[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 19079-19080]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



         VERMONT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CONGRESSIONAL TOWN MEETING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 9, 2001

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the outstanding work done 
by participants in my Student Congressional Town Meeting held this 
summer. These participants were part of a group of high school students 
from around Vermont who testified about the concerns they have as 
teenagers, and about what they would like to see government do 
regarding these concerns.

    On Behalf of Stacey Caron and Dalaina Buffum--Regarding Freeing 
    Families From the High Cost of a College Education, May 7, 2001

       Congressman Sanders. Stacey, just bring the mike real close 
     so everybody can hear you. This is a very important issue.
       Stacey Caron. Every day at school, students hear their 
     peers here talking about where they're going to college and 
     who is going to what college. When the students go home at 
     night for dinner, they usually sit down to have dinner with 
     their parents. This is a time to talk about what's going on 
     in everybody's life. I know, when I go home, I always get 
     asked how my day was at school, and my parents are always on 
     my back about college. Did I fill out the applications yet or 
     the scholarship forms? So many students go through twelve 
     years of school and work very hard to get good grades so they 
     can get into a good college, yet many of these honor-roll 
     students' families don't have enough money to send their 
     children through college. It's a complete waste of talent. 
     There are scholarships that are offered to students who 
     excel, but how many students are going to get these 
     scholarships and how much money are they going to get? These 
     questions are not questions students should be asking 
     themselves. After all the hard work students go through in 
     school, they should be able to go to college free of charge 
     as long as they get accepted. Its like hard work isn't 
     enough, you now have to pay to go to college, to get a good 
     job, and be a success in life. To me, that doesn't seem 
     right.
       Dalaina Buffum. The financial burden of college can 
     sometimes scare students away, only because they are afraid. 
     They aren't ready to make the commitment of leaving home, 
     especially the financial commitment. Most students don't get 
     out of debt until they are in their thirties. How is someone 
     supposed to start a family and their life while they're still 
     paying off debts? We have done research on this topic and 
     discovered a very different system which is used over in 
     Europe. There is a very hard test that each student that 
     wants to go to university has to take. If you pass the exam 
     with a certain grade, you can go to university free of 
     charge. However, if you don't pass the exam, you can't go to 
     college. This is very different, but at the same time proves 
     how

[[Page 19080]]

     much a student is ready and how much they want to go to 
     college and further their education. We believe that there 
     should be a similar system here. This would enable more 
     students who are qualified to go to college, and may boost a 
     student's motivation to succeed in high school so they are 
     ready for the test. We feel that this is an important issue 
     that is worth looking into.

                                  ____
                                  

 On Behalf of Angela DeBlasio and Lynne Clough--Regarding ``Rich Man's 
                Return'' on Bush's Tax Cut, May 7, 2001

        Angela DeBlasio. President Bush has proposed a very large 
     federal tax cut as the centerpiece of his campaign. The $1.9 
     trillion ten-year cost of the plan would use up more than all 
     the projected surpluses over the next ten years. Most of the 
     proposed tax cuts will go to the upper-income taxpayers, with 
     43 percent of the tax cut targeted to the top 1 percent.
       Lynne Clough. The cost of President George W. Bush's plan 
     is enormous. Based on the official projections from the 
     Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on 
     Taxation, the Bush tax cut would use up slightly more than 
     all of the projected surpluses over the first ten years. Over 
     the fiscal period 2002 to 2011, the Bush tax cut would cost 
     $1.9 trillion, while the projected surpluses are $1.8 
     trillion. In fact, the Bush tax cuts' effects on the 
     surpluses are even greater than that. Besides, the official 
     surplus projections are substantially overstated because of 
     other factors, such as the adjustment for federal 
     appropriations and inflation, and without adjustment for 
     population growth or real wage growth. Thus, in far 
     likelihood, the Bush tax cuts would use up far more than the 
     likely surpluses over the next decade. That would require 
     dipping more heavily into social security and the Medicare 
     trust funds to cover the cost of the tax cuts.
       Angela DeBlasio. The proposed tax cut by President Bush is 
     not only grossly unfair, fiscally irresponsible, and 
     economically ineffective, it would also do substantial harm 
     to long-term financial needs of Vermont. Under the Bush 
     proposal, a millionaire family would receive $40,000 in tax 
     break, while the average Vermont citizen making $40,000 will 
     received only $600. Despite a $5 trillion national debt and 
     the possibility of a recession around the corner, Republicans 
     are proposing radical and permanent changes in our tax code, 
     which will go into effect regardless of the future condition 
     of the economy and whether projected federal surpluses ever 
     materialize. While the Bush plan is bad for the nation, it is 
     also bad for Vermont. That is because our income tax code is 
     piggybacked on the federal tax code. It is projected that 
     Vermont would lose about $300 million over a ten-year period 
     if Bush's plans were enacted. That would translate into 
     higher property taxes, substantial cuts in education and 
     police protection, not to mention other needs.
       Lynne Clough. The President argues that his plan would act 
     as a stimulus in the event of an economic downturn. 
     Congressman Sanders, this is not so. The Bush plan provides 
     most of the tax breaks in later years, which means they have 
     only a minor impact, if any, on the health of today's 
     economy. Furthermore, most economists believe a tax break for 
     the middle class are more likely to spend the money 
     immediately. This would have a greater impact on economy than 
     a tax break for the rich.
       Angela DeBlasio. Congressman Sanders, we must not enact a 
     tax cut, especially one that is so incredibly large, 
     jeopardizes the funding of other important policies, and that 
     would return us to the days of deficit spending.
       Lynne Clough. We also must not provide tax cuts that are 
     little more than welfare for the rich, as President Bush 
     would have us do. Therefore, we should not allow any form of 
     such a tax cut. Congressman Sanders, how can we even think 
     about a tax cut when President Bush is foolishly planing to 
     build a missile defense system, when we already have a 
     failing social security system, as well as a deteriorating 
     education system, which needs American tax dollars? Please 
     agree with us that there shouldn't be any form of a tax cut.
       Angela DeBlasio. Democratic National Committee Chairman 
     Terry McGoffrey said a tax cut should be one that's fair to 
     all Americans, and must be part of a responsible, honest 
     budget that balances all of our priorities important to 
     American families. While Bush is predicting a recession to 
     sell his giant tax cut, he is simultaneously proposing to 
     slash the very initiatives that American families will need 
     if the economy does slow down. Bush's backward talk on the 
     economy and retrograde budget is a recipe for disaster.
       Lynn Clough. Thank you, Congressman Sanders.

       

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