Lamenting school budget struggles

By Will Crois

Special to the Express

Yesterday I saw the announcement of 27 public school teachers being laid off, and the same day saw the hiring of a Buffalo Bills football player for $20 million for two years.

I found it odd that we can't keep teachers, who are the foundation of our system, but we can spend millions on football, which is merely for entertainment. But when I was asking around, I ran into this argument.

"Different occupations, different pay scales. How can you expect the taxpayers to pay teachers millions?"

I countered by stating that the Bills' new home is being paid for by the taxpayers, costing over $1 billion dollars and they are also supporting the players by selling tickets, merchandise, and other things. Not only that, I went on.

"School teachers usually stay in their profession for years. They teach us, and that is the fundamental skill we use in life. While football players' careers are short-lived, most are not loyal to the team."

My argument failed to change many minds. The standard mindset of the ordinary fan is We need and love the Bills, win or lose.