On full day kindergarten: “Not every good thing must be provided by government”

Union Leader Editorial

The lead editorial in today’s Union Leader said,

The Senate Finance Committee will hold public hearings this week on the state’s two-year budget……

Sens. David Watters and Jeb Bradley today make their case to increase state aid for local kindergarten programs.

They argue that full-day kindergarten benefits young students, so the state should help fund it. The claim that businesses are avoiding New Hampshire because some towns offer half-day kindergarten begs credulity.

Not every good thing must be provided by government, and not every program has to be funded by the state.

Lawmakers and Gov. Chris Sununu want to spend an additional $20 million on mental health programs, over and above the governor’s budget proposal. This is a more pressing need than subsidizing kindergarten programs that local districts have already adopted.

If budget writers want to add money for mental health, they need to get it from somewhere.

Source: Budget crunch: Paying for mental health | New Hampshire