Obama Attacks Education Cuts, Nelson Unable To Defend

[marmar]

from ourfuture.org:



Obama Attacks Education Cuts, Nelson Unable To Defend
By Bill Scher

February 10th, 2009 - 6:12am ET


Yesterday, President Barack Obama made clear he is not accepting the Senate "Gang of Moderates" compromise as is, while the Senate moderates failed to mount a logical defense of their cuts.

In short, The Senate compromise on economic recovery means to prevent $70 billion in unintended "Alternative Minimum Tax" increases largely for upper-middle-class Americans (desirable perhaps, but not stimulative and best dealt with in a tax reform bill), the diminished but still influential "Gang of Moderates" slashed $16 billion for jobs in school construction and improvements, as well as $40 billion for aid to distressed state governments, a cut which will risk massive layoffs for police, firefighters and teachers.

Bizarrely, the Senate moderates' talking point is that their compromise is all about "jobs, jobs, jobs," when their version would create or save 600,000 fewer jobs.

The President had made modernizing our classrooms a central feature of his case for the economic recovery bill. Despite the Senate cut, he still is.

At the Elkhart, Indiana town hall, he was quite blunt:

The Senate version cut a lot of these education dollars. I would like to see some of it restored. And over the next few days, as we're having these conversations, we should talk about how we can make sure that we're investing in education, because that's what's going to keep companies investing right here in the United States over the long term.

........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009020710/obama-attacks-education-cuts-nelson-unable-defend

[monmouth]

1. It would certainly be nice to have art and music teachers (with supplies)

back in the curriculum.... I'm hoping.