MAV, Florida is shifting to an odd mix, politically. State Government has been republican for three years. And yes, before that, the Democrats underfunded education. Jeb Bush, however, ran (in part) on a platform of fixing the problems. Other than vouchers (which got tossed out by the courts) his funding requests and the dollars appropriated are about $1 billion a year short of projected needs. The latest rationalization is that the number of new students has been over-estimated. Given that the methodology didn't change on how to estimate and that historically, using that method the new student population was usually underestimated, the statement seems curious. It does promise to get interesting as we have an amendment to the state constitution that makes education a primary responsibility of the state and sooner or latter it will end up in court.

In their defense, thanks to the tireless work of a group of environmental activist and with support of Jeb Bush and the Federal government, the Everglades problem is being addressed. The State share alone is $4 billion of the $8 billion total cost, over the next 30 years. Sadly, those who bare a lot of the responsibility (sugar growers and massive urban/suburban sprawl in South Florida), don't bear the majority of tax burden. The Everglades problem is the type of the ice-burg. Looking at water levels and salt water intrusion into the aquifer (especially in South Florida) potable water is going to become a major issue fairly soon.

The tax thing I heard at a seminar about education funding. I remember the contention being as stated; that for all taxes (direct/indirect, personal and corporate), considered as a percentage of GNP, the US was lowest. It didn't get into the issue of who bears the burden.

Thanks for the clarification on the ethics thing. Your definition of ethical freedom, pragmatically, would seem to be what I call situational ethics. Or the ethics of expediency.

An interesting perspective on the Democrats being cohesive and the Republicans not. Most of my friends (from both camps) feel it's the other way around.

kat,

troll made me do it? Please don't encourage him. Anyway, I think he was busy arguing with Joan d'Arc over her tactics in the siege of Orleans at the time. Or channeling Winnie the Pooh. Or both. Hard to keep track. (Sorry for the creep but I've found that if I don't notice him in my posts fairly regularly, he makes life hell for his friends and family. And sulks).

Regards, John