Sure, a million here and a million there eventually ends up being some "real money" (as Dirkson put it), but with all the other things going on in the federal budget, you'd think Bush could manage to scrape up $26MM to keep a program that provides books to poor kids.
President Bush’s proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their families who receive free books and reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 20,000 locations throughout the U.S.
Unless Congress reinstates $26 million in funding for this program, RIF will not be able to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. RIF programs in schools, childcare centers, migrant programs, military bases, and other locations serve children from low-income families, children with disabilities, foster and homeless children, and children without access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program is authorized under the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (SEC.5451 Inexpensive Book Distribution Program for Reading Motivation) and is not funded through earmarks. It has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975.
(Emphases mine)
I mean, Bush can't actually go and read My Pet Goat to everyone, can he?
(via J-Walk)
Filed under :: Politics & Law :: School Daze
He needs those kids for future wars! Having them read and be smart would reduce his available reserves for the Army!
All kidding aside, I really have an issue with the priorities that they have...illegal wars, useless border fences, etc...
Well...
He *does* posses the ability to read My Pet Goat upside down...
**rolls eyes**
One of these days I will have to come up with a GOP flow chart, but for right now I'll do it this way.
Does this program benefit or toss a sop to the Christianists? Yes/No?
Does this program transfer money from the poor and the middle class to the top 5% of nations wealthiest? Yes/No?
Is there away for the top 5% of the nation to gain some sort of monetary Benefit from it? Yes/No?
Does doing this further the goal of making Government appear useless, ineffectual or generate hate hatred toward the Government? Yes/No?
Is there away that when I veto it, I can claim that the Democratic Party wants to use hard working Americans tax dollars to benefit dirty Mexicans? Yes/No?
Wow…I could do this all day long. I really need to make a flow chart.
I'm not sure what sort of vile thing this administration would have to do to surprise me but this isn't it.