If I were king of Utah, I would devote progressively more of the public revenues each year to the care and education of our children and progressively less to law enforcement, criminal courts, prisons, and welfare.

By devoting more resources at the front end to the care and education of our children, I believe that not only would fewer resources be needed at the back end for law enforcement, criminal courts, prisons, and welfare, but fewer resources would be needed in total, since my would-be exchequer assures me that the ounce of prevention would cost much less than the pound of cure.

In one generation I could convert my kingdom into a democracy and rid myself of the cares of governing. By having cared for and educated my kingdom's children, they would have grown up prepared for self-rule. They would be far-seeing enough to continue my practice of caring for and educating their children as the first priority of their society. They would understand that the moneys spent today for the care and education of their children are an investment that might not provide a measurable return for eighteen years or more. But they would know that as soon as they failed to make the investment, they would begin a downward spiral that might require another king to reverse, because a king could control his subjects while he prepared their children once again to govern themselves.

I would expect my kingdom-turned-democracy to satisfy both liberals and conservatives, men and women, majorities and minorities, and religionists and humanists, because everyone would be as self-sufficient as possible, crime would be reduced to the practical minimum, both individual freedom and personal responsibility would be enhanced, taxes would be as low as they could be, government would be optimized to its appropriate size, and we could afford to help those who still need help.

--Earl Wunderli
Letter to the Editor
Published in The Salt Lake Tribune
February, 16 1995