Bureaucracy and Freedom

I really enjoy watching Governor Christie answer the press's questions.  He's such a straight shooter, that he reveals more than the inquirer really wants to know.  Here he is answering a question of how New Jersey lost money from the federal government in the "Race to the Top" program.  There are a few things to observe and a few questions to be asked after watching this.

For one thing, this is the kind of bureaucratic decision making that brings about nightmares for anyone needing to deal with the government.  Just how necessary are all those forms and just how much information is needed to asses the progress of a state's schools?  Why is the federal government even involved in a state's education policies?  Has there been any improvement in education since the beginning of the federalization of education in the early 20th century?

 I admire greatly,  the Governor's taking the heat and not firing a mid-level employee for an understandable and repairable mistake.  The fact that the missing information was easily attainable by the feds and was even given to them verbally shows the frightening power those who work in the federal government have over those who rely on them.  I can't  imagine that this decision would have been made if  Governor Christie were a Democrat.   The more individuals, communities, states, etc. rely on the federal government for any kind of funding, the more power it will have over our everyday lives and we will be subject to their whims and political allegiances.  Conversely, if the state of New Jersey finds itself unshackled by the demands of the federal government, it may in fact  have the flexibility to better educate its children and exercise a bit more freedom.

This is just another example of why we homeschool.