Running on empty
by digby
It sounds as though the Republicans have come up with a new education plan:
Last week, Arkansas constituent Kelly Eubanks, a college student who has two jobs and two children, confronted her Congressman, Rep. Steve Womack (R), at a town hall meeting over his attack on the program she now relies on. But instead of any explanation, Womack lashed out at Eubanks, telling her to pay her own way by “joining the military” like he did. After refusing to answer her question, he finally just asked her to “be quiet and listen.”
I’m all for the GI bill. But I think it’s a bit much to expect every American to join the military if they aren’t lucky enough to be born wealthy in order to pay for college.
Why is this happening? A little remarked upon piece of the budget deal last December:
Congressional leaders last night agreed to a $1 trillion bill to fund the government, averting a shutdown that would have started at midnight tonight. The bill reportedly dropped many of the unrelated policy riders that House Republicans had tried to insert into it.
However, the bill does include a cut to the Pell Grant program that could affect up to 100,000 low-income students. Republicans have been pushing for months to slash the Pell Grant program — which provides low-income students with money for higher education — and to limit it’s eligibility requirements. Though the maximum grant will be preserved under the spending deal, students on the edges of eligibility will be out of luck next year
“Pell Grant” is one of those euphemisms like “ACORN.” Republicans always believe hardworking Real Americans are getting scammed by the undeserving you-know-whos who are taking their hard earned money to buy their drugs and listen to their jungle music. It’s a reflex with them. They’ve been at it so long they don’t even think about it anymore. Along comes this nice young Real American mom and he literally has nothing to say to her except that she should join the military like he did.
Has there ever been a more useless ideology in an economic crisis than reactionary, neo-confederate conservatism?
You can contribute to Womack’s opponent, Blue America candidate Ken Aden.
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