From: mike@execu.execu.com (Mike McCants)
Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh
Subject: Re: Chelsea's school ...
Date: 8 Jan 93 19:56:40 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Comshare, Inc. Austin Development Center

In article Nathan Engle writes:

>    The most important incentive to perform is exactly the same in public 
>schools as it is in private ones; i.e.- that education forms the most 
>fundamental basis for economic success in our society.

That's an incentive for the STUDENT to perform, not the teacher.

The teacher's incentive is the average score of every student in the
entire school (in the grade he is teaching) on the standardized test.
Wow - what a motivator.  (To cheat or teach to the test.)

>    If we make school optional then I have a feeling that school 
>participation statistics will effectively parallel voter participation 
>statistics. A lot of people will drop out because they don't want to be 
>challenged or don't care about their dismal chances of succeeding without 
>it. We will have a very large proportion of illiterate and consequently 
>unproductive workers. That might help our competitiveness with countries 
>like Bangladesh and Zaire, but our competitiveness with Germany or Japan 
>would be a thing of the past. You're free to campaign for a change like 
>that, but I think I'll pass.

Is this a description of the current system or a prediction for next
year under the current system?  High school isn't optional in Texas
because you can't renew your driver's license if you're 17 or under
and you're not in school.  So, they "serve time" and then drop out.
Did they really gain anything?  Is the crime rate a little lower
than sky high because they were "in school"?

>    My arguments are rarely conventional, but I still stand by my 
>predictions. If funding for education is "redirected" from the public 
>schools they will cease to function at all and anyone who can will 
>desert.

Or they will improve.  Does that really seem so unlikely?
I am not going to argue that $4000 per year per student is not
enough money to run a good public school.  But those who would
disrupt the halls and the classrooms must be removed.  And more
of the money must go to teachers and less to paper-pushers.

It will take a while for 60,000 students to move from public schools
to private schools (in Austin).  Will public school buildings be
sold to private owners?  Where would crazy people get the money
and the financing to buy one?  Oil tankers don't change direction
quickly (even if the rocks are dead ahead).

Is this the law of supply and demand or survival of the fittest?
Competition is a harsh taskmaster.  We can compete with Germany.
We can't compete with Bangladesh.  Hunger is a strong motivator.

>    I'm a little curious at this point to know whether you think that 
>people should be required to support the Social Security system or if 
>it's ok for anybody who wants to to pull out? Do you have any predictions 
>about what would happen to Social Security if that happened?

Should the government require the grasshopper to save up for winter?
Yes - he's too stupid to do it for himself.  But it's a mighty meagre
winter's meal.

If it really was fiscally sound retirement system, that would be one
thing.  (See the financial headlines about tremendous charges against
current profits for future health care of company retirees!)

As it is, this Ponzi scheme is going to unravel some day.  Then...
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