Nationalreview.com has a great article about the futility of increasing government spending to solve America’s societal problems. In this case the example is an exchange between President Obama’s Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan testified before the Senate Budget Committee today, in large part to defend the massive increases in education spending that have occurred under President Obama (68 percent, including the stimulus). In his 2012 budget, Obama calls for an 11 percent increase in spending on education.

Sen. Jeff Session (R., Ala.), ranking Republican, pointed out that when it comes to education, more spending doesn’t necessarily produce better results. Case in point:

Spending per student — South Korea: $8,000; United States: $12,000.

International ranking (reading, math) — South Korea: 1st, 1st; United States: 14th, 25th.

After Senator Sessions pointed out that just spending more money didn’t lead to better results the Secretary of Education persisted in trying to justify more money. Senator Sessions finally responded,”Why don’t we just spend three times as much? Won’t that just help us fix it all?”

Senator Sessions is right. Both of my children attend public schools and a 68% increase in education spending hasn’t improved their education one bit. Neither would another 167 billion dollars. The problems with our educational system are structural and societal and no amount of spending will change that.

You can read the whole thing here.