Budget Shortfalls

There are a whole lot of states spending more than they're bringing in -- Indiana's not one of them, but I have heard of a novel solution: perhaps the states could cut back on their spending.

And the Feds should not borrow money to pay off the states overspending on their budgets. If the states can't meet their obligations, they have a recourse: they can cut back on their obligations... it's perfectly legal... they write the laws!

Look at California's budget up top... you can click on it to make it bigger. I totally understand paying for firefighters and policemen and prisons and road repair crews and the like... But 31% of the California budget going to K-12 Education and another 10% going to higher education? They're spending 41+ percent of their budget on education? Is that really the prime purpose of Government?

Now lest we Hoosiers feel all goody, goody about California -- Indiana spends well over 50% of our budget on K-12 and higher education. And what do we get for it? Complaints that our children don't know nearly as much as they should.

What is the worst that could happen if the Feds and the States kept the laws in place that enforce and document our K-12 educational needs, but drop all the money we're pouring into the effort? 1) Our shortfalls would go away, 2) our taxes would go down, 3) parents would have a windfall of the funds they need to send their kids to decent, private schools and 4) without state and federal funding, colleges would have to drop their prices.