We're not putting our money where our mouth is. One of the most historically consistent truths is that every great nation has/had a great educational system. Politicians and Pundits alike speak of the value of education and the desire to return the United States to its former greatness and at every turn a budget gets cut, it seems education is in there somewhere. With every denial it would appear education is in there somewhere.

It's really odd because no one seems to mind today's youth footing the bill for the Iraq War or Afghanistan. We fought these wars nearly eight years not knowing how they contributed to the deficit until the Obama administration made the numbers available. When the conversation turns to health care all of a sudden we don't want the youth to be saddled with debt. Well, we send the youth to war and make them fight, then they come back here and pay the debt down as they pay taxes. At the same time they are funding so many of those that are currently retired again through work contributions and yet don't deserve affordable heath care. I can't make sense of any of this, but I do have one question.

Aren't the youth of this country entitled to a good education? Better yet, isn't the country entitled to educated and capable leaders, who its worked tirelessly to prepare to lead? As the cost of higher education continues to skyrocket and we fight about what to do about elementary education which is clearly under siege by any number of human afflictions; namely in-fighting, bureaucracy, greed, corporations, ineptitude and so many more.

At the same time, the children from which tomorrow's leaders will come suffer because we don't see the education of our future leaders worth the sacrifice. If we don't have an educated population, what's the point of fighting over air tanker contracts for the Air Force, when very few might be qualified to fly the planes.

Hitler may have been off his rockers but the educational infrastructure of Germany had to have been unmatched. Had not been for defecting scientist and the post war acquisition of German technology and know how, the US and Russia would still be in the stone ages. How will America compete on a global stage when the children of so many other nations are better educated? We know that education leads to innovation so why can't politicians local and nationally not see that each budget cut they make limits further the promise of this once great but now petty nation. I keep hearing that people want the politicians to run the countries affairs like a real family and cut back like a real family and buy only what we can afford like a responsible family. Well some families sacrifice everything else to see their children and the lot of their family enhanced by a good education today.

We're almost at a place where without money, there will be no education. Sure we will always have elites and the well heeled getting good educations. I guess they'll just send abroad for teachers for their students. As for my beloved California. This is heartbreaking. There was a time where we led in eduction spending and education and I like to believe the result of this is Silicon Valley and other CA innovations. I wish the politicians and teachers really believed that too.