Public Housing and Public Schools

The income limitations quite properly imposed for the occupancy of public housing at subsidized rentals have led to a very high density of “broken” families–in particular, divorced or widowed mothers with children. Children of broken families are especially likely to be “problem” children and a high concentration of such children is likely to increase juvenile delinquency. One manifestation has been the very adverse effect on schools in the neighborhood of a public housing project. Whereas a school can readily absorb a few “problem” children it is very difficult for it to absorb a large number. Yet in some cases, broken families are a third or more of the total in a public housing project and the project may account for a majority of the children in the school.

Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom

Despotism Defined

A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep.

G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man

Competitive Compensation

With respect to teachers’ salaries, the major problem is not that they are too low on the average–they may well be too high on the average–but that they are too uniform and rigid.  Poor teachers are grossly overpaid and good teachers grossly underpaid.  Salary schedules tend to be uniform and determined far more by seniority, degrees received, and teaching certificates acquired than by merit.  This, too, is largely a result of the present system of governmental administration of schools and becomes more serious as the unit over which governmental control is exercised becomes larger.

Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom