Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Education and Politics

Got up this morning and one of the lead stories in the paper was UA to close Flandrau; trim arts, 2 museums | www.azstarnet.com ® . It figures. The worsening economy has every branch of government and the private sector scrambling to make ends meet. I haven't taken a close look at what percentage these cuts are supposed to represent, but they sound pretty deep. I just don't understand the states call to zap education. Of all the services offered by the government I can't think of a more important one, or a better investment. What happens to the un and under educated? They have a tendency to become huge burdens on society. I don't know where the cuts should be made and I am at a loss.
Now the U of A decides it will make huge slashing cuts to programs that are part of the community (not counting the sports programs of course, because those bring in money). The article specifically says they are closing Flandrau while at the same time they have no idea how much that will save. There is even a comment latter on in the article stating that these programs where chosen in order to irk some people into making a change. It's a pretty good plan, but also irritating. All the misery going on and coming up just reek of greed. Why is are society so self serving and greedy, why is money so loved? Didn't we all grow up with the same fables, and fairy stories, and warnings of what greed does?
One of the best parts of the article was seeing the huge list of comments on-line that just sounded of chest thumping and name calling. Cries of "Hear, Hear I never used those programs anyway so good riddance", and denunciation of first one political party and then the other. Most of the comments read as if they came from the under educated with little culture offered them in their lives. Maybe I'm too petty as well.

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