Fundamental political question doesn't change: Who gets the money?

People can argue about party platforms and philosophies until the polar ice cap melts, but politics is fundamentally driven by one thing: money, and who gets it.

Republicans have traditionally pursued lower taxes to stimulate   private sector growth, assuming that the tide of "trickle-down" economics would raise all Americans' boats. Globalization changed all that, pushing most of the country's wealth into the top one percent of the population—raising only the yachts.

Democrats have traditionally sought higher taxes to fund more social service programs. Historically, their administrations expanded regulations on private industry that stifled private sector growth and led to a larger, more inefficient government bureaucracy. Their solution for economic prosperity is more government.

In recent history neither side will compromise. Rather than working together, their sole aim has been to make the other side look bad.

Buttressed by big money, special interests have controlled U.S. Congress for a long time.  But with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Citizen's United in 2010, money has taken an even bigger hold on U.S. elections.

[Small Alaska town amends charter in response to Citizens United ruling]

Throughout the nearly two-year, media-spun debacle that historians have already called the strangest presidential campaign in America's history, a critical truth has emerged: If there is one institution in the U.S.  that should 'get the money,' it's public education.

[Strong, sustainable public schools are vital to Alaska's future]

Most of the woes of our country, including our inability to select competent and moral leaders, can be traced to the lack of quality education. Inner city schools should be just as good, and have equal resources, as schools in Silicon Valley.

Alongside defense, education should become our nation's top priority. We need to train our population for 21st century careers, including a major emphasis on vocational education.

A commitment to do this should be non-partisan.

But it's probably inevitable that the endless struggle for "who gets the money" will end the way it has for dozens of years:  the wealthy will get it. Words and ideas and philosophies no longer seem to have any impact. Newspaper columns like this  no longer matter.

Who gets the money?  The people with money.

Frank E. Baker is a freelance writer. He lives in Eagle River.

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, emailcommentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com.