[Hoot Gibson]

Education is more important than taxing preferences.

If we cannot afford to pay teachers with current tax dollars, then we should not be stealing from future taxpayers. Somebody has to pay, and we need to be paying teachers, including their benefits packages, what this generation can pay - not plunging future generations so deeply into debt that they will never be able to pay it.

There should be no publicly funded pension plans that rely on future tax receipts. Retirement plans should consist of voluntary 401-K and other contributions that are part of public employees' benefits packages paid by current taxpayers.

Politicians will always hand out benefits to government employees, as long as they can pass the bill to future generations. This is not a philosophical question - it is a very clear case of right versus wrong. Theft is always wrong.