[MD] Value and the Individual

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Craig]
I rather thought I destroyed it convincingly.

[Arlo]
If this were the Rush Limbaugh program, maybe.

Let me wade through your answers and see if I understand what you are saying.

People without kids "should" pay for education, but they shouldn't "be forced 
to". Is that right? So educational "taxes" should be voluntary.

Same with people without cars? The "should" pay for road repair and
maintenance, but they shouldn't "be forced to"?

Am I right so far?

In other words we replaces taxes with charity? 

Do we care about the poor school districts, those in low socio-economic areas?
Do we rely on charitable donations from other areas to fund those schools?

[Craig]
If this is true, it should be no trouble to get people to VOLUNTARILY support
public roads without force.

[Arlo]
You aren't being forced. You can run for office or vote for a candidate who
wants to defund road maintenance and turn our roads over to charity. 

You guys and your "force". Do you mind that I am "forced" to muffle my
motorcycle? Do you mind that I am forced to pay for a war I don't believe in?
If you think paying for schools you don't believe in is bad, try funding a
trillion dollar war you don't believe in.

Indeed. Should we make support of the military voluntary? If as you suggest,
the military does us all so much good, it should be no trouble to get people to
VOLUNTARILY support the military without force. No?

What about the police? If they are so valuable, it should be no trouble getting
people to voluntarily support them? No?

[Craig]
Those I've talked to feel they are paying twice. 

[Arlo]
Because they are being deliberately misled. So now you can tell them, their
taxes pay for the "general education of the populace". They would have to pay
this whether or not they have kids.

Its like those public parks. They HAVE to pay for them because it is in
everyone's best interests to maintain wild, preserved, public lands. But if
they choose never to go there, or choose to go to Disneyland instead of going
to their local state park, they aren't paying for a vacation twice.

Or Interstates. If I choose to drive on the toll-roads instead of the public
roads, I am not paying twice. My tax dollars support the general
infrastructure. My choice in the moment in to pay for using a toll road.

[Craig]
Might it be because you work in the public school system, you look at this
issue with a bias?

[Arlo]
I don't work in the public school system.

[Craig]
Just as many teacher's unions oppose educational vouchers.

[Arlo]
I have not seen a plan yet that does not set up a system of privilege. Like I
asked Platt, Finnish and Japanese public schools are among the top schools in
the world. They are public. Rather than supporting a system of privilege, I
think its worth more effort to see what they are doing right.

[Arlo had said]
Whether or not YOU take advantage of the public schools with your child is your
choice.

[Craig]
And when a mugger says:  "Your money or your life", you have a choice.  This
is a low quality notion of 'choice'.

[Arlo]
Talk about off the wall analogies! Again, your first payment is to support the
general education of the populace. It has NOTHING to do with what you do with
your kid. NOTHING. Except that as a result of that support, your child can get
their education for no additional cost. 

[Craig]
They can be compelled to send them to school or home school, because that is an
obligation of parenthood.

[Arlo]
Who determines if that obligation is met? Do you think the homeschooled kids of
Westboro Baptist are having that obligation met? 

Do you favor federal standards?  Or is it enough for parent's to decide they
have met that obligation?

And what if I want my child to go to work instead? Who is the government to
tell me what's best for my kid?