Posted by Matt Hawes on 06/08/10 01:01 AM   [Newer: Say What?] [Older: New C4L Op-Ed]

From The Hill:

Soon after Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess, liberal House Democrats and teachers unions will make one last push to pass a $23 billion fund to prevent teacher layoffs....

"At the same time, states are still facing bleak budgetary outlooks and may very well have to cut funding for education in order to balance budgets," Democratic Reps. Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.), Phil Hare (Ill.) and Bob Etheridge (N.C.) wrote in a letter. "If Congress does not pass additional funding for education jobs soon, many of the jobs that have been supported by [the stimulus] will be lost."....

House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) is including the teacher money in an $86 billion package that also has $37.5 billion for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and related State Department operations; $13.4 billion for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange; $5.7 billion for Pell Grants for college students; $2.8 billion for Haiti aid; $677 million for increased security at the Mexican border; and $275 million for aid for the Gulf Coast oil spill. Most of the money isn't offset and would increase the deficit because it's considered emergency spending....

Read the rest.

What ever happened to "pay as you go"?  Well, politicians can routinely get around that provision by designating the spending as "emergency."

As a May "Opinion" piece in USA Today stated well, "The dictionary defines emergency as 'a sudden, generally unexpected occurrence.' In Congress-speak, though, an emergency is something you don't want to pay for."

Posted 06/08/10 08:33 AM ateal Sharpsburg, GA

I'm sick of more and more money being spent on government-funded college scholarships. I know DOZENS of people with college degrees who CANNOT find a job. I mean ANY job... What is the point of everyone going to college? We are not creating a smarter society...we are just watering down what used to be a prestigious accomplishment. A college degree is barely a step above a high school degree these days... I currently work at a job where I push papers all day long. My job required a college degree and preferably a Master's degree. Yet nothing I learned in college is used in my job. I suspect the continued push for more education is just another way to bleed us dry and tax us to death.