"Our resources are finite"

Never get a mathematician started on the difference between finite and limited. :)

I agree there are always choices to be made. But very often people are unaware of when they are making the choice. For example staying on this example I invite people to reflect on the links between student fees and the building industries. So do your best to understand the choices and then make them. The God of the Balance Sheet is not always the best guide.



Let me give an example of where we have fallen into the habit of not thinking about student fees. We see it as either the tax payer pays or the student pays and the crux of the argument is who pays what share.

But if you go back to the Browne report that led to the introduction of fees it discussed three funders, not two. It is a long time since I read it but I vaguely remember it being section 7.4.something. It pointed out that businesses are significant beneficiaries so need to pay a share. Admittedly it then said they do this though salaries so there is no need to discuss it further. But that is entirely a *political* decision, not an economic one. People could argue whether it is right or wrong but through laziness many have forgotten it is even a question.