From
US Newswire
Speaking at a town hall meeting on the second day of his Campus Tour, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry today criticized the president for contributing to spiraling tuition costs that have priced 220,000 young Americans out of the American Dream this school year. Kerry pledged to reverse this course as president through his "Compact with the Next Generation," his challenge to America's youth to involve themselves in their communities and offer them affordable college education in return.
Kerry's criticisms were in reference to a new report by his campaign showing that an alarming 220,000 young Americans were priced out of a college education just this year because George Bush turned his back on college affordability. These are 220,000 young people who would have attended a four-year public university but did not because George Bush broke his campaign promise to increase student aid and did nothing to help struggling states.
"Once again, the president just does not get it," said Kerry. "A college education means more than ever in today's economy, yet this president has done nothing to make to make it more affordable. In fact, he's done just the opposite. His broken promises and failed economic policies are making it harder to get an education. That's not leadership. That's failure on the part of a president who is out-of-touch, out of credibility and letting young Americans down."
2 points for Kerry! Continued with poll...
[...]With a college degree increasingly important in today's economy, Kerry questioned why the president has pushed policies that have made higher education more and more unaffordable. The president fought against an economic plan that would ease the burden on states forced to cut funding for higher education. These cuts have resulted in a 28 percent increase in tuition at public four-year colleges -- even after inflation. Similarly, the president has failed to ease financial burdens on students by backing away from campaign promises to expand college scholarships and increase Pell grants.
The result has been 220,000 young people who were unable to afford to enroll in college this school year.
"While George Bush is pricing thousands of young people right out of the American Dream, I offer a new direction," Kerry said. "That's what my Compact with the Next Generation is all about. Instead of making it harder to get an education, we'll invest in students who work hard and do what's right. We'll help you pay for school, and we'll help even more if you're willing to serve your country."
To relieve pressure on states, Kerry has already proposed a $25 billion fiscal aid package. He has also proposed $50 billion in tax credits to help Americans afford all four years of college.
Kerry closed by asking students to get involved in the 2004 election. "There is so much at stake in November. We can change the direction of our country. But change starts with you. I need you to vote and to register your friends to vote."
All good stuff, in my opinion. Only one criticism... we need more than just to register friends to vote. But, it is a good soundbyte that obviously worked (it made it into the article) and therefore, I say keep it.
Continuing...
The Kerry campaign is helping students organize as part of Kerry's campus tour. Campaign workers and volunteers registered voters at today's event, and Kerry has launched a voter registration Campus Challenge to students nationwide through
johnkerry.com. Over 40 schools are currently participating in the Campus Challenge to raise awareness and register voters for the 2004 election. As part of this effort, students across the country are banding together, reaching out to their peers and registering their fellow students on college quads and in student unions and cafeterias.
Good stuff. 40+ Schools sounds like a pretty good number to me, and I imagine that number is growing fairly rapidly. This article has answered some of my criticisms from yesterday, but there is still progress to be made.
Over the next two days the tour will hit NYC and Pittsburg, so if you're in those two cities you may want to check it out.
Students for Kerry
JohnKerry.com