More sensible welfare

The popular mantra in South Carolina is that our government is too big and spends too much money. So it's important to take note when a small-government, pro-privatization group says we aren't spending enough money on public services. Specifically, that we aren't making the kinds of investments that could pay off down the road.

That's the conclusion of the Heartland Group, which issued a report recently examining how states are doing 10 years after the Congress acted to "end welfare as we know it." ...

This conclusion points to a familiar problem in our state: We let a philosophical disdain for government in general and taxes in particular get in the way of actions that in the long run will save us more than we spend.

We don't provide 4K and other early childhood education programs to all poor kids, even though we could recoup most of the money in lower retention rates in first and second grades, and all of it many times over by the time those kids become adults who have steady jobs rather than ... qualifying for welfare.

We don't provide routine treatment for the poor before physical or mental illnesses become crises ...

The Heartland Institute didn't talk about any of those other issues, but it doesn't take much of a leap to get from what it said specifically about the investments we don't make in welfare to the general point -- a point so obvious that it's a cliche -- that our leaders just don't seem to get: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And it costs way less.

Preparing for Hanna

The (Charleston) Post and Courier on preparing for Hanna, Sept. 3:

Hanna was downgraded to a tropical storm Tuesday, but experts said it would likely regain its hurricane strength before reaching the U.S. mainland. They also said that it would most likely make landfall in, or very close to, South Carolina ... That's close enough, in both place and time, for our state's coastal residents to bring a sense of urgency to their plans for timely evacuations.

Despite amazing advances in meteorological science, we still can't be sure when, where and how strongly hurricanes will strike. Despite welcome advances in governments' ability to facilitate evacuations, residents of coastal areas still have a responsibility to develop -- and to carry out -- personal hurricane plans that reasonably minimize both individual and collective risks. ...

While many Lowcountry residents will be tempted to try riding out the next hurricane that comes our way rather than enduring the aggravations of evacuation, those who stuck around to feel Hugo's wrath nearly two decades ago know better.

So review your hurricane plan. And prepare to act quickly if and when the time to leave comes -- because it could come soon.

(Spartanburg) Herald Journal on SAT results, Sept. 2:

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex called a two-point gain this year on the SAT good news for South Carolina students. His department's announcement created the impression that the scores show the state's often-maligned public education system is improving.

It wasn't the whole truth.

The test results released used gains by private schools to cover the losses of public schools. The scores of students in the state's public schools dropped by five points. A 41-point increase among students in independent schools and a six-point rise in the scores of students in religious schools offset the decline by public school students. ...

The department knew the methodology involved in reporting the scores. Department officials certainly knew that the real picture wasn't as rosy as the one their announcement painted.

That's a disservice to the educators struggling to improve our schools. South Carolina's schools have much to be proud of. Real improvement has been made over time, even if the pace of that improvement isn't fast enough to satisfy most observers. The schools also have their share of problems -- including lagging SAT scores and a dismal graduation rate. And then there are the New York-funded voucher groups constantly looking for a way to turn every misstep into a political ad.

The state's top education officials shouldn't add to those problems by trying to cover up real problems with misleading statistics.

On the Net: www.goupstate.com/section/opinion

This story was originally published September 6, 2008 at 1:39 AM with the headline "More sensible welfare."