Obama Wants $900 Million to Stem School "Dropout Epidemic"

Well, H1N1 swine flu "epidemic" didn't happen, but several billion dollars went to the programs to prepare for the epidemic. Giving $900 million away for another "epidemic" should be no big deal, right?

The Bush era's word was "war on ...... (fill in the blank)". The Obama era's word is "...... epidemic (fill in the blank)"?

Obama seeks money, interventions to stem dropouts
(3/1/2010 AP via Yahoo News)

"WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama took aim Monday at the nation's school dropout epidemic, proposing $900 million to states and education districts that agree to drastically change or even shutter their worst performing schools.

"Obama's move comes as many schools continue to struggle to get children to graduation, a profound problem in a rich, powerful nation. Only about 70 percent of entering high school freshmen go on to graduate. The problem affects blacks and Latinos at particularly high rates.

"Obama described the crisis as one that hurts individual kids and the nation as a whole, shattering dreams and undermining an already hurting economy." [The article continues.]

Rich, powerful nation? (Rich?) I guess this AP writer simply copied verbatim what the president said.

School dropouts undermining the weak economy? I think it's the other way around: Weak economy encouraging dropping out of schools - lack of funds, lack of support.

He wants to spend $900 million of taxpayer's money to help nation's worst 5000 schools. $180,000 per school. Let's see what that would do. Looking at how much local school administrators earn (a lot), that money wouldn't be enough to hire another bureaucrat at each school to oversee his "dropout prevention program", whatever that may be.

I am all for it if he so strongly believes in his cause that he donates his own private money and all those multimillionaire Congressmen and Senators join him.

Or he can donate to Treasury Department to reduce the government deficit, if he really cares about reducing the deficit he is expanding.

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