Why do pundits only site....

[Aviation Pro]

..."teachers, police and firefighters" as the only non-negotiables when it comes to government employment?

Also, there are a couple of issues when it comes to this particular troika of workers:

1. All three professions are valuable.
2. Of the three professions two of them, police and firefighters, are reactive in nature. Nothing happens unless a crime or fire occurs.
3. Teachers are a proactive measure for society. Look at any zip code that has a good public school system and one will see that the student population of that area is less likely to be drawn into crime.
4. Students given superior primary educations are more likely to succeed than those who do not.

Therefore, wouldn't it be better to support public education through increased funding, which is how good school systems got there in the first place? There will always be a need for law enforcement and firefighting, but if the threats that necessitate these elements are reduced signifigantly then stability is achieved in communities across the nation.