Well, education and health insurance/care aren't as closely reciprocal to something else in the budget as are the Pentagon and the EPA.

But I've got solutions. Public colleges should be paid for by the state, with students required to work for the state for the same number of hours a week as they take hours of classes. Rroom and board is included in the enrollment. People can get out of working if they pay double the calculated cost that the state is paying for their tuition.

This is not entirely different from both Edwards' and Obama's recently announced "service for tuition" programs. But I'd go all the way.

I'd also double the number of doctors graduated in the country, and require their service to prioritize teaching (or pay a penalty). I'd give plentiful loans to medschool students that they'd pay off working in the most understaffed counties across the country.

For health insurance, I'd copy Canada's system, letting each state expand its Medicaid coverage to everyone. I'd make the Feds set minimum care standards and watch people flock to live and work in states with better coverage. I'd cover the gaps with increased Medicare. The increased doctors would lower prices and increase care, as would bargaining by states with providers. I'd expand the VA and other government hospitals to match public colleges in their service to their communities. So that private insurance would still exist for nonessential cosmetic and other elective surgery. But the rest would be saved by regular Americans and employers, to make us more competitive with our global competitors - and increase productivity with better health.

If I were in charge, we'd be a lot better off.