This being the overly-large school district we are, the economic mess now in progress means that we get to go through yet another round of armageddon-sized budget cuts.

To give you some idea of how large, the amount we’re supposedly in the hole is about the same as that spent annually by more than a few much smaller systems elsewhere in Virginia.

So, what gets hacked and what do we keep?

As is usual in these situations, the school board directs the superintendent to come up with a list of proposed “savings” and then all the different constituents muster whatever pressure they can to save a particular program.

However, there are two big problems with this particular political dance.

Almost everybody, even those with no K12-aged kids, claim they want “good” schools in their neighborhood (good for property values).

And almost none of them want to pay the bill.

It’s not just schools.

Too many people in this country expect the government to provide them with all kinds of services (even most in that super-hypocritical government-is-evil crowd), while at the same time demanding that someone else pay for them.

Leading that hypocrisy parade are politicians like the candidates in this year’s gubernatorial race, along with most of those for other offices, who make all kinds of promises about improving education all over the state (when they aren’t sliming each other, that is).

While at the same time swearing that they will not raise taxes. Or reduce them.

So, we come back to the real question in this mess: when it comes to public schools, what are you willing to pay for?

Unfortunately, we never seem to get around to having a serious discussion on this issue.

Instead our so-called leaders lie to all of us and display their hypocrisy by way of sound bites, 30 second television ads, and those useless he-said-she-said debates on the talking heads channels.