Connecticuts Unhealthy Addiction

Connecticut is an excessively taxed State. Not only is it excessively taxed, but it also has the most inordinate budget per capita in the entire country. Prior to the greatest recession since 1938; Connecticut was the wealthiest state in the country. Today, while sporting a 9.3% unemployment rate, that prestigious award is pretty much academic at this point.

Connecticut has a spending problem which is nothing new. Since the 1980's the State House and Senate has had a fixation with carrying bonded debt in the billions. To hear the democrats explain such a high amount of bond debt, one would have to be a fool to proclaim it unjust. According to those aggressively clouded by ill judgment, the vast amount of bonded debt is justified because the bulk of the it covers education. That seems a fair enough argument to the average Joe, after all good education means great kids. Of course that's not a reasonable conclusion if Joe were a clear thinking American that has laid off the Kool-Aid for some time.

I myself think education in America is a noble and valid proclamation for the future of our country, but care must always be exercised when a liberal democrat is in charge. You see at some point, the liberal super majority with the blessings of the failed republican party have acquired a truly bad habit in the name of education. Some of this senselessness includes paying an average of 20%-80% of school rebuilding projects. In New Haven alone, Connecticut in 2005; contributed over $800 million in school renovations. If a town or city in the State is lucky enough to advocate for a new brain child clinic called a Magnet School, they can get the State to pay for nearly all of the funding. Compound the illogical binding arbitration and last best offer into the mix with a little spice of unfunded mandates and see how lucky the average taxpayer is to foot the liberal doctrine.

The problem with these theories is as always the unintended consequences. It is fairly obvious, that while new schools are nice and Magnet Schools are the new craze, the simple rule of quality education and committed staff is where the intersection of common sense and discretionary spending meet their respective detours.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Connecticut spends $9.3 billion per year on education, or 1.18% less than the National average which is $11 billion. The problem is that Connecticut only has 53% of the students compared to the National Average. Given the expenditure spread, one would expect the National Assessment of where Connecticut children progressed in terms of education Nationally to be largely advanced. The problem is that just is not the case. Again, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, although Connecticut spends over $16,000 per child compared to the National Average of $11,000 the proof is not in the pudding. You see by spending nearly 30% more of the National Average per student the liberals proclaim "the ends justify the means". The numbers of course directly contradict that liberal philosophy.

You see the liberal agenda is simple. Throw enough money at the problem and it will fix itself. The failure behind that theory is that the solution to all problems in life is rarely attainable by payoff.

In order to adequately assess a competent solution to the education problems in Connecticut, which has largely led to budgetary problems not only on the State but local level as well, one must first conclude that the dispute is not resolved by constructing state of the art facilities, but rather state of the art Education Plans that do not line the pockets of the educators through binding arbitration and other Union perks, but rather reduces that focus of funding from them and turns it back on who it is truly intended for, the children.

Any other form is just another of Connecticut's Unhealthy Addictions.