I am an old guy now. So old that I remember when society saw young people as their most precious resource. So precious in fact that the folks that made laws saw to it that most of the cost of education was paid for by the state.

The logic behind this was pretty simple. If our young people were better educated, then they in turn would become the next generation of highly productive people. People who would create better machines, write better plays, create a better environment – in short people who would improve the human condition.
 
This was a kind of pay it forward philosophy. Invest in education and the payoff will come. This philosophy worked well for a long time. Payoff could be seen in many ways.  Iowa payoffs included businesses locating here because of the educated workforce. Payoffs also included upgraded farm machinery, hybrids and methods of production.

But today’s generation of legislature appears to see less and less value in investing in the future. Instead we look for a quick fix by giving businesses tax cuts and abatements. Money that once went to create a great environment for business and a great quality of life for Iowa’s citizens is now more often used to bet that a business will follow through on some promises of job creation.

This ‘quick fix today, damn the future’ philosophy will come back to bite Iowa (and America) hard. Sadly, most of those who made these decisions will not be around to see their true cost. When it comes to competing in the future global economy we will not have the trained engineering and scientific minds to solve problems and create the new products. Other countries that we are or will be competing with continue to place their values on educating their future leaders.  Many of our potential future leaders see the cost and debt that they will be expected to carry and decide to go a different way.

The 5% rate increase (higher in some disciplines) was announced by the Regents but due in the most part to very short-sighted legislative policy.  

Iowa used to be one place that valued the long term return on investments much more than short term fixes. That was one of the things that made Iowa the very special place it was. Now it seems like we are trying to get to the bottom faster than anyone else.