Listening to the radio while driving can be distracting. This was the case a couple of days ago while listening to a radio interview of a proponent of increased public school spending.

Her discussion reminded me of something that I have dubbed the "Dry Toast Result." During the interview the education expert pointed out that school spending needed to encompass more than the brick and mortar of schools and the pages of books but things to ensure that the students were ready to learn.

To be ready to learn, by her definition, meant that you must be well fed, well clothed, well rested, and as my grandmother would say, all bushy tailed and ready to go. The expert said many children were coming to school without adequate nutrition. The interviewer pointed out that we not only have the school lunch program but also the school breakfast program.

The expert pointed out that many children after the weekend come to school Monday and receive the first hot meal since Friday. Hence, we seem to need the creation of the weekend school lunch and breakfast program. Also, judging from her comments, the meal must also be hot, which means that for an unaccountable number of years my sandwich with potato chips was insufficient for me to learn. (This will come as no surprise to some letter writers of this publication concerning my

positions.)

There was the problem that many children were coming to school dressed inappropriately. Therefore, we need a school pants program. Some of them did not have adequate footwear; hence, a school shoe program would seem to be necessary.

The point of this being that there really is no end to what a school should be providing so the students might learn. This should not really surprise anyone since the schools are the main battleground for cultural supremacy or deconstruction depending on your point of view.

You have children there with no life experience. What better opportunity to turn them into government dependants and liberal voters.

While this is certainly part of the problem with the plethora of school programs that have little to do with actual education, it also demonstrates by reflection the thinking of many at the higher levels of public education in America. They know that the school system is one of our most expensive and all encompassing symbols of government and can be used as a vehicle for all sorts of cultural gerrymandering.

How this relates to my "Dry Toast Result" is what you are trying to accomplish is like a big piece of toast. The money is the butter you are trying to spread around on it, and when the piece of toast keeps increasing at a greater rate than the amount of butter you are trying to spread, then at the end of the day you just have a dry piece of toast.

We spoke a few weeks ago about a certain percentage of class time being devoted to math and science courses. When I listen to a bottomless well argument for programs and responsibilities at school, I realize how important it is. The education system has to draw lines through programs so that they can focus, or as they like to say "repurpose" to things that are truly going to be productive in the post-education portion of a student’s life. Learning that the government will provide food clothing, counseling and self esteem no matter what the level of achievement may suit the purpose of some but will never build a productive society. It will create, however, a permanent underclass, which may be what some have in mind.

Of course, when a public school system is confronted with any attempt to rein in the runaway stage coach of spending, they neatly turn to the old standbys of cutting back on music, art, after school activities, sports and other ways they think parents should be appropriately punished for taking a stand on where their money should be spent.

It would be pleasant if everyone could be provided with everything to make them healthy, wealthy and wise. But is not possible, nor upon examination, desirable.

This is especially pertinent in Colorado right now as Governor Ritter continues to cave in to his supporters in the education lobby to supply more funding sources for their projects and spending, the results of which so far has been similar to loading bags of money into large cannons and firing them at school districts.

A lot of noise, a big show, people running around jumping in the air grabbing at the money raining down on them, and then, not much else.

The sad part is the incredible disconnect that exists between the average teacher in our local schools and the lobbyists and hangers-on at the State Capitol where they drain off funds from those who could really put them to the best use. Good dedicated teachers are true heroes in our governmental system and are the most ill-served with the funding and allocation process we now employ. The money we collect should go most directly to teachers who give students skills to get jobs, think clearly and move ahead in their lives.

Too much social engineering robs us of our great promise to the next generation and turns out students that don’t know the difference between a Laffer Curve and a laugh track.