October I, 2008
Page A4
O pinion
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Obama: A Drum Major for Change
America needs
a new direction
by
J imi J ohnson
Sen. Barack Obama has cam­
paigned on "change” in his run
for president. He has stressed
how important it is for America to
change the way we do business
at home and abroad.
The American people have
heard the call and have began to
em brace the idea o f a new,
brighter, better and more tolerant
America.
Many politicians have echoed
O bam a’s message of change.
Though the strategies on how to
affect change may differ, Ameri­
cans surely understand is that a
change of direction for our coun­
unemployment rate is the highest lion. The Bush administration has
try is a must.
Change has become the politi­ America has seen in nearly two shown the world an America that
cal chorus line for 2008 and Obama decades. Home foreclosures are is isolated and indifferent to the
•at record highs and families are international community. They
is the lead singer.
President Bush and the Re­ seeing the “American Dream” have shown an America that cares
little about its own citizens and
publican administration have had vanish before our eyes.
This country cannot withstand more about making money for the
a “choke hold” on the White
House for nearly eight years. four more years of the Bush/Re-
Since Bush took office in January publican doctrine. Bush’s two
2(X)I, our national debt has risen terms have undermined every­
70 percent to over $9 trillion. The thing that is great about this na-
caused the economy to tail spin
into a recession. At the same time
the Halliburton Corporation is
making billions of dollars in Iraq.
The formerC.E.O. of Halliburton
is current Vice President Dick
Chaney.
Change has become the
political chorus line for 2008 and
Barack Obama is the lead singer.
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richest one percent of this nation. •
The Bush administration has
shown an America that will uni­
laterally invade a sovereign na­
tion without the support of the
United Nations. This administra­
tion has tried to disregard and
discard our First Amendment
rights in the name of patriotism
and national security.
We need a regime change. We
must change our course and be­
gin to engage our international
partners and other world leaders
in serious dialogue about the di­
rection our world is headed.
While our economy is on a
downward spiral, the current ad­
ministration continues to spend
tax dollars on an ill fated and
unjustifiable war in Iraq. This was
has brought our economy to the
brink of collapse.
Since President Bush declared,
“mission accomplished” in May
2003, the United States have
spent over $500 billion in Iraq.
And most importantly, we have
lost over 4,000 U.S. soldiers dur­
ing this misled invasion.
The Bush foreign policy has
When Republican presidential
candidate John M cCain was
asked about the worsening con­
ditions of the U.S. economy he
said “the fundamentals of our
economy are strong”. I greatly
question the leadership ability of
a person that calls an economic
recession a strong economy.
However, McCain voted with
Bush over 90 percent while in the
senate on issues affecting our
nation. We cannot withstand
another four years of the Bush/
Republican doctrine.
Obama was one of the first
politicians to come out against
the war in Iraq. He said invading
Iraq was a "tragic mistake”. He
understood that the war on terror
did not go through Iraq.
Obama showed great insight
and judgment by standing up and
outlining many reason s against
invading Iraq. The potential loss
of American lives, the cost of war
when dollars could be better spent
elsewhere, and an unclear exit
plan.
continued
on page A9
■MHMMI
Save College Pell Grants
by J udge
G reg M athis
F or m ore than 30
years, federal Pell Grants
have h elp ed m ostly
needy students pay for
college; without it many
would not be able to fur­
ther their education.
Over the last year, more stu­
dents applied for a Pell grant than
ever before. The high demand for
these funds has put a strain on
the program; the Department of
Education faces a $6 billion dol­
lar shortfall in next year’s fund­
ing for the grant. To balance the
department’s budget, Congress
will either have to approve $6 bil­
f
i
™
lion in new funds or cut
back on the program.
Scaling back is not an
option. Just as Wall Street
received - and continues
to receive - federal bail­
outs, so too should the
Pell Grant program. In this
instance, at least the taxpayer
funds w ould be put tow ards
som ething that has a positive
impact on the country's long
term health.
Pell Grants are usually awarded
to students - 90 percent of them
low income - working toward their
first college degree, whether they
are recent graduates or older stu-
New Prices Effective May 1,2007
Scaling back is not an option
The Federal Reserve didn't
but a failing economy and stag­
dents.
The funds do not have to be nant job market pushed many seem to flinch when it dipped into
repaid. The most any student can Americans, more than expected, its coffers and found an extra $85
receive each a school under the to return to the classroom. The m illio n to loan fin a n c ia lly
program is ju st over $4,700. increased dem and, com bined strapped insurance giant AIG.
T hat’s enough to fully fund a with a build up of shortfalls from Nor did it seem to have a prob­
previous years, the Education lem giving million dollars to sev­
year at a community college.
At more expensive schools, the Department is now faced with this eral other similarly troubled cor­
Pell Grants forms the foundation huge budget deficit in the Pell p o ra tio n s o v er the last few
months.
for a financial aid package that program.
At least the use o f taxpayer
Finding
the
money
to
save
the
includes other grants and, often,
funds
to support the Pell Grant
program
shouldn't
be
that
diffi­
student loans. W ithout a Pell
program
would make sense: A
cult.
After
all,
President
Bush
re­
Grant, students may have to ei­
ther reduce their courseload or c e n tly asked the A m erican well-educated workforce drives
people to get behind a $700 bil­ the e c o n o m y . A m e r ic a ’s
take on more loan debt.
Congress set aside $14 billion lion bailout for the financial in­ heavily outsourced jo b market
needs educated, qualified can­
for the grants for the current year. dustry.
d id a te s. S u sta in in g the Pell
Grant program would help en­
sure there is are trained work-
ers who would help the coun­
try compete in a global m arket­
place. This com petition would
create jobs and A m erica as a
whole will benefit.
Congress needs to act quickly
and assure students that there
will be no cuts in the Pell Grant
program. If the government is
able to give what will total $ I tril­
lion to corporations whose bad
business practices and greed cre­
ated the problems they currently
face, surely they can find a mere
$6 billion for students in need.
Judge Greg Mathis is vice
president o f Rainbow PUSH and
a board member o f the Southern
Christian Leadership Confer­
ence.
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