FCC stops vital funding to schools and libraries

Thank you, lapin, from his dkos diary.

Looks like Dubya and his cronies have just figured out another way to destroy our schools and libraries. And this is a huge story.

NYT reports that the FCC is freezing the E-Rate program for schools and libraries, which helps pay for internet access and phone bills, in order to investigate fraud. However, it's not hard to wonder about the political motivations in this day and age when gazillions of our money is not accounted for in Iraq. What about that money, guys? And, excuse me, but is anybody freezing the funds to Iraq, by any chance?

The suspension came after the Federal Communications Commission, in consultation with the White House, imposed tighter spending rules that commission officials say will make it easier to detect fraud and waste in the program.

...snip...

Although commission officials said they had made the decisions leading the moratorium in close consultation with the White House Office of Management and Budget, administration officials sought on Friday to distance themselves from the F.C.C.'s moves and said that the budget office had never issued a formal legal opinion on the appropriateness of some of the changes. Commission officials say the changes were crucial for better monitoring of the program.

And I don't trust this guy not one whit.

"The E-Rate program is vital for America, but we must insist that it complies strictly with the highest government accounting and auditing standards," Michael K. Powell, chairman of the commission, said. "Any delays are temporary while we place the program on sounder footing. We are committed to ensuring these funds flow responsibly to America's classrooms and libraries as soon as possible."

I'm afraid despite everything he says, Dubya and his cronies really do hate America, especially our schools and libraries.