Sequestration, when it doesn't have to do with juries or chemistry, is defined by Webster's as "the taking and holding of property pending resolution of a legal dispute." I'm not entirely sure how that applies to our current situation, except in the intimation of confiscation. I happen to be on the boards of two organizations that will be grossly and immediately affected by sequestration, no matter how many Tea Partiers get on TV to say that it's "simply slowing future growth" or whatever their latest sound bite might be. In the case of TC Action, we could lost 30 percent of Head Start and 50 percent of Community Block Grants. That seems like a lot to me. In the case of BOCES, here's what I wrote our Congressman:
Dear Congressman Reed: The sequestration that is about to hit March 1 will have a real and immediate impact on BOCES through funding cuts to IDEA, Rural Education, Special Ed Grants to States, School Improvement State Grants, CTE State Grants, and Adult Basic and Literacy Education Grants. Please support the negotiation of a thoughtful compromise that does less to damage our children's education.
His office wrote back:
I am a strong supporter of cutting excessive government spending, but I am concerned about the indiscriminate nature of these particular spending cuts. The House has voted twice to realign these cuts and protect vital government programs whose funding is endangered as a result of Sequestration, but neither of those plans were acted upon by the Senate. Regarding cuts to life-saving medical research and payments to Medicare providers, Specific sequestration spending cut decisions are made by the President. Until our government has found a solution to the threat of Sequestration, I will remain attentive to this issue.
I like the capitalization of Sequestration, which makes it far more menacing. And I guess it's all the fault of the Senate and the President. I should have known.
1 comment:
I was unable to attend the Town Meeting. I am very frustrated by the lack of urgency on the part of Congress.As I recall budgets are supposed to developed by the Congress.
Every day, even in retirement after 47 years in education, I deal with the children who will be most severely affected by cuts to social programs as well as the so called educational reforms, many of which discourage the students who may not be interested in college.We will need trade workers to build our homes,fix cars, run busses,etc.
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