Our 'well-managed' state spends its excess on expanding government
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1 comment [ View ]By KAYDELL C. BOWLES
Guest commentary
Several legislative representatives have been patting themselves on the back for their achieving excellent ratings as a well-managed state. Since 2003, the Legislature has taken over $3 billion in excess of what was forecast. The excess was spent on entitlements and expanding state government programs. Little was given back to the residents.
The Utah Science, Technology and Research program is touted as an economic development project to diversify our state's economy. This program was to produce benefits to the citizens of Utah. What are these benefits? What has been spent and what is the return on their investment? Where is the accountability to the residents of Utah?
On Feb. 20, a news article reported that $246 million was consumed by the University of Utah in 2006, and that spawned 23 businesses, bringing in $16.3 million in licensing fees. This is a negative 70.73 percent return on the investment. So, I ask, Where are the strong financial principles by the state Legislature and its accountability? The Legislature and the governor spawned this program, but no accountability to the residents has been forthcoming.
During the past four years, hundreds of millions dollars has been spent on education. But, what is the result of this funding as to the education of the youth in Utah? In my opinion, little has been accomplished. We have programs based on the 1900 rural education model. There has been little progress in assuring that the educated youth in Utah can compete with their counterparts in the world.
In Europe, Japan and Korea, the students, when reaching the age of 18 are either full apprentices in a vocation or are beginning their second year in the university. By the age of 21, they are either journeymen, or within one to two years of obtaining a master's degree. Not so in Utah nor the United States. The students receive a high school diploma with little experience in the life after high school. They must pay tuition and spend another four years to obtain what a student in Europe has by the age of 18.
The Wall Street Journal reported that American teens finished among the world's "C" students. The scores of the top 15-year-old students in a two-hour test of academic proficiently given in 57 countries showed that U.S. students were 489 and 474 in science and math respectively. The top scores for science and math were 563 and 549 respectively. Does this paint a good picture for our educational system? Throwing money at a problem does not solve the root problem, it only exacerbates the problem.
The accountability rests with the citizens in the state and not with the state and federal government allocating our money for programs which have no accountability. Politicians do not solve the problems; they believed they have solved the problems by throwing money at them like the Romans tossing bread to the people of Rome. It will only work until there is no more bread to throw.
Since taxing people is readily seen and causes problems with raising new money, there now is the gimmick -- hidden fees imposed by the government. Such fees are phone services, cable/satellite services, air travel, hotel and lodging, credit card/ATM fees, Internet access, insurance fees and landfill fees. The average adult now pays $942 per year for these fees. This amounts to $188.4 billion that the government takes in with little or no accountability, or answering tough questions about the fees.
The state of Utah is no different as to its hidden fees. Where is the concern of the politicians as to the accountability of these fees? Did we not hear that government collected the fees, but that cell phones to 911 were not connected until a problem arose?
Members of the Legislature can pat themselves on the back saying, "The state of Utah is a well-managed state," but the test will be when the storms come. The storms will come and their grade will be dependent upon whether we afford the gracious entitlements given and whether the future generation will be competitive.
Bowles lives in Brigham City.
We'll never get the education our children deserve unless we spend more money on education.