Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Our compassionate education president does it again

Dubya completely chucked the migrant family workers' education fund for their kids. It's certainly another blow for kids on the wrong side of the track. And what a safe and cowardly thing to do. I doubt their parents don't vote. Not only that, I'm wondering if cutting programs like these will please his base. Gotta get that vote, y'know, especially when it's looking a bit grim.
Funding is being eliminated for a federal program that pays the children of migrant workers across the country to stay in school instead of working in fields.

The Department of Labor program pays some young people minimum wage to stay in school while migrating with their parents, who travel across the country looking for seasonal farm work.

Coordinators in 31 states and Puerto Rico were told there was no money to operate the program this year, leaving them to find alternate sources, petition Congress or drop the program.

"This is a remarkable abandonment of the most vulnerable youth," said David Strauss, executive director of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs. "I don't know what's going to happen to those kids."
I'm afraid cutting programs like this is just the tip of the iceberg, if Dubya is re-elected. God forbid. Cutting the social net reeks of callousness and moral decreptitude, especially coming from a guy who wants to push character education.

Note: wrote this earlier today but I didn't have time to get it out. Summertime means I'm never sure when I'll be online. Gotta provide the quality family chauffeuring and other assorted tasks.

I see Left End of the Dial's covered this item already. Via Left End, Burnt Orange Report's got a post up as well. Go visit, please.