Obama's education plan

[Azure]

"Barack Obama's early education and K-12 plan package costs about $18 billion per year. He will maintain fiscal responsibility and prevent any increase in the deficit by offsetting cuts and revenue sources in other parts of the government. The early education plan will be paid for by delaying the NASA Constellation Program for five years"

Source: BarackObama.com

Campaign contact information:

Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact

Cut NASA? Shouldn't education be a 'state' issue?

And what about the rest of the pork that could be cut from the budget to pay for this?

Sorry, but this is sheer lunacy. There are TONS of other programs Obama could cut to pay for his education plan. Tons.

We've pretty much explored planet Earth, and space should be next on the list. But it sure won't help when political leaders feel the need to hold us back from doing that.

Ugh.

Now, on to something I can agree with.

"It's not good enough for you to say to your child, 'Do good in school,' and then when that child comes home, you've got the TV set on," Obama lectured. "You've got the radio on. You don't check their homework. There's not a book in the house. You've got the video game playing."

"So turn off the TV set. Put the video game away. Buy a little desk. Or put that child at the kitchen table. Watch them do their homework. If they don't know how to do it, give 'em help. If you don't know how to do it, call the teacher."

.....if your child misbehaves in school, don't cuss out the teacher! You know I'm right about that! Don't cuss out the teacher! Do something with your child!"

[FlamesAddiction]

Didn't Bush take a lot of funding from NASA already?

When it comes right down to it, I'm not sure that NASA should trump something like funding for education.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Didn't Bush take a lot of funding from NASA already?

When it comes right down to it, I'm not sure that NASA should trump something like funding for education.

'federal' funding for education, when it in fact should be state run.

And if Bush cut funding from NASA, screw him too. He isn't the concern here though, cause I'm pretty sure someone else is going to be drafting the next budget.

[Weiser Wonder]

I think if we are in such financial crisis, why are you so willing to spend on NASA but not education? Frankly, the American education system is in a pretty poor state, and NASA funding can be held off until it gets back on track. I do not agree that it is a state issue. There needs to be Federal regulation and funding.

[FlamesAddiction]

Does education being a state issue mean that the feds cannot allot federal money to the states for education?

Serious question.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

I think if we are in such financial crisis, why are you so willing to spend on NASA but not education? Frankly, the American education system is in a pretty poor state, and NASA funding can be held off until it gets back on track.

Because there is 'other' pork that could be cut from the budget. A LOT of it.

The financial crisis exists because everyone is afraid of cutting that pork, and instead they want to take it out of 'valuable' programs like NASA.

The exploration of space is one of the most important things to mankind today. NOTHING should be hampering that quest.

I do not agree that it is a state issue. There needs to be Federal regulation.

Which would be in violation of the 10th amendment.

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government delegated the power to regulate or fund elementary or secondary education.

[Weiser Wonder]

Originally Posted by Azure

Because there is 'other' pork that could be cut from the budget. A LOT of it.

The financial crisis exists because everyone is afraid of cutting that pork, and instead they want to take it out of 'valuable' programs like NASA.

The exploration of space is one of the most important things to mankind today. NOTHING should be hampering that quest.

Education of American children is much more important than NASA. NASA is nothing without it. Good luck finding 'pork' that is abstract as the NASA program. Americans see it as a luxury program and that's why it's been targeted by Obama to be cut.

[Blaster86]

Wait wait wait wait wait... this is a lie. Obama has no platform!

[Weiser Wonder]

Originally Posted by Azure

Which would be in violation of the 10th amendment.

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government delegated the power to regulate or fund elementary or secondary education.

Obviously, this is not how the constitution has been interpreted in the modern political system.

[Weiser Wonder]

Ok I was slightly wrong. The government has a right to help and supplement State education platforms but not supplant them.

"The responsibility for K-12 education rests with the states under the Constitution. There is also a compelling national interest in the quality of the nation's public schools. Therefore, the federal government, through the legislative process, provides assistance to the states and schools in an effort to supplement, not supplant, state support. The primary source of federal K-12 support began in 1965 with the enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)."

http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/10facts/index.html

So basically, the States will have to comply or not get certain funds. Which is how American government has worked for a long, long time. Little known fact: If you live in a State like Idaho you actually get more funding back to you than you are taxed for. If you live in a State like New York you get less. Simply, Idaho and other small states could not afford their infrastructure without federal funding. The same thing applies to education.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

Education of American children is much more important than NASA. NASA is nothing without it. Good luck finding 'pork' that is abstract as the NASA program.

Ugh.

Read my post. There is 'other' pork to cut from the budget in order to fund the education plan.

Americans see it as a luxury program and that's why it's been targeted by Obama to be cut.

Luxury program? You think the most brilliant minds in the world working together for the greater good of humanity is a luxury? Give me a break.

Its been cut because Obama, just like every other politician is afraid to cut the 'real' pork in the budget.

9.4 billion in earmarks in the 2006 budget according to a Congressional Panel.

And it all includes stuff like this....

$25,000 for the Clark County School District in Nevada for "curriculum development to study mariachi music

$6.3 million for wood utilization research and $1.7 million for the International Fertilizer Development Association.

The CAGW compiled $27.3 billion in what it deems wasteful spending for 2005, up 19 percent from last year's total of $22.9 billion.
According to the CAGW, there was more pork this year than in any other, with Congress stuffing 13,997 supposedly frivolous projects into 13 appropriations bills. This is up 31 percent from 10,656 projects last year.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/15/news/economy/pork/

Please tell me cutting funding for NASA is more important than cutting funding for the International Fertilizer Development Association.

Please.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

Wait wait wait wait wait... this is a lie. Obama has no platform!

And the platform he does have, when I went looking for it....isn't very impressive either.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Azure

Because there is 'other' pork that could be cut from the budget. A LOT of it.

The financial crisis exists because everyone is afraid of cutting that pork, and instead they want to take it out of 'valuable' programs like NASA.

The exploration of space is one of the most important things to mankind today. NOTHING should be hampering that quest.

God forbid that the plight of poor people in bad areas during a recession get in the way of space exploration.

Part of being a politician is making a platform that makes sense to voters. IMO education is a necessity and along with nutrition, shelter, etc takes a priority over more frivilous endeavours.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Azure

$25,000 for the Clark County School District in Nevada for "curriculum development to study mariachi music

$6.3 million for wood utilization research and $1.7 million for the International Fertilizer Development Association.



http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/15/news/economy/pork/

Please tell me cutting funding for NASA is more important than cutting funding for the International Fertilizer Development Association.

Please.

um.... i dont know where you are getting you sense of priorities from. You are posting spending on education and farming in a recession like it is unbelievable that people would consider it above NASA.

A lot of people depend on farming for substinance and the US requires it to feed their population. In the middle of a recession you do not cut funding to projects in those areas to send people to space.

[ken0042]

I'm big into space exploration- so much that if NASA asked me to join them on a one-way trip to Mars I'd take it.

But to put exploration above education- that's just wrong; especially when we see illiteracy rates like we do in such rich countries. I recently read that 34% of North Americans are mathematically illiterate. That's like 1 in every 4 people!

And yes that mathematical error was done on purpose.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by blankall

God forbid that the plight of poor people in bad areas during a recession get in the way of space exploration.

Part of being a politician is making a platform that makes sense to voters. IMO education is a necessity and along with nutrition, shelter, etc takes a priority over more frivilous endeavours.

Yeah, God forbid Obama have the balls to cut the budget where it needs to be cut.

Education IS a necessity....for the State.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Azure

Yeah, God forbid Obama have the balls to cut the budget where it needs to be cut.

Like...?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I recently read that 34% of North Americans are mathematically illiterate. That's like 1 in every 4 people!

And yes that mathematical error was done on purpose.

Lol...

Well, Ken... There are three types of people in the world: those that understand math and those that don't.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Like...?

Invasi.... Er, military?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

Education of American children is much more important than NASA. NASA is nothing without it. Good luck finding 'pork' that is abstract as the NASA program. Americans see it as a luxury program and that's why it's been targeted by Obama to be cut.

I agree. Education is the backbone of EVERYTHING. In fact, I would say that finding cures for things like cancer and AIDS is much more important that NASA... all of which will should benefit from improving education. Funny how those things are so reliant on charity from everyday people.