Now that we have stopped basking in our electoral success, we turn our attention to the “fiscal cliff.” This harkens back to last year’s debt-ceiling debacle and the failure of the “Super Committee” to come up with a budget plan that both Republicans and Democrats could live with (i.e., the GOP would not agree to raising revenues on anyone, especially the 1%).
The penalty for their failure to compromise was an unforgiving set of across-the-board cuts to the Federal programs in 2013 — at the same time that the Bush tax cuts expire for everyone. The prospect of this occurring is freaking out “supply-side” economists but emboldening others, some of whom urge Americans to use the opportunity to keep middle class taxes low, coupled with an increase on the top 1-5% of earners, and make investments in infrastructure spending.
The hitch? Among the Federal programs on the chopping block are those that benefit our kids: Billions of dollars that go to Title I schools, special education, Head Start and more. We must speak up on behalf of the values we just affirmed in the recent election and on behalf of our nation’s kids.
What Can YOU Do About It?
1. Take the #KidsNotCuts Pledge.
2. JOIN us on Thursday, Nov 15, 10 am PT, hashtag #kidsnotcuts for an informative Twitter Party, hosted by our own Cynthia Liu (@K12NN) of K12 News Network. The featured expert will be NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen (@NEAToday), who’ll be taking your questions. She’ll be able to answer any of your questions or provide you with more resources to see how the proposed cuts could affect kids you know, in your town or city.
Featured guests will be Julie Pippert (@jpippert). education activist Leonie Haimson (@leoniehaimson), and teacher and Babble contributor Kelly @Mochamomma Wickham, and MOMocrats’ own Donna Schwartz Mills (@socalmom).
RSVP by leaving a comment below.
And for more information, listen to our special education podcast on BlogTalkRadio: Kids, Not Cuts – What’s Ahead for Education in the Lame Duck?
