A modest proposal for education reform

This was inspired by reading about Michigan Governor Rick Snyder conniving to reduce spending for public education to $5,000 per student, while simultaneously having his own children enrolled in a private school that charges $20,000 per student.

Let's make it a matter of law that every elected official must enroll his or her children in the public school system.

That means every governor/premier/minister of education will by law have to put their children in the same system they provide for the common folks.

Yes, this proposal is short on specifics...

But it doesn't require them. Pass this law and the details will soon enough take care of themselves.

Judge throws out Detroit bankruptcy bid

In a brave attempt to protect Detroit's 21,000 pensioners, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina ruled today that the bankruptcy filed by emergency city manager Kevyn Orr was invalid.

Under Michigan law a bankruptcy cannot be used to unwind union contracts or diminish the benefits of retirees.

Those Michigan laws are a holdover from another era, an era when there was a social contract recognized by all and codified in law.

That was then, and this is now. The crew in the state house now will work tirelessly to overturn those laws and Judge Aquilina's decision. More contemporary mores will prevail, ie the bond-holders will be privileged before the retirees, who can expect to be out of luck.