[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 13, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E348-E349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DO NOT IMPERIL OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE

                                 ______


                        HON. MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 13, 1996

  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to protest the new majority's plans 
for education. The appropriations legislation put forth before the 
House last week would make the largest cut in education in our history. 
My home State of California stands to lose almost $400 million. 
Programs that serve the neediest children were not even spared. A large 
share of the cut in funding for California--$122.3 million--is a 
reduction in education for disadvantaged children. Both the safe and 
drug-free schools and bilingual education programs are cut by 60 
percent.

[[Page E349]]

  Members on the other side of the aisle argue that we must balance our 
budget for the future of our children and our children's children. 
However, how can we guarantee them any future if we cut education to do 
this? This is not just talk from a politician trying to save a 
bureaucracy, as some alleged that my colleagues were doing during 
debate last Thursday. Students, parents, educators, and local school 
officials have called upon us to protect the Federal investment in 
education and our children.
  Dr. Gary Rapkin, superintendent of the Mountain View School district 
in El Monte asserted that:

       Federal education programs are strongly supported by the 
     very people responsible for implementing local control, 
     including school board members, school administrators, 
     teachers, and other education employees, parents, and 
     students. The loss of these funds can not be easily replaced, 
     either by local tax increases, tuition increases or private 
     efforts. Please support America's students by opposing cuts 
     in Federal education programs and providing students and 
     schools the resources they need to extend educational and 
     economic opportunity to every American.

  Miss Clyle J. Alt, president of the Montebello Teachers Association, 
recently stated:

       Cuts that hurt education, and therefore children are 
     misguided. The budget should not be balanced on the backs of 
     children. I urge you to oppose any proposal, whether regular 
     appropriations or continuing resolutions, that would cut 
     education in fiscal year 1996.

  Dr. Terry J. Larsen, the K-12 special projects coordinator for the 
Alhambra School district, wrote:

       I understand that education is facing a cut of $3 billion 
     or 20 percent--the largest in history. That is unacceptable. 
     A strong educational system is the backbone of a strong 
     nation. These cuts must not stand.

  Mr. Ronald W. Johnson, the director of financial aid at UCLA, 
attested that:

       In this era of increased technology, that will usher in the 
     new millennium, the educational preparation for our 
     precollege youth must be supported as a critical funding 
     priority. The inappropriateness of funding reductions to 
     elementary and secondary schools is exacerbated by the 
     dramatic increases in expenditures for prisons in many States 
     across the Nation. The cost for incarcerating one felon is 
     approximately $23,000 a year. It is inexcusable that such 
     expenditures would be considered a priority, rather than the 
     proactive investment to K-12 education, higher education, 
     health care systems, and human resource systems. Your 
     continued support for educational funding will provide 
     economic opportunity and inclusive participation in our 
     society, which is vitally important to our national interest.

  Finally, I am including in the Record this resolution adopted by the 
Los Angeles City Board of Education last December. It expresses the 
board's ``opposition to reductions in Federal education assistance'' 
and, I believe graphically illustrates the impact that proposed 
education appropriations will have on one of the largest school 
districts in the Nation.
  I urge my colleagues to heed their consciences and do what is right 
for America's children.

        Opposition to Reductions in Federal Education Assistance

 (Adopted by the Los Angeles City Board of Education, December 4, 1995)

       Whereas, The United States Congress is cutting Federal 
     support for local education programs in an unprecedented 
     manner, with the deepest reductions affecting California 
     schools;
       Whereas, These cuts may result in the Los Angeles Unified 
     School District (LAUSD) losing over $72 million in assistance 
     for disadvantaged students, the single largest cut in funding 
     to Los Angeles schools since Federal support for education 
     began 30 years ago;
       Whereas, The poverty rate among students in LAUSD averages 
     about 60 percent and Title I, a Federal program which helps 
     low-income students learn basic reading and math skills, may 
     be cut in Los Angeles by over $24 million;
       Whereas, 57 percent of students who attend LAUSD schools 
     speak English as a second language, and Federal assistance to 
     help students learn English may be cut by the Congress by 
     $104 million nationwide; and
       Whereas, Additional cuts to Federal programs which help 
     reduce drug abuse and dropout rates, prevent violence in 
     schools, and help provide students with vocational skills 
     have already been made by the House of Representatives: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los 
     Angeles oppose Federal cuts in education assistance, and urge 
     our Congressional delegation to vote against any education 
     reductions; and be it
       Resolved further, That the Board urge the President of the 
     United States to oppose these cuts and veto any legislation 
     that reduces the Federal government's obligation to provide 
     education assistance to the country's neediest students.

                          ____________________