Can't See The Schools For The Children

Katy Citizen Watchdog$

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Can’t See The Schools For The Children...

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As I have traveled around Texas speaking to groups about the amount of money wasted each year on school construction, I am often amazed that parents and teachers have not been on the bandwagon demanding less money be spent on the building and more dollars be directed toward actually educating our children.

What is fascinating is the ability of well-meaning citizens actually to encourage the building of the most extravagant structures since the Tower of Babel in the hopes that the inhabitants of the structure will magically come out as Mensa members. I have often said that I never saw a brick teach a child to read. It is almost as if we have resigned ourselves to style over substance.

Educational ergonomics is the latest piece of educrat voodoo perpetrated on unsuspecting school boards and taxpayers. This is a warm and fuzzy term used to convince you to turn loose more of your money to build even fancier schools because if the children are at the peak of comfort, they will instantly gain full knowledge of “all things knowable.”

As a construction company owner, I witnessed firsthand the wasteful spending in school construction. Texas taxpayers foot the bill for approximately $1.5 BILLION school construction each year. I dare say that at least 15% of that money is wasted in various clever ways. That is $225 MILLION wasted EACH YEAR, yet we keep saying there is not enough money for education. Welcome to Tower of Babel High School; I am sorry we only have one science book for the 15 students in this class....

Grand entryways are a classic money waster. Entries that boast Italian tile, ornate cast stone, specialty materials, etc. abound. Yet an architect explained to me that these entryways were necessary because the biggest complaint with schools was how hard it was to find the front door. I would take a neon sign if it meant I saved a few more of MY tax dollars to take my children to a science museum.

Another insidious practice taking place in our state is the ability of architects to use our school buildings to build their portfolios by entering these buildings into “education design showcases.” You will find some of the most extravagant buildings in these competitions; yet you paid them to do it. Why not ask the legislature to bar any publicly funded building from being prostituted in these competitions?

Let us not continue being duped by arguments telling us that if we do not build these Taj Mahals, no one will ever move in to our communities. If those shallow enough to believe such stupidity continue to drive this train and we continue to allow them to do so, then we have told our children that it is more important to look good than to learn and it is better to “go along and get along” than to stand up for principle. Then again, maybe you believe that your child should be taught to read by a brick.

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Jason Moore is President of South West Masonry, Inc., a commercial masonry company located in Odessa, TX. He is President of the Permian Basin Citizen Watchdogs, Committeeman for Senate District 31 on the State Republican Executive Committee, and an activist with Americans for Prosperity. His wife and four children have motivated him to bring sanity back to government spending.

Jason Moore, President of Permian Basin Citizen Watchdogs

Date: 08/13/2006