Two preliminary things: 1) Edwards will appear on Leno tonight :bounce: 2) If elected Edwards will expand this program into a national program. This investment in our greatest resource, our young people, will cost $8 billion a year. It is time we rid ourselves of Republican-lite ways and become Democrats again. Democrats who are willing to expend the necessary resources to expand opportunity, not merely take small steps that sound good--but are not good and sound and do little because of a fear of looking like a "big government liberal" or because of an obsession with reaching consensus with right-wingers that leads us to eviscerate such programs in the name of compromise.
== Tracy Russo in News Feed of
6/25/2007 at 6:00 PM EST
After the end of the 2004 election, John Edwards spent most of the next two years working with a variety of organizations to fight poverty. The "College for Everyone" program was one of the ideas developed by the Center for Promise and Opportunity. Tony Tyson was one of first students to participate in the program. He currently attends North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Below he explains how the program has impacted his life.==
Tony Tyson It is unfortunate that the recent articles about John Edwards' work failed to include comments from people like my family, who benefited from programs like "College for Everyone" funded by the Center for Promise and Opportunity Foundation. The
College for Everyone program has been a life preserver for families like mine. My parents worked hard and tried to save money for college. But it became impossible for them to put away money for both my sister and me to attend college at the same time.
College for Everyone saved me from not having to sit out a year or two, due to lack of funds. It provided the necessary funds for me to attend college the first year, without having an extraordinary financial burden. My father and mother already had my sister in college. If my parents had to pull everything out of their pocket to support both of us, they would've eventually reached a financial cut-off point. Then, they would have to ask themselves, "Which one do we help this time?" But, College for Everyone relieved the pain for my parents of making the decision of whether I help my daughter or my son.
We really thank Senator Edwards for being there to help us. When I say "us," I'm also talking about my classmates in Greene County, North Carolina.
For example, a classmate of mine was the first person to attend college or an institution of higher learning in her family. College for Everyone opened that door for her. So, College for Everyone to me is like lady justice. It leveled the playing field for students who desired to attend college and were not sure if they could go. On behalf of Greene County and Greene Central High School I would like to say thank you to Senator Edwards and College for Everyone.
- Tony A. Tyson II==
http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/6/25/1808/97072