Blogging at the Higher Ed Watch of the New America Foundation, Stephen Burd laments that the Department of Education seems to be “deliberately trying to undermine a new program created by Congress to encourage students to pursue careers in the public service.” You can read all about it here.

Sorry, but if DoE is really doing that, I’m glad. There has never been a shortage of government employees and isn’t now. Mostly this just subsidizes further the people who want the cozy life of working for government (no need to worry about competition or downsizing), and to whatever extent it lures young people away from the private sector (where goods and services are produced), it’s a loss to society.

The assumption behind this initiative is the belief that “public service” is somehow more virtuous than working in the greedy old for-profit world. It isn’t.