Intuitive Commentary
by Kirk D. Smith
During Monday night’s meeting of the Lee County
Commissioners, I objected to the resolution promoted by the North Carolina
Association of County Commissioners (NCACC).
Many of the goals counter my philosophical belief that we need to focus
on limited government, not more.
That said, the NCACC supports increasing the childcare
subsidies supporting Smart Start and NC Pre-K.
This is a remarkable recommendation that comes on the heels of the most
extensive study on the effectiveness of the federally funded Head Start
Program. You know another LBJ “Great
Society” tactical strategy used in the never-ending “war on poverty!” I’m curious. With Bin Laden dead and terrorism vanquished,
we see our nation withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan. What is our “exit strategy” on this so-called
never-ending War on Poverty?
Truth be told, the so called war on poverty should be
rephrased, the “war on personal responsibility.”
I base my opposition to the resolution on the fact that since
1965 we have had a Federal Program we all know as Head Start at the cost of
over $180 billion dollars. This past
December the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, released a
long over-due report, on the Friday before Christmas that assessed the viable
results of Head Start. In short we are
wasting money! With that said, the ever
gracious Anne McCracken was in the audience shaking her head back and forth as
if I were misstating facts!
Memo to Anne,
Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst writes in the Brookings
Institute, January 16, 2013 article:
"There is no
measurable advantage to children in elementary school of having participated in
Head Start. Further, children attending Head Start remain far behind
academically once they are in elementary school. Head Start does not
improve the school readiness of children from low-income families.
Whether you like my plan or prefer some other
approach, I hope you will agree that we must do something. A program that
is supposed to prepare the neediest children in the nation for school and fails
to do so is a program that needs fixing. The evidence tells us it is time
to act."
You decide.
As always, I shall remain In Search of Our GOD Given
Liberties!
Kirk
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