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From: acton@mprvaxa.UUCP (Don Acton)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: education
Message-ID: <847@mprvaxa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Mar-87 10:42:46 EST
Article-I.D.: mprvaxa.847
Posted: Fri Mar  6 10:42:46 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 10-Mar-87 06:34:18 EST
References: <213@fornax.uucp> <876@ubc-cs.UUCP> <563@geac.UUCP> <887@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: acton@mprvaxa.UUCP (Don Acton)
Distribution: can
Organization: Microtel Pacific Research Ltd., Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Lines: 28

In article <887@ubc-cs.UUCP> manis@ubc-cs.UUCP (Vincent Manis) writes:
> When a government
>proposes to spend millions of dollars on some ill-defined economic
>development, there tends to be little public outrage. Should anyone propose
>reducing the pupil-teacher ratio in the public schools, call-in shows are
>deluged with outraged taxpayers complaining about the greedy teachers.

I am not convinced that there is little public "outrage" to ill-defined
economic development. All one has to do is consider all the hoopla
currently surrounding the proposed construction of the Site C dam or
controversy with respect to North East coal and the new grain terminals
in Prince Rupert. Contrary to what Vince implies the people of BC were
hardly in total agreement over Expo and I don't imagine too many people
would have lost sleep if the fair had been cancelled when Jimmy Pattison
made just that recommendation to the premier. 

I must admit teachers take a beating on call in shows but maybe that is
because tax payers feel they are taking a beating themselves with
respect to taxes. Education is an ongoing cost and each time someone
proposes a change it seems to cost more. These aren't one time costs, but
costs that stay forever and grow with inflation. Now if the taxpayer
thinks he currently isn't getting good value, with respect to
education, for his/her current tax dollar they are probably a little
reluctant to shell out money for "ill-defined education" programs. 
Throwing money at a problem without addressing how that problem came into
being doesn't help cure it or prevent a similar situation from arising.
Maybe that is what bothers the callers. 

Donald Acton