Back during the debates, John Kerry rightly pointed out that college students seeking an education using financial assistance from the government in the form of Pell Grants would be getting screwed by the 1600 Crew. Preznit "C" I graduated, claimed that Kerry was trying to scare the American public because the 1600 Crew largesse knew no bounds when it came to edu-macation. The truth today looks a little different.
College students in virtually every state will be required to shoulder more of the cost of their education under new federal rules that govern most of the nation's financial aid.
Because of the changes, which take effect next fall and are expected to save the government $300 million in the 2005-6 academic year, at least 1.3 million students will receive smaller Pell Grants, the nation's primary scholarship for those of low income, according to two analyses of the new rules.
In addition, 89,000 students or so who would otherwise be getting some Pell Grant money will get none, the analyses found.
In a series of dueling statistics, the two men tussled over Pell Grants, which assist college students, proving that each side can find the numbers for putting the best gloss on their case. Kerry said that "they've cut the Pell Grants . . . they're not getting the $5,100 the president promised them." Bush countered: "He said we cut Pell grants. We've increased Pell grants by a million students."
In the 2000 campaign, Bush promised a maximum grant of $5,100 for each freshman. When Bush released his budget in February, it capped the maximum Pell Grant award to $4,050 for the third year in a row, and the American Association of Community Colleges called it a freeze that would be "a severe blow" to students from low-income families at a time of declining state and local support for public higher education. The White House has argued that the program has a $3.7 billion shortfall, and that raising the maximum award while making the shortfall worse would be irresponsible.
Let's see, irresponsible...now can we all think of other profligate spending that the 1600 Crew has deemed "irresponsible"? Body and Humvee armor come to mind. Concrete structures for mess halls built by CheneyBurton come to mind. Somehow though, those are related to physics I'm told. A subject many more young American might not get to study because there won't be any money for them to use for an education.
Is this part of the 1600 Crew master plan, to create that permanent Big-Box and fast-food empire workforce for their corporate masters? I understand that far fewer young men and women are opting for the other Uncle Sam College Assistance Plan, you know, the one where you get to the ivy-covered halls via the Mesopotamian mud-brick walls program.
What happens when the kiddies of the local Christo-Fascist Gentry who supported this lying sack of shit can't go to college and the draft starts back up? Will they feel betrayed, or just pray about it? Or finally wake up and realize that they've been sold a bill of goods by an incompetant evil asshole in a $5000 suit? I'm betting that they'll sell the house and car then stand on the street corner awaiting the rapture, it's cheaper than college anyhow.
posted by Jo Fish on 12.23.04 at 10:03 AM
Comments:
Gotta keep those pesky poor away from the ladder, so he can get a bootblack to shine his butthole.
That rapture shit is truer than you think. By that I mean the attitude about the rapture. I live among a crowd of "raptures" and everything is peachy keen because they are going to heaven in a little while, so who cares if a few million people die or are maimed as long as they, the "raptures", get their jollies!
posted by: dave on 12.25.04 at 10:12 PM [permalink]
The headline on a Dec. 24 article about the Education Department's new formula for federal college scholarship aid incorrectly said that fewer students will be eligible for Pell Grants. Although 80,000 to 90,000 grantees at the higher-income end will be dropped from the Pell program in the 2005-2006 academic year, the department expects more students to be eligible overall because of a rising number of low-income high school graduates.
I'm hoping you'll post an update.
posted by: Maggie on 12.26.04 at 02:13 PM [permalink]
Ya know, one of my most trusted on line pals is a fundi. She's also one of the most stubborn people I know. It's maddening!
When Robertson, (I think it was him) Stepped to the mic and claimed Bush told him there would be no casulties in Iraq, and I said to my Fundi Pal, "See?" She said she thought he must have missunderstood Bushie baby. Then the next day Rove said pretty much the same thing. (I never did hear how that came out. Rove said he was standing right there, all but calling Robertson, no small BSer himself, a liar)
Anyway, it illustrated for me just how easely these people can rationalize and recreate an entire "true story" from thin air! Now don't get me wrong. Many of these Fundi's are in the non religious parts of their lives, quite wonderful people. Still, when I see the phish on the back of the SUV, I tend to wonder if the driver has his eyes open!
