Federal aid to state education systems “promotes the idea that federal school money is ‘free’ money, and thus gives the people a distorted picture of the cost of education,” wrote Barry Goldwater in his marvelous little book, “The Conscience of a Conservative.” That truism written over 40 years ago still applies, but in an ever expanding way.

I was reminded of this while reading a story titled, “School lunch prices going up next year” front-page, above the fold on the B-Section of the Wilmington Star-News this past Saturday. At first I thought: Why is this news? Everything is going up in price. But this article brought to mind some disturbing trends (likely not intentional by the author): states increasingly rely on federal money and thus, succumb to this pervasive, powerful interest. Further, I wonder whether citizens know the real costs to themselves? Press reports often result in superficial coverage. Sometimes stories mislead or fail to tell “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey reports on radio.

Staff writer Angela Mack in the Star-News article reported data about the various increases in the breakfast and lunch meals at different schools in the area. She wrote, “Federal statutes prohibit school districts from raising meal prices for free and reduced lunch students.”

Her statement may mislead readers. Most federal “aid” comes with strings attached. I don’t know the law on school lunches, but they aren’t free. I do know that state officials will almost always take the money regardless the consequences to their citizens. Large amounts of federal cash result in control of school activities, or whatever behavior the feds plan to manipulate. Every presumed national “need” costs us dearly with more spending, bigger government and loss of freedom.

According to the press story, the “child nutrition department” in the New Hanover County school system spends $4.8 million per year on food to serve more than 20,000 meals daily. Again, we should ask: What is the total cost to us? Not to mention unintended consequences.

The report stated that the “nutrition department is self-supporting” because of sales and federal money. How can one conclude that using taxpayer money, regardless the source, to support a public program is “self-supporting”?

As Barry Goldwater (and other discerning people) has observed: Federal money has come to be seen as “free.” The politicians like it that way. By accepting the largesse they can increase spending by substituting federal tax-collecting for local taxing, and hope they will appear to be heroes to their constituents—many of whom don’t realize that they still pay the bill.

How long will American citizens be out-to-lunch on the self-destructive issue of out-of-control government spending?

You’d think by now after having ten years of fear mongering about sea level rise that property owners along the coast would be giving the stuff away, but they’re clearly not in spite of my beachfront yearnings.

Having said that, there was this wonderful little post out there from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or, I like to call them, the scientists who track weather.

The average temperature in April 2008 was 51.0 F. This was -1.0 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 29th coolest April in 114 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit per decade.

Al Gore, quick, turn on the spin machine, surely this cool period must be caused by Global Warming?

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC), funded with your hard earned tax money, had a rough week. Sadly, they should be working hard to make sure we’re getting the best bang for our buck with county government. But it just seems they’re more interested in more tax money than more value for that tax money. Here’s a great example. After losing 20 out of 22 tax increase attempts across the state on Tuesday, even with heavy democratic turnout, do they even hesitate in their headline? NO! Here’s the headline with 20 losses:

Cumberland, Haywood voters OK quarter-cent sales tax, after which they list the overwhelming chart with the other 20 referendums that lost. Should we be celebrating new taxes?? Methinks not! We should be celebrating accountability in local government.

Locally, only Duplin and Onslow had sales taxes on the ballot (both defeated). Columbus is supposed to have one in November, like Columbus needs higher taxes. . .

The StarNews has an interesting story about the Castle Hayne Agricultural Research Station that may be closed this year. Agriculture has changed dramatically in NC and with those changes come changes to the way we should fund research. Closing such stations could save YOU the taxpayer $55 million a year. The main reason to keep them open has changed. Oddly, the justification to keep them open is not really a valid reason:

Research stations in Whiteville, Waynesville Oxford, Butner, Laurel Springs and Reidsville are also among the sites recommended to be closed and sold. Kent Rorem, research operations manager at the Castle Hayne facility, said the site closings would cause dozens of people to be unemployed. He said seven people at his site, including himself, would be affected.

It will be interesting to see how State Representative Carolyn Justice (R- Pender) will vote on this. It should be about validity and need vs special interest from folks making phone calls in spite of the changing times and non-need.

State Rep. Carolyn Justice, R-Pender, who is on the legislative committee, said she sees the benefits of closing down some of the research stations, but she is concerned about how it will affect the local farmers and consumers who use them. “I haven’t made up my mind about if I’m going to support this,” Justice said. “I’m certainly sensitive to people calling and e-mailing me about how important this place is to them so it’s going to be something I’m going to have to think long and hard on.”

State taxpayer money shouldn’t fund outdated research stations just because people have state funded jobs there. Times change. The same was said about the rationale for keeping the Wilmington Incinerator by the New Hanover Commission. It loses money every year, but must be kept open to keep people employed. The state and county would save money simply giving these people salaries for doing nothing rather than keeping both facilities open in spite of not needing them.

Lest readers get absolutely torqued about my being anti-farmer. I live on an active farm and can personally attest to dramatic changes in agriculture. It’s become far more free market and less taxpayer funded over the past two decades and will likely continue to do so.

Normally this space is almost exclusively reserved for ongoing discussions about local or quasi local issues. But in today’s New York Times, there was a hilarious exchange signaling the true problems within the confines of the all powerful national democratic party. A blurb:

Mr. Begala, a Clinton supporter, said the (democratic) party could not win in November with just “eggheads and African-Americans,” that the party could not ignore white middle-class voters. Ms. Brazile, who said she was not “undecided but undeclared” when it came to her choice for a candidate, shot back that Mr. Begala’s notions were dividing the party. (And that she’d chugged down many a beer with Joe and Jane “six-pack” in an effort to woo white voters.)

The issue is clearly about the situation that Clinton and Obama find themselves in and figuring out how to get each other’s base to the polls. But really, having to chug a beer to get a vote?? Maybe national beer distributors should sponsor a “Have A Beer, Hug A Democrat Day.”

The city government of Wilmington is struggling to find a way to fund its current budget due in part to a property value error. Their philosophy, according to news reports, is that they need more revenue because it is quite obvious that they can’t trim their budget any more. They can, and should.

The NC Association of County Commissioners and many counties across the state have the same philosophy about budgets. Despite loosing, and loosing big, in nearly every attempt to pass local option taxes, county commissioners are preparing residents for the shock of higher property taxes. They’re delivering this message in a “you forced us to do this” way.

No one seems to understand that a “no” vote means that residents don’t want to pay higher taxes. There is always a way to trim waste. Growing a budget is an option. I hope the citizens of North Carolina realize this when their commissioners come begging.

Update: Mitch over at the Locker Room makes a good point about revenue-raising and budget priorities. “[A]dditional tax revenue always pays for the lowest-priority item that would not otherwise be funded. … New revenue will actually pay for low-priority items that would face the budget ax under more disciplined fiscal management.”

A week before Election Day on May 6 the Star-News editorial page editor explained “Why we endorse.” Why, indeed. It’s within her prerogative to endorse candidates, but is it the right thing to do? Beyond being a “long and proud tradition,” what is the purpose? It’s to “offer another bit of information,” says she, as voters trudge on in search of the elusive honest and true representative of we, the people and our constitutional government.

Fine, more information can be helpful. The Star-News news editors and reporters did good service in providing candidate profiles, records and voting instruction information over many days prior to the election date.

However, the opinion (editorials appear under OPINIONS) of one or two people (the “editorial board”) in a forum that thousands of people read—and some take as truth—is more than “information.” It’s another personal view (OUR VIEWS), no better or worse than anyone’s; it often comes from partisan perspective (most editors probably vote for Democrats); and it can be misleading (some readers may believe that the editorial opinion comes from superior minds with great knowledge of politics).

In fact, press editorials have a long and shady tradition of trying to sway public opinion, often expressed by misguided people who support bad ideas—and worse candidates. But that’s just the opinion of one humble, local writer. FYI

Star-News editorials have been kinder and gentler these past months. The editorial editor recapped her recommendations on Election Day: 10 (R)-candidates to 14 (D)-candidates. This was fairly balanced compared to what might have been suggested by the former liberal, partisan editorial page editor.

Ok, we really should stop calling it Global Warming and call it Gore Warming. Essentially, he now has the easiest job in the world. When something bad happens due to nature, we call it “caused by Global Warming,” and when something bad doesn’t happen we simply ignore or it or Algore it. So, the horribly cold winters in the northern hemisphere were Algored, the increasing sea ice, Algored, in fact, ten years of stable temperatures across the planet, also Algored. And the media Algores them as well. What, no rising sea levels over the past twenty years, also Algored.

But have one devastating cyclone in the South Pacific that is horrible by any measure and it’s due to Global Warming so says Al Gore!

It is the end of a long journey and what could have been a promising career. Representative Thomas Wright’s political career finally came to a sudden end tonight. What should have been a career of accomplishment and honor have now been wasted in corruption and shame.

Having been shunned by his peers, indicted by the justice system and convicted by a judge, Wright continued to run for office. Voters in Pender and New Hanover willfully and clearly welcomed Wright to the exit door tonight. It is sad that someone with such potential prominence lost his way and his honor.

We may never know why Wright was so defiant and so arrogant. We may never know why he couldn’t see. But we can certainly hope that others in office will learn from this elaborate and bizarre fall from the NC Legislature.

Jason Thompson (city councilman) appears to have taken a seat on the board of commissioners in New Hanover replacing Nancy Pritchett come December. An interesting race considering the odd ins and outs of Wilmington politics. Will this change anything on the board when he joins Caster and Greer on the board? Will there be a change in direction?

It will be interesting to hear everyone’s comments tomorrow (today?) depending on when you guys read all this.