Email to Congress

After the jump, I set out the email I sent to Senators Wyden and Merkley, as well as Rep. Wu, addressing the risk to the school reconstruction funds in the federal stimulus bill. See this post. I'd encourage similar emails...

Dear Senator Wyden/Sen. Merkley/Rep. Wu:

Please ensure that Primary and Secondary School Reconstruction funds (section 9301, $14B) remain a part of H.R. 1. Based on my reading of tonight's news, I understand that the "compromise" reached with Republican senators may well include a decision to eliminate the $14B in reconstruction funds for primary and secondary schools. I strongly believe that such a move would be a mistake.

The decision to eliminate these funds seems short-sighted and contrary to the purpose of the overall stimulus package. As you are well aware, the states have long struggled with ensuring that their public schools are the child-safe, environmentally-friendly, and technologically-advanced kinds of schools that will take us through this next century. Most school districts, including Oregon's, have fallen far behind. Portland Public Schools, for instance, has identified $270 million in immediate investments that are "shovel ready" and that would provide not only the immediate jobs that will get us out of the current economic mess, but the kind of long-term investment that will help keep us on track to future economic growth -- growth in the hands of our children.

So keeping this part of the package makes sense. On the other hand, dropping these funds from the stimulus package reinforces the concern that many people have that the entire package will risk our children's future. When so much future economic burden is being placed in their hands in order to get us out of the current mess, shouldn't we be taking particular care to ensure that in return they receive tangible benefits that will last throughout their lifetime? The school reconstruction funds are necessary, appropriate, and important, and should remain in any stimulus package ultimately enacted by Congress.

Thank you for your attention to this, and for your long hours in D.C.