PLINY said that 2500 years ago.
Another state (Hawaii) has slashed education rather than think through measures that would be less damaging to children.
Saving money by denying health or mental health services, foster care*, education, or other critical developmental assets, to children is way more expensive than making children whole and insuring that they become contributing members of the community.
Minnesota will soon be facing huge cuts to children’s services due to the cuts made by our governor Tim Pawlenty. As the bridge fell into the river because it was not maintained, these children will fall into the category of troubled, dysfunctional, and nonproductive, costing the community for many years to come.
Visit a prison and consider the correlation between failed students and prisoners, and the cost of thirty years of institutionalizing a child. Add the cost and human suffering of crime, disruption in the schools from under treated at risk children and growing fear in our communities
Remember MN Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Blatz statement, “the difference between that poor child and a felon is about eight years”.
If we aren’t willing to provide education for children today, we ought not expect much governance from them when their turn comes as legislators and managers tomorrow.
God help us
*As a guardian ad-Litem, it was my job to support the county in its efforts to remove children from a very stable and fit father who could not afford daycare (and the list for subsidized day care had 4000 names in front of his). Putting four children into foster care could not have been less expensive than subsidizing day care for this man (think of the unnecessary pain caused the children – have we no soul?)
I do not cast stones at the workers. They are hard working people implementing policies drafted by elected officials. It is up to us (in a representative democracy) to see that we elect officials that create policies that have more soul and make more sense.
Do you know your state representative?
Find out and call her/him with the important message that you know that short term savings DO NOT APPLY to the politics of children.