One of Donald Trump’s campaign promises was to eliminate unnecessary federal bureaucracies, rules and regulations, plus to eliminate federal employees by attrition. How about the Department of Education, Mr. Trump? Getting rid of this bothersome, fallacious, absurd Cabinet Post, would eliminate close to $100 billion in expenses, and close to 6,000 employees…as a start. This doesn’t count the billions of handouts the Department gives to schools, telling them what to feed their students, what to teach, hours, and everything possible the mind can imagine that has to do with schools.
The Constitution doesn’t mention education at any place, so like other departments and unconstitutional rules and regulations, getting rid of ‘Education’ would be wholeheartedly approved by all schools and school systems. The Department of Education, was formed by Jimmy Carter, one of America’s worst Presidents, in October of 1979, and it was loudly condemned and voted against by the Republican House and Senate, almost like Obamacare, which was passed by not a single Republican vote. Until 1979, Education was handled by local school systems, controlled by local residents, and was simplicity itself as well as economic. Nothing the Fed gets itself involved in, is efficient, and usually not remotely necessary.
Our Constitution’s Tenth Amendment reads very simply: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” If that marvelous document were held to, there would be 95% less Federal Government, America would have a balanced budget and be free, as the Founders intended.
In Ronnie Reagan’s 1980 campaign, he called for the elimination of the Department of Education. In his 1982 State of the Union Address, Reagan said, “The budget plan I will submit to you on February 8th, will realize major savings by dismantling the Department of Education.” The Democratic House voted it down. The Republican platform of 1996, called for the elimination of the Department of Education. George W. Bush, of Iraq and Afghanistan fame, seemed to love the Department, and added to its programs, budget, and employees, which among other things, to me, made him a hideous President. Other than “W,” Republicans have derided the Department, and uniformly called for its elimination.
Donald Trump has tentively appointed a head of The Department of Education. It would certainly be wonderful if Mr. Trump told his appointee to immediately begin dismantling it, and making the Cabinet post temporary.