By Matt Hawes

In his latest column, economist Walter E. Williams looks at what often goes unseen:

Scarcity means there's no free lunch. Having more of one thing requires having less of another. You might say, "Williams, that's where you're wrong. Someone gave me this newspaper and I'm reading your column for free!" Not true. If you weren't spending time reading my column, you might have spent the time reading something else, chatting with your wife or children, or going out for a jog. You're reading my column for a zero price but you're not doing so at zero cost. You have to sacrifice something. There are zero-price services such as "free libraries," "free public schools," "free transportation" and free whatever. It doesn't mean that costs are not being borne by somebody....

Read the rest.

Earlier today, CNN reported on a new program in San Francisco called "Kindergarten to College" (K2C), which will ultimately provide savings accounts for each student in San Fran's public schools.  According to AOL's "Wallet Pop," the city will provide the intitial $50 to start the account and an additional $50 if students qualify for "free or reduced-priced school lunches."  (Notice, like Williams points out, the assumption of something provided by the state being "free.")  EARN, a non-profit, will also contribute $100 to match what families give in the first year.

Like many other state (and federal) programs, this will be sold as necessary "for the children."  How about working with the state to give families a tax break?  But that would take government out of the picture, and the politicians just can't have that.  Instead, the city will be praised by many who never stop to consider where the $50 (which is going to add up once done for each student.  If this program were enacted in Fall 2008, it would have cost at least $200,000.) really comes from.

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