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exciting business analysis and the business press and what is happening in the labor market."
- Lawrence Mishel, President, Economic Policy Institute (http://www.jobwatch.org)
The Economic Policy Institute has created a table that lists and corrects some of the most egregious of these errors. To read the table, which will be a valuable guide in future reporting on these economic issues, please click here: http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2004/01/040116admin-v- facts.pdf
Funding Education
No Child Left Behind law $7 billion short.
"On education, Bush is all talk and no money. Pell Grants have been level-funded, HeadStart was cut, GEARUP was slashed, IDEA is still under-funded, Teach for America lost its money. College tuition has increased nationwide - as much as 117% in some states. If the Bush Administration was truly committed to the next generation, they would ante up and fund education initiatives. It's time for a progressive, renewed commitment to education."
- Gloria A. Totten, Executive Director, Progressive Majority ( www.progressivemajority.org)
"Year after year President Bush has refused to provide our students with the dollars promised in his No Child Left Behind Act. This consistent denial of the resources needed to succeed, combined with an over-reliance on standardized testing to judge the quality of our public schools is a sure recipe for declaring America's public schools as "failing" and moving us towards the private school voucher system President Bush has always desired."
- Bethany Little , Associate Director, White House Domestic Policy under President Clinton
Environment
Landmark environmental laws weakened. Allowable levels of mercury from power plants tripled. Superfund clean-up costs shifted from polluters to public. Clean Air Act rules for dirtiest power plants relaxed.
"President Bush says he cares about clean air, clean water, and America 's natural heritage but when push comes to shove his administration sides with corporate special interests at the expense of public health and our environment . "
- Karen Wayland, Legislative Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
For NRDC's account of what the Bush administration has done and is doing on environmental matters, check out:
www.nrdc.org/bushrecord
State & Federal Spending
States face largest budget crises in decades. Federal deficit has hit a new high. $87 billion spent on Irag as U.S. non-defense domestic spending plummets. Meanwhile, White House pushing for new space program, costing estimated hundreds of billions.
"President Bush had no problem finding money for lavish tax breaks for his biggest campaign contributors, or over $150 billion for his misguided war in Iraq . But when it comes to fully funding his No Child Left Behind mandates, schools are out of luck."
- Governor Howard Dean , MD ( www.deanforamerica.com)
"Our nation has 8.7 million Americans out of work. We've lost trillions in our retirement savings because of plummeting stock prices and corporate scandals. Health insurance costs are skyrocketing at nearly six times the rate of inflation. States are facing the worst financial crisis since World War II, threatening education, health care and public safety. The President doesn't want to provide assistance to the states, which are collectively facing a $200 billion deficit for fiscal years 2002-2004. We must provide aid to states to help them balance their budgets and avoid cuts in children's health care and unemployment insurance. We must invest in job creation, roads and bridges; fund schools and improve health care, education and job training."
Gerald McEntee, President, AFSCME
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