Trimmed Bill Still Offers Vast Sums for Education

[babylonsister]

Trimmed Bill Still Offers Vast Sums for Education

By SAM DILLON
Published: February 9, 2009


The economic stimulus bill that is expected to win passage in the Senate on Tuesday would provide about $83 billion for child care, public schools and universities.

That is a lot less than the $150 billion voted by the House, but would still account for a vast increase in the federal share of the nation’s education spending.

If the bill passes the Senate, tough bargaining can be expected later this week between House and Senate negotiators over the Senate’s decision to eliminate all of $20 billion in direct financing of school renovation, and over its trim of $40 billion from the House’s proposed $79 billion stabilization fund for states, much of which would be spent on schools and state universities.

The stabilization fund is intended to help states and school districts meet payrolls as tax revenue plummets in the recession. The 50 states and Puerto Rico, which on average spend roughly a third of all revenue on education, are facing budget shortfalls totaling some $132 billion this fiscal year and next, according to a report issued on Jan. 30 by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Monday that the $39 billion in aid to states proposed in the Senate bill was “not nearly as much as we need.” Addressing an audience of college administrators, Mr. Duncan said a forthcoming University of Washington study estimated that “almost 600,000 education jobs are at risk of state budget cuts.”

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/education/10educ.html?_r=1&ref=politics

[gratuitous]

1. The Republicans passed all those Iraq war supplementals without batting an eye

Several hundred billion dollars, every dime off budget, just got pencil-whipped through the Republican-dominated Congress between 2003 and 2008. Now we're talking about $70 billion for our nation's own children, and they're more tight-fisted than Ebenezer Scrooge. I wonder why they're so free with the money when it comes to death, chaos, murder and torture, and suddenly break out the green visors when we're talking about education for our own?

[MNDemNY]

2. But it did strip the 14 B for school building improvements.

Not acceptable.