http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040402921.html

You are absolutely right that we are locking way too many people up for minor drug crimes which does nothing to rehab them, but only adds to overcrowding and higher costs and turning these people into unemployables for the most part.

The parole and probation departments exist to churn people, into and out and into and out of the system. There does not seem to be any attempt at rehabilitation. Petty vindictiveness is rampant. It’s very hard in our Idaho system for someone to turn their lives around once they are caught up in the net.

You’re absolutely right about the graduation rate. We never seem to hear much about that, even though it’s dismal. Let’s face it. When we hear people clamoring for more money for the education system saying “it’s for the chilllllldrrrrennnnnn”, it’s really not – it’s for the unions and the administrators.

There really is no innovation in educational delivery. It’s just give me more money more often.

What we have in Idaho is a large percent of the population that lacks any kind of useful education to help them provide a decent livelihood. Using this poor quality of eduaction kids receive in Idaho I’ll show how its a chain reaction to more government cost to taxpayers and becomes red carpet to government employees.

The US has more people in prison than China or Russia combined. The US has 1 in 34 people in prison or just released from prison on supervised release. The state with the most people in prison is GA with 1 in 17 in prison or just released on supervised release. The number two state is Idaho with 1 in 18 in prison or just released on supervised release. Here come the knock down punch. Police and county DA’s all the time charge very petty shoplifting as felony burglary. Where poorly educated yound men are charged with felony drug charges for one gram of pot. This is done to people who do not have any kind of a decent education and are taking advantave of because they don’t know how to defend themselves in the system. These folks are used as pawns in the criminal justice system to support that system.

I personally believe that if Idaho had any kind of a decent government run education system–which we clearly do not have by the numbers, our prison population would be much lower. The cost to taxpayers to feed the education and criminal justice system in this state are beyond huge. You can bet the folks that live off of the system know this and will do whatever it takes to protect themselves. I see no way of protecting ourselves from such a system as long as that system keeps dumbing down the children in the government schools.

At one time, just a few years ago, the Avery District had FIVE kids in it – the state aid per pupil was $100,000.00 each. Meridian’s per pupil aid from the state was a little over $5,000 – lower than the average.

A perfect example of where savings could occur would be through consolidation of districts. Up North, Mullan, Kellogg and Wallace could be combined. It’s been talked about but they resist mightily because of “community pride”. That’s easily solved by spreading the high school, middle school and elementary schools to each community. This is not the only area where consolidation should occur. Just as we no longer have one room schools, we don’t need tiny school districts.

Consolidation would allow more opportunities for the kids. Distance learning on computers could be an option.

Let’s use this “crisis” in funding to innovate instead of just trying to suck more money from the taxpayers.

The recall statute was not anywhere near as difficult then as it is now and it wasn’t used much either. But when two legislators defied the voters of their district by voting for a pay raise after the voters had specifically voted against a pay raise they were recalled. Next session, lawmakers made sure that would not happen again. Since the change in the law the recall statute has rarely even been attempted. The exception of course is Brent Coles. But even in that case a recall election was never held because he resigned instead.

I’d suggest the jury is still out, and will be out for some time, on whether or not consolidated elections will significantly improve voter turn out. Have we even had one consolidated election yet? Consolidated elections should reduce costs overall but whether they will significantly improve voter turn out remains to be seen.

Since we don’t know whether consolidated elections will significantly improve voter turn out, it seems premature to suggest that the debt approval threshold be lowered. It appears the Superintendent is putting the cart well before the horse.

Legislators will be under significant pressure to put this proposed Constitutional amendment on the ballot. That pressure will come from their local school districts, the Idaho Education Association, other school related special interest groups, plus other government special interest groups. Don’t be surprised to see the proposal pass the legislature. “Let the people decide” or “It’s for the children” probably will be the mantras.

Most Districts are able to make their case under the current 2/3rds requirement and get their bonds passed. It may take a couple of tries, but usually it works. The Superintendent seemed to admit as much on KBOI. So, if that is the case, why change the threshold requirement?

Yes, Clancy, there may be a few Districts in poor financial condition with buildings that need replacement. Some form of State aid, perhaps in the form of a state backed loan, might be appropriate in those cases. But I would have to agree with Cyclops also. Knowing people who have worked for school districts and who been in positions to observe things on a District wide scale, I can confirm there is a substantial amount of waste and budget hide and seek in many Districts. In some Districts, usually larger ones, year end budget “surpluses” are more a result of over budgeting than good fiscal management. In some cases those budget “surpluses” are enough, or almost enough, to build an elementary school each year. And those “surpluses” are in addition to the “contingency” funds in their budgets.

Let’s not lower the debt approval threshold. Instead let’s take a long, hard look at school budgets. Zero based budgeting would be a start.

Clancy, if you want to sponsor another regional assistant superintendent to come up with more TPS reports for the assistant directors of assessments then so be it. Personally I’d like to vote on where my tax dollars are spent and how.

Luna should also propose to consolidate school districts to show the voters that he is not about spending money.