Outgoing Miami-Dade School Board member Evelyn Greer, whose candor probably earned her the ''outgoing'' appellation, said by e-mail Friday, ``The paradox of the legislative elections is the belief in the propaganda that education services can improve, teachers can get higher salaries and schools can be built but no one has to pay higher taxes.
''Legislators and teachers union officials tell their supporters the same thing -- if we cut the waste, all demands would be met,'' she said. ``Both groups know that this is not true, but have to espouse it in order to pander to their constituencies and stay in power.
''If the legislators and the union officials told the truth -- that there can be no raises, no quality education and no educational improvement without higher taxes -- they would be voted out of office,'' Greer said.
Education -- like many other public services in Florida -- is in bad shape. There is one reason this is true for most of these programs -- and it isn't government waste, that idea is nonsensical, there's nothing to waste -- it's lack of funding. Our legislators and our citizens are afraid to do the right thing and actually commit resources to our state and our future. They claim that we can't do it because of the economy. This failure to invest in our workforce and our consumer base is exactly the reason why the economy sucks. Sooner or later we'll figure this out. With Crist and the Republicans in charge, I'm guessing it'll be later and things will continue to go poorly in what could be one of the most successful states in the union.
