Eddie, your right, why buy the cow when you can get the milk free.
Don't know what happened to responsibility, especially when it come s too your own flesh and blood.
My brother and son both teach in inner city schools and the stories they tell would make your hair stand on end. Kids don't want to go home on weekends or vacations as they feel safer in school.
The politicians throw money at the schools, makes everybody feel warm and fuzzy, but it's not the facilities that need fixing it's the family.
Imho, we need more mentors for the kids. I think qualified High School seniors, Community and State Colleges should offer courses where a student can take a credited course in mentoring and mentor as part of the course.
It would lead to a bond in many cases as that is what happens when you get to know these kids. They need guidance and the time put in with them pays off as much for the mentor as the kids. Great feeling of accomplishment.
Not that easy though, logistics, always the chance of being accused of sexual abuse and all that crap too so you have to be careful to mentor in a controlled environment.
If government wants to do something, spend the money on tax credits etc. to get large companies to build back in the cities where some green space around the company as well as the buildings give the kids hope that there is another way of living besides crime and drugs. Most large companies have their own training departments and could offer these kids tours of their operations, show them how a company works in simple forms etc. But i ramble on.
Politicians don't think out of the box, it's just the same old same old, throw enough of our money around to stay in office.
Better that they investigate steroid use in baseball.
