| April 2, 2007 Special Ed Children Left Behind by Katy Parrish, insurgent49 After four years of an illegal occupation of Iraq, President Bush has recently requested nearly $100 billion in additional war spending for fiscal year 2007. According to the National Priorities Project, his proposed budget for 2008 would cut $13 billion from programs that serve American families. Billions more would be cut by restricting eligibility in Medicare and Medicaid. Proposed cuts to Alaska include: special education, $2.1 million; Head Start, $675,000; child care and development block grant, $214,000; community-oriented policing services, $21.6 million. The cost of the Iraq occupation for Alaska taxpayers amounts to $780.6 million. According to the budget of the U.S. government, total national defense spending for fiscal year 2007 would amount to $620 billion, which is higher than it was during the Vietnam War or the Korean War, and now totals 20 percent of the budget. While education spending has risen slightly, it represents a mere 2 percent of the budget. Ironically, special education, which has never been fully funded, would be cut by 6 percent. Great. Take funding from students who are routinely marginalized and bullied in our country and top it off by spending more on war and private prisons. Look who’s left behind. Bush seems to be banking on the fact that one doesn’t need much education to pull a trigger. Katy Parrish is a freelance writer and media activist who can be reached at takebackthemedia@hotmail.com. |
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Reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
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