Rand Paul On Letterman Show

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was on the Letterman show last week.  Here's the video via Hit & Run,



Here's where Rand is right, and Letterman is wrong, according to Thomas Woods, 

Rand correctly noted that the top 1% of income tax earners pay one-third of all the income taxes, with the top 50% paying 96%. So the "rich" are already paying plenty. Letterman's response? There must be something wrong with those numbers, he said to applause from the audience. So the audience is in effect saying, "We also refuse to believe those numbers!" But those numbers are correct....


Rand explains, again correctly, that spending more money on education has not improved educational outcomes. Letterman's response? Well, education is important, so we've got to try something -- how about spending more money? But by the time of George W. Bush's term, per-pupil spending, adjusted for inflation, had already doubled since LBJ....

Letterman wonders why we can't just loot the "rich" some more. Well, if we'd like to make still more firms leave the U.S., that'd be a good start. Want to strangle the growth on which everyone's welfare depends? By all means pursue this strategy....

Rand points out, correctly, that the compensation package for Wisconsin teachers is extremely attractive, amounting to over $80K annually. Letterman, to general applause, says that figure should be doubled. Isn't education important? This is the level of reasoning people appear comfortable with. On Big Rock Candy Mountain there's a giant pile of cash overlooked by the governor and the rest of us. Don't worry that the pension systems are going to bankrupt the states -- that's nothing a doubling of teacher salaries won't solve.

This is an excellent illustration of the ignorance that abounds on the Liberal left's [self deluded] "intelligencia."   Not enough money in the state's budget, just raise taxes.  Teacher's don't make enough raise their salaries.  Unforunately for tax payers, teachers aren't paid, based upon the performance of their students.  Just over 50% of Wisconsin children graduate from high school...yet these people are paid upwards of $80,000.00 per annum in total compensation...for what in academia are...failing grades.

We, as a nation have fed hopper after hopper's full of cash into the education system, yet that system hasn't produced the desired results.  Eventually, the taxpaying public is going to revolt...and begin demanding results, or else the termination of those teachers who aren't doing their jobs.  After all, if kids are failing in school...who's fault is it?  It can't possibly be the parents fault, after all, they probably don't ensure that their kids are actually doing any homework...but then, our system tends to just throw more money at problems rather than actually attempting rational solutions. 

After all, the Obama Administration terminated the one program in the Washington, DC school system that was actually producing results...vouchers and school choice...