Highly funded education = a highly skilled workforce = attracting high value-adding business = high paying jobs that, with tax rates the same, increase state revenues on the higher salary base thus paying for the enriched education. Should we lose such jobs to India and China, because we quibbled about which tax to use to fund a true world class education, we shall not have a second chance to catch up. As early as 2009, the marketplace — blind to geography and to nationhood — will only seek to know one thing: did we get the workforce educated. Did we spend what it took to compete, rather than thinking we could do it on the cheap.

Nearly two decades ago Ireland chose to find whatever money it took to educate its people from k thru college. It now has the most vibrant economy in Europe, and high paying companies falling all over themselves to take advantage of that workforce. It doesn’t even take a beer on St. Paddy’s day to follow that role model. If we do, guess who’ll be wearin’ more of the green by the end of our next president’s term!