? If they didn’t, parents would pull their kids, and their tuition money, out of that private school and use another.  In contrast, public schools are paying teachers higher salaries and benefits with money collected through taxation, not from willing participants in the private market.  Most parents have no choice but to send their children to failing public schools. (Chicago teacher’s median base salary: $67,974.00 plus a generous pension package of $77,496 and they get their summers off!)

A 2009 article by Andrew Coulsen over at CATO had a few statistics: “Since 1970, inflation adjusted public school spending has more than doubled. Over the same period, achievement of students at the end of high school has stagnated according to the Department of Education’s own long term National Assessment of Educational Progress. Meanwhile, the high school graduation rate has declined by 4 or 5%, according to Nobel laureate economist James Heckman. So the only thing higher public school spending has accomplished is to raise taxes by about $300 billion annually, without improving outcomes.” Mr. Coulsen has previously been a guest on my show.

We don’t have to make it hard to understand ‘why’ this happens.  It is as simple as this: the more government money we pour into ANY sector or service, the more we make it impossible for the private sector to compete in that area.  The Government does not have to worry about making a profit.  They can lose and waste as much as they like.  When they go over budget or run out of money, they will just print more money or raise the debt ceiling.  Privately owned companies do not have this luxury.  If they do not make a profit, they will go out of business.  I stand corrected; it they do not make a profit and the government does not bail them out, they will go out of business.

We typically extort funding for public schools from individuals through property taxes. Ergo, the more money we pour into PUBLIC education the fewer dollars are available to support private education leaving us with fewer private schools.

Most private schools deliver a better educated student for less money than public schools. Most parents would rather send their children to private schools, but they cannot afford it because they are spending so much on taxes to support the failing public school they have no money left to pay private tuition.  Let the money follow the student.  Empower parents to decide to which school they want to send their children and the result will be a larger selection of private schools at a lower cost with a better outcome.

It really is as simple as that.  The government should provide no product or service the private sector is able to supply.

– Melody Himel Scalley hosts a conservative talk-radio show.  She has returned from an extended absence in the blogosphere.  Sometimes, life just gets in the way.  Live your dash!

My depth of understanding of these topics has grown substantially over the years as a result of all the incredible individuals I have had the opportunity to chat with, on the air, for my show.  I sincerely hope my listeners have enjoyed my show over the years as much as I have enjoyed the guests who have shared their time and knowledge with us whom I’ve had the honor to interview!

I was enjoying the Stossel show this weekend and he had Ambassador Terry Miller,  Director of the Center for International Trade and Economics (CITE) and the Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Economic Freedom at The Heritage Foundation as a guest.

They were discussing the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, an index that Heritage co-authors with The Wall Street Journal.  Before the show was over I had already booked Ambassador Miller as a guest on this weeks show.  This is a topic that is very important.  It’s also a topic that was not on my radar as recently as four years ago.

Seems hard to believe, doesn’t it?  But I was busy making a living and at that time it was getting more and more difficult to accomplish that as a self-employed individual.  The economic collapse resulted in the closure of my main business.

The downturn in the economy was certainly a wake-up call for me, as I know it has been for many others.  With it came the advent of the TEA Party and the involvement of many who were willing to mind their own business until it became painfully apparent the government was going to ‘take the liberty’ of intruding into our lives until we cried UNCLE!

This month marks the three year anniversary of my conservative talk-radio show, ‘Politics On The Edge’ on 103.3 WESR FM.  It has been an honor and a privilege to be your host.  I appreciate my listeners and respect the fact they choose to tune-in.  We still have that freedom here in the wonderful U.S.A.!

Thank you for listening!

I thank God for the incredible opportunity he has given me through this show!

 Please tune-in every Thursday evening from 6 PM to 9 PM on 103.3 WESR FM

The theme I want should have the following features:

• Clean lines!
• Optimized for advertising (banner, sidebar and tower).
• Must be able to seamlessly use the blubrry plugin or another easy to use mp3 plugin (the bulk of my posts include the mp3′s from my show).
• It does not have to be free but must be reasonably priced.
• I would like to be able to easily incorporate all of my existing blog posts into the new site.

I appreciate your suggestions and input!

DON’T BLINK!

Deputy Director, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and Director, Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies

  (Note: Interview starts at 4:30)

James Carafano, one of the nation’s leading experts in defense and homeland security, directs Heritage’s Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies.

Anti-government protesters, facing the camera, clash with supporters of President Hosni Mubarak in Tahrir Square. PHOTO: Getty Images

Carafano is an accomplished historian and teacher as well as a prolific writer and researcher on a fundamental constitutional duty of the federal government: to provide for the common defense.

He is a visiting professor at National Defense University and Georgetown University. He previously served as an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and as director of military studies at the Army’s Center of Military History.

As an expert on defense, intelligence and homeland security issues, Carafano has testified many times before Congress.”  Find out more about Mr. Carafano at Heritage.org

A Health Care guru

Robert Moffit, Ph.D., Senior Fellow Center for Policy Innovation

Join me as Mr. Bob Moffit discusses the Health Care Law. 

“Robert E. Moffit, a seasoned veteran of more than three decades in Washington policymaking, is The Heritage Foundation’s senior fellow in domestic and economic policy studies.

Moffit long has specialized in health care and entitlement programs, including Medicare. He brings to the reform effort his government experience as a senior official of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) during the Reagan administration.”   Visit the Heritage website to learn more about Bob Moffit.

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Kelly’s

133 Mason Avenue
Cape Charles, VA 23310-3121
(757) 331-3222

• Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. 

• Great food and great entertainment. 

• Full selection of beer on draft including micro-brews and great classics. 

• Outstanding Nightly dinner specials! 

• Book your lunch or dinner meeting or special event. 

• Gift cards available too!

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub

133 Mason Avenue
Cape Charles, VA 23310-3121
(757) 331-3222

On Facebook at: Kelly’s Gingernut Pub Fans

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He is author of “Economic Parables: The Monetary Teachings of Jesus Christ” (Paternoster USA, 2007, 2nd Edition 2009). He has contributed essays on “Christianity and Economics” to the Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization (Blackwell) and on “Religious Minorities” to the International Enyclopedia of Political Science (CQ Press USA), both publsihed this year.