2nd Educational Equipment Act

[The Duke]

Can I just note that you people put up a tax increase of $150 billion dollars a year when the entire Dept. of Education budget is only $60 billion?  Not to mention the fact that the cost savings from cutting district office funding, as I suggested during the first debate will be more than enough to cover cost of school construction.

This is about to become the largest pork barrel project in American history.

[The Duke]

I intended to veto this but it won't matter unless all the other Senators turn out to vote against this.

The bill was already passed by the Senate 6 to 1..even if the others turned out and voted nay it would pass.

He means that if the Senate has 7 votes, it can override the veto.

I really am dissapointed in Senator King, its embarrassing that one of my senators and a member of my party (that purportedly is for responsible government) would cast such a thoughtless vote.

[The Duke]

I vote aye.

Surplus money for education isn't a bad thing, John.

What is wrong withn you?  This is $150 billion a year we're talking about.  It isn't a little surplus money.  When you raise taxes to pay for something it isn't a surplus.  When you are running a deficit, which as far as I know the Atlas government is, then you don't have a surplus.

Does anyone seriously believe that:

1. There are $150 billion a year in school construction projects out there.
2. That the $150 billion couldn't be better spent on something else.
3. The raising taxes by $150 billion will not hurt a fragile economy experiencing $63 a barrel oil.

If anyone can honestly say that they believe these three things, then you can vote for this bill but you should also know that you're economically illiterate.

The voters should know that their Senate has just passed a spending bill without ever asking how much would be spent.

[The Duke]

I don't see how making sure that young people get a proper education is as picayune as being suggested, and I furthermore fail to see how $150 billion is that large of a tax increase. After it's distributed, it's not that much more per head.

Go look up how much the US spends per student on education.

Then look up how much then rest of the industrialized world spends.

Then try and honestly say that money is the problem.

[The Duke]

"If you think Education is expensive, think about the cost of ignorance"

The United States education system (I'm assuming real-life facts about the US apply to Atlasia) produces children whose test scores don't match up to other countries with the same tools we have. (Basically, other 1st-world nations)

You say the money could be better spent. I assume you want it poured into the military. We spend vastly more than any other nation when it comes to the military, and yet, are we vastly safer than any other country?

Anyway, this bill passed, and with such resounding force that even a Presidential Veto can't stop it.

Well, since you bring it up, my Defense Department stopped a genocide at the cost of less than $5 billion, so yeah I think its safe to say it would be better spent on the military.

In any case, this bill isn't about educating kids.  Its about pork disguised as compassion.

Here's how you SHOULD be thinking about this bill.  Find out what you need.  Then determine what it costs.  Then spend that amount.  What you have done is raise taxes by $150 billion without ever asking how much money you actually need to do the things you want to do.

Can a veto stop it?  I think we need only four votes to sustain a veto.  StevenNick, States, and nation are three.  Thaqt means all the president has to do is persuade one person to change his vote.  It won't be that hard, since six Senators voted for this bill without knowing how radical it actually was.

[The Duke]

I encourage president Kennedy to veto this bill.  I promise to do everything I can to make sure that veto stands.

The President will be vetoing this bill.

These Senators don't have the slightest consept of how much money they're spending.

[The Duke]

Mr. Ford, the education of our youth is perhaps the most important thing the nation can spend money on.

If its so important, then why didn't the Senate publish a single study on this issue before they passed the bill?  Never was a serious inquiry as to our needs made.

It is easy to throw money at a problem.  It takes actual effort to be thoughtful and diagnose flaws within the system and then prescribe solutions.  This is a bill that has no thought put into it.

Find me some sources and some analysis of how much money is needed before telling me that money is the problem.

[The Duke]

I would also like to extend my personal congratulations to Senators Texasgurl and King for doing the responsible thing here.

My commendations also go to Senator StevenNick who has gone to the wall to preserve the solvency of the budget.

[The Duke]

Don't give up on this importnat issue Akno

I'll "fix" the funding. Any ideas on how to fix the funding. I figure I could lower the tax burden, but that still might not be enough.

Start by finding some social science studies to determine how much spending is needed.