Reparations to Blacks: Free Internet Services and a Chromebook for Every Child
Generally, I'm not in favor of reparations to Blacks. That's because we can't identify the victims. If you cannot identify a victim, how can you pay reparations to him?
White Americans have victimized black Americans for generations. They have provided free education for Blacks in in tax-supported schools. This borders on the criminal. But to whom should Whites pay reparations?
Furthermore, white voters have victimized white Americans for generations. They have provided free education for Whites in tax-supported schools. This borders on the criminal. But to whom should Whites pay reparations?
I propose a solution that will bring relief to the victims on both sides of the color line.
Also, any Hispanics and Asians who want to join in can do so.
I propose that every school board in America offer free Internet service to any family that has a school-age child. The school board will also provide a free Chromebook computer for each school-aged child.
The school board will then recommend the Khan Academy, which is free. As long as a student is advancing in the program provided by the Khan Academy, the child will keep the Chromebook computer. The family will also receive free Internet access.
Only when every school-age child in the family has reached the age of 18 will the Chromebook be repossessed by the school district, and the free Internet service canceled.
This will send a message to every student: "Stay in school!" Parents who want free internet service will have leverage with their school-age children. "If you drop out of the Khan Academy, you won't be able to play video games after school. No more Fortnite! No more Facebook!" That will put the fear of deprivation into them.
A student will be allowed to keep his Chromebook, and the family will be allowed to keep free Internet service, if the child enrolls in any online university program.
THE COST OF REPARATIONS
The day that a student is removed by his family from the local public school system, all funding from the state ceases. This will save state taxpayers whatever subsidy money the state had been providing to the local school district for each enrolled student.
Next, the school district will be able to cut all school funding for that student.
If enough students are removed, this will enable the district to fire teachers on a systematic basis. Depending on the student/teacher ratio, every time 15 students or 20 students depart, the school district can fire a teacher. This policy will dramatically cut expenses of the school system.
This is only the beginning. As teachers are laid off permanently, the bloated size of the administration will become visible. It is already bloated, but it will become more visibly bloated. The school district will then be in a position to fire administrators, since they will have nothing left to administer.
What kind of cost savings are we talking about? The average public school in America spends about $11,000 per student per year. This depends on the state.
The cost of providing a free Internet line is in the range of $600 per year per family. Add to this the cost a Chromebook when purchased in bulk. That is probably in the range of $250 per child. These are one-time purchases. They are not recurring.
As the cost of the local school district declines as students are withdrawn, property taxes can and should be lowered.
So, for taking full responsibility for having provided third-rate education to minorities (and majorities), white taxpayers should do the right thing: provide top-notch private education to the victims of this exploitation. Their property tax bills will then go down.
That's the kind of reparations program I believe in.