EDU: Public Schools (Was: Re: [extropy-chat] Game theory ofcommoncold)

[Samantha Atkins]

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 17:14:53 -0500
"Harvey Newstrom" <mail at harveynewstrom.com> wrote:

> Mike Lorrey wrote,
> > > I have never heard of this.  Does that mean gay homeowners can get 
> > > special tax breaks for not having children?  :-)
> > 
> > Sorry, I meant to say seniors who have no minor children...
> 
> Drat!  :-)
> 
> Actually, I don't mind paying high property taxes for schools.  As
> inefficient as the schools are, I think my dollars are better spent
> educating youth so they can hold jobs rather than paying police to protect
> my property from youth who can't get jobs.

Well:
a) education doesn't always correlate with jobs, certainly not high school level education;
b) I would prefer to make my own donations to education generally or of specific individuals or types of individuals;
c) most of the policing you are paying for is to enforce victimiless crime laws. The form of that enforcement is a very real and larger threat to life, liberty and property. 
> 
> My property taxes are around $1000 per year.  The value of my home is going
> up much more than $1000 per year.  My home is gaining value because of
> community growth, a nearby mall, new school construction, etc.
> 
> As far as I am concerned, I am taking money from the community rather than
> the community taking money from me.  I don't mind giving a little of it
> back.
> 


I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that your life, career, works, example, spending and creating (non-exhaustive list) already give back amply to your community and beyond it.

- s