**Update** There is cause for optimism: In Monday night's press conference, President Obama spoke of building the classrooms of tomorrow (at 9:45 in part 1 of the video and 3:15 in part 2), indicating that he will continue to pursue school construction funding in the stimulus bill.
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Although details are not clear as of this writing, it appears that the Senate is heading for approval of a compromise stimulus package, forged by the so-called "Group of 20", a bipartisan group of Senators that includes Colorado's Mark Udall and Michael Bennet.
As reported by the Rocky Mountain News, one of the biggest casualties of the compromise was school and higher education construction:
But one of the biggest hits was in funds previously set aside for modernizing school and higher education facilities.
An original version of the bill would have set aside $148.4 million for Colorado school districts and $52.9 million for state colleges and universities to repair or renovate facilities.
Sen. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, said those funds were eliminated in marathon negotiations amid vehement opposition from Republicans, who said school construction should be left as a state responsibility.
This is deeply disappointing news for a number of reasons. First, school construction projects provide an excellent and widely distributed source of jobs -- the central rationale for the stimulus package. Second, many districts have projects past the planning stages, as they have applied for funds from the BEST program. Most importantly, the need for new construction and renovation in districts around Colorado (especially in rural areas) is staggering.
Simply put, this portion of the Senate compromise is bad for Colorado's kids. The stimulus package provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put people to work now in ways that will improve the economy and our communities in the future. Leaving schools -- the heart of most rural communities -- out in the cold at this moment is a mistake for which our children and communities will pay for decades to come.
The bill still has to pass the Senate and be reconciled with the House version, which includes school construction funds.
Here's Great Ed's quick and easy way to tell your Congressional representatives what you think: http://salsa.democracyinaction... |
