Our children’s dreams are the first to go for politicians who claim to care about their future

If you pay close attention to this article written by Terence Chea of the Associated Press article titled Schools struggle to recover amid years of cuts, you may finally begin to understand why government, state and federal, are not trusted so much when it comes to what’s best for children.  In one breathe you heard how they are looking out for the future of our children and grand children and in that same breathe the first thing on the chopping block when it comes to budgets is the only real vehicle our kids have to a better life, education.  "What's going on is so antithetical to what works in education," Elizabeth Old said. "I'm 27. I'll be able to work somewhere eventually, but there are kids who are going to miss out on their basic education."  The cutbacks are expected to have a disproportionate effect on low-income communities that cannot soften the blow of state cuts with aggressive fundraising or local school taxes. Advocates worry that could further widen the achievement gap between students of different races.”  This is neither a Republican thing nor a Democratic thing; it’s a politician thing and affects those in office all around this country.

According to this article, it’s not only happening in California but other places like Texas where “an agreement pending final approval is stirring panic from Houston to El Paso. Lawmakers have agreed on a plan that would reduce public school funding almost $4 billion from what the education system is owed under current distribution laws. Analysts say almost 50,000 of Texas' 333,000 public school teachers could lose their jobs under the Senate plan” or Pennsylvania where “Republican Gov. Tom Corbett has proposed cutting more than $1 billion from public schools to help close a multibillion-dollar budget gap” and in Florida where “the Legislature has approved a $69.7 billion budget that will cut education spending by about $540 a student, or 7.9 percent.”

In communities of low-income families the dream is even harmed more because growing up all I ever wanted to be was a policeman or fireman but even those jobs are on the chopping block first before anything else is even considered.  No one thinks to ask those previous state employees who collect a hefty pension to sacrifice nor do they think to address the budget crisis with businesses in the area that have enjoyed years of abated taxes to locate in the area.  We all need to put in our share of work to restore our economy, even though the ones who suffer most had nothing to do with it tanking in the first place.  There are other answers out there to fix this problem but as long as there is public education, police and firemen, teachers and seniors, the middle class and the poor to pick on, no one seems to care about the dreams of the next generations.