Improving Student achievement
The Texas Public Policy Foundation, in a new report, offers the following themes for improving student achievement:

• focus on how funds are allocated rather than on the level of funding
• recognize there is no scientific way to identify adequate funding and no significant relationship between funding and student achievement
• strengthen the state's educational accountability system
• allow local communities to underwrite a greater share of education
• introduce competition through various means, including greater inter-school, inter-district choice and vouchers.

Though the report focuses on Texas, naturally, there are lessons for everyone.

The report, in PDF format, is here.
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Wisconsin the Latest State to Help Residents Flout the Law
No, I'm not talking about so-called gay marriage, but rather, the importation of prescription drugs from Canada, in violation of federal law and sound policy.

The state has set up an official web site that provides links to Canadian pharmacies from which residents can purchase drugs at cheaper prices, thanks to Canadian price controls. Governor Doyle is not impressed at the fact that his government is thereby encouraging lawbreaking (as well as short-sighted policy).

"There are currently thousands of people who buy drugs on the Internet. The federal government has said they are not going after these people.”
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Bread and Circuses
Minnesota, like other states, has professional sports teams. Now, there's nothing wrong with millionaire players and multi-millionaire (or even billionaire) team owners. They're providing something the public wants. Given that the number of players able to compete at the highest level number in the low thousands, and that millions of fans attract dollars from free-spending advertisers, I don't begrudge their ability to profit from their skills.

Unfortunately, an appreciation for athletic skills sometimes translates into a desire to expend tax dollars on what are in reality small, privately-owned businesses. Of course I'm talking about stadiums here. (Stadiums, arenas, and so forth can also be used for schools, public events such as concerts and monster truck shows and what have you, but the big selling point is "Now we will be a major league city.")

Minnesota's going through the same debate as other states--will tax Wanda Waitress and Paul Pipefitter so that wealthy footballers such Randy Moss can play in a brand-new NFL-style stadium? (A similar debate is going on for baseball, but I am hard-pressed to name a single member of the Twins; baseball doesn't interest me that much.)

The St. Paul Pioneer Press runs a story this morning about revenue projections for state government. "Few know what the forecast will say when it is released Friday. But if it is shockingly bad ? on the order of a $500 million deficit ? Gov. Tim Pawlenty and lawmakers could be forced to cut education, health, transportation and other crucial programs.

That would make the chances of subsidizing half-billion-dollar homes for the Twins and Vikings very slim, because it plain won't look good to many voters around the state ? except to political opponents preparing election brochures."

Indeed, spending taxpayer money on the bread and circuses that is professional sports isn't a good idea when education, health, and other spending programs are cut. Actually, it's not a good idea, period.
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Thieves among Airport Screeners
Writing in the suburban Chicago paper, the Daily Herald, Chuck Goudie recounts his tale of woe. He suspects that government workers in the TSA (Transportation Security Agency) pilfered his checked luggage, robbing him of an expensive short-range radio, a cellphone charger, and a cigarette lighter, which was empty.

We won't know conclusively, of course, but the response of a TSA representative brings to mind the response of "How much more would we hear of this if it happened with a private company in charge?" Since 9/11, the official response which has involved the greatest number of personnel has been the war in Iraq. The mass firing of contract screeners and the creation of the TSA has been the second largest response. While the war has rid the world of a, well, world-class tyrant, the beneficial effects of a new bureaucracy are less than certain.

Here are the relevant excerpts from Goudie's essay:

When TSA agents open your suitcase and dig through your socks and underwear, they are supposed to leave behind a piece of paper that states, "We were here." ...

On the day that my items were removed, there was no note left behind as required by the regulations. ...

[A TSA representative] said that because no TSA note was left behind, it was obvious that a TSA inspector never opened my bag. ...

TSA later fired 1,200 federal screeners after background checks revealed they had lied on their applications or had criminal histories including felonies. ....

I could file an airline claim to receive a maximum of $2,500 for stolen luggage. But all the airlines exclude things such as electronics, cash, jewelry and anything else attractive to unscrupulous employees.

Meanwhile, the Reason Public Policy Institute has offered several worthy proposals on how to increase aviation security.
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