Krugman on Education

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman's column earlier this week (read it here) stuck in my head because of this one line: "for the past 30 years our political scene has been dominated by the view that any and all government spending is a waste of taxpayer dollars."

I think that's an accurate statement, and the column's point that the standard of education in the U.S. is slipping because of inadequate funding is certainly valid. We see how even something like the recent stimulus law, which was encouraged by leading economists, is derided as a waste of money. The stimulus was a necessary investment in the nation's economy, just like health-insurance reform will be and just like bolstering the nation's education system would be.

The past 30 years of historically low taxes seem to have skewed people's idea of government spending. Investing in the country isn't socialism or even socialistic. It's civic responsibility, and the duty of every American.