Movies More Important Than Deaf Children’s Education?
One of the items under the economic stimulus bill was a $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture films.
That is what it comes down to? Movies are more valuable than the education of the children, including Deaf children? Two state schools, South Dakota School for the Deaf and Scranton State School for the Deaf, are being slated to be shut down due to lack of funds. At least 16 other Deaf schools are facing budget cuts, some severe.
Would anyone agree that the entertainment needs of Americans are more important than the future of our children? I wouldn’t think so.
The Senate cut it out of the stimulus bill as it turned out that the movie industry had the best January profits ever. But it still makes you wonder why anyone would think Hollywood needs a tax break when regular and Deaf education are facing cuts.
Mind boggling.
What GOP Leaders deem wasteful in Senate stimulus bill – CNN.com Senate cuts movie industry tax break from stimulus bill – Los Angeles Times
By the way, there is a growing dissent in Pennsylvania. The parents of the current students, alumni and the Deaf Community are exercising their civic muscles, decrying the plans to close down the Deaf school. The media are covering this closely, which will help their cause considerably. Hopefully this will force the governor to reconsider his planned actions.
One of the items under the economic stimulus bill was a $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture films.
That is what it comes down to? Movies are more valuable than the education of the children, including Deaf children? Two state schools, South Dakota School for the Deaf and Scranton State School for the Deaf, are being slated to be shut down due to lack of funds. At least 16 other Deaf schools are facing budget cuts, some severe.
Would anyone agree that the entertainment needs of Americans are more important than the future of our children? I wouldn’t think so.
The Senate cut it out of the stimulus bill as it turned out that the movie industry had the best January profits ever. But it still makes you wonder why anyone would think Hollywood needs a tax break when regular and Deaf education are facing cuts.
Mind boggling.
What GOP Leaders deem wasteful in Senate stimulus bill – CNN.com Senate cuts movie industry tax break from stimulus bill – Los Angeles Times
By the way, there is a growing dissent in Pennsylvania. The parents of the current students, alumni and the Deaf Community are exercising their civic muscles, decrying the plans to close down the Deaf school. The media are covering this closely, which will help their cause considerably. Hopefully this will force the governor to reconsider his planned actions.
February 6th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Oh my god. What is with Hollywood and government nowdays? Government’s way of thank you for being involved in the presidential campaigns or what? (I am just being sarcastic.)
Very disillusioning.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Here are two more important items that people need to be aware of:
The Senate is debating the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
on the floor this week. This bill will reduce economic hardships,
effectively stimulate our ailing economy, and help those most in need.
Several of the Act’s provisions will assist states, localities, and school
systems to support people with disabilities.
The Senate bill contains a number of important provisions for people with
disabilities, including:
* Medicaid – $87 billion for an increase for the federal medical assistance
percentage (FMAP)
* Education – $13 billion for IDEA Part B State Grants and $500 million for
Early Intervention – Part C of IDEA
* Social Security – $17 billion total for a one-time payment ($300) to all
SSI and Social Security recipients, veterans, and others and $890 million to
improve the National Computer Center and information technology.
* Jobs – $500 million for Vocational Rehabilitation programs.
Many forces are working to cut some or all of this funding out of the bill.
Several amendments will likely be proposed that could jeopardize investments
in health care, state Medicaid relief, and education.
Senate moderates are proposing an approximate $90 billion reduction
package. Key disability programs are, unfortunately, part of this package:
PROGRAM LEVEL OF CUT % OF CUT Vocational Rehabilitation State Grant $500 million 100% Independent Living $100 million 100% IDEA State Grant $6.75 billion 50% SSA IT improvements $140 million 100% Local School Systems Stabilization $24.8 billion 100% President Obama’s recovery plan needs your support now! Therefore, it is
imperative to reach out to Democrats and moderate Republicans and ask them
to pass the bill without cutting disability programs. Your call can make a
real difference.
For more information, see the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ report
on the impact of some of the bill’s provisions on individual states:
http://www.cbpp.org/1-22-09bud.htm>
Take Action
* Call TOLL FREE 1-800-473-6711 and ask for your Senators’ offices.
* Use the talking points provided when you click on the”Take Action” link
and enter your zip code in the “Call Now” window.
Funding for Education Under Attack in the U.S. Senate—Act Now!
An amendment being drafted by Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Susan Collins
(R-Maine) could dramatically reduce funding for key education programs in
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The Senate may vote on this amendment as early as today, so your voice needs
to be heard right now!
It is critical that you contact your senators as soon as possible and urge
them to reject any amendments aimed at eliminating or reducing funding for
key programs, such as Title I, IDEA, Pell Grants, Head Start, the Child Care
Development Block Grant, school construction and the State Fiscal
Stabilization Fund (a fund aimed at helping school districts facing
reductions in state aid).
Retention of these programs serves the interests of our members and their
communities. These are all programs that will both stimulate the economy and
provide a long-term investment in our economic strength.
Call 866/327-8670 today to demand that your senators reject any
other amendments
offered on the Senate floor that undermine educators and they people they
serve.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Hollywood has had its finger in the federal government pie for many years. The movie industry wields immense lobbyist power both in the Calif. legislature and the federal govn’t. LOL, they’ve got one of their own as Calif. guvernator.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:47 am
This bill is only for stimulus — a way to stimulate the economy back to growth. It’s a lot of discussion and debate these days about what to keep and what not to keep. It’s very frustrating when you have economists and other pundits not knowing whether if it’s not enough or too much. Really no one knows what to do, and that’s scary. Our representatives and senators are working hard to figure out what to do. Whatever didn’t get included in this package, I believe it’ll be included other bills that continue to provide funding, i.e. reauthorizations. I do hope that they do this in good faith and hope for the best of our country at this time of crisis. I hope I’m making sense here.
February 6th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Tami, I appreciate very much you alerting us as I’ve had no idea this was going on. Yikes. I’ve forwarded this to other people.
Karen, I’ve not thought of that. If so, shame on them. The education of our children cannot be sacrificed, especially for something so trivial like entertainment movies.
Ann C, a good point.
Sheesh. I haven’t heard of any Hollywood producer starving on the street. The last time I heard, their mansions are doing extremely well.
Moxiemocha, yes, you do make sense. They are showing us their priorities and as of now, these aren’t in the right order.
February 6th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
In my hometown, my governor is considering cutting funds from local colleges because of terrible economic crisis that we already in. It is possible that letting University professors go from their jobs. My father is one of the professors. We need to write letters to the U.S. congressmen about how education of stimulus package is very important in this crisis. Republicans need to stop debating this stimulus package and complain that spending is wasteful.
February 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I’m very saddened at the value given by the Congress towards Hollywood. I’m even more saddened about the deaf community tolerating much of the lowered expectations. Underperforming schools (deaf or not) are quickly put on the chopping blocks and niche-based schools (the arts, et. al.) are very seriously affected. Some thinks that no deaf school is more dignified than running underperforming deaf schools. Think about this. We need to call for the foundations with a care for language-based education to help create new deaf/ASL-language based schools throughout the U.S. and this will for once and all give deaf/ASL people self-governance. I’m a product of state and federal-run deaf schools. Through thick and thin I loved my years at these schools before I moved onto the mainstream for the last three years of my high school experience. This is the 21st century. We have to let go of the antiquated “deaf institution” sentimentality and get moving with new and bold ideas even if it means shutting down the far numerous low-performing state-run deaf schools in favor of opening new, regionalized outfits. While we’re at this idea please consider mandating “rigor” in following idea curriculum such as those used by local/county public schools. I don’t want breaks for deaf pupils. Special needs are excepted in same fashion as non-deaf special needs are excepted. I’m not thrilled about the misleading claims by certain state deaf schools administrators in this regard. Accuracy in disclosure is imperative. Easier said than done but this is an idea amongst so many ideas out there held by many real-world thinking people. This cesspool of a mess shouldn’t be entirely blamed on the government. Deaf people were affected by complacency. Look at Gallaudet in the eighteen coma years from 1988 to 2006. Same thing happening here with deaf schools. The governments caught you sleeping. I speculate the government would’ve thought otherwise about cutting if not for problems going on at deaf schools. I’m not surprised if the government received advisement from the mainstream side of deaf education before making/proposing the so massive cuts.
February 8th, 2009 at 7:21 am
I just called the Indiana Senators and their voice mails were full… so I emailed to them, urging them to leave $13 billion slotted for IDEA Special education alone, that we needed it, etc.
Ugh.
February 8th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Update on the cuts:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/07/stimulus.cuts/index.html
March 1st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Ohhhhhh NNNnnooooo!! What really matter with you all in this world?? You all should know better as the education for Deaf children are very most important because they are very innocentlly to grow up with no education then how can they be able to successful in their future? Come on answer this!!
April 14th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
The Education of the Deaf Act which supports Galluadet National Tech Inst for the Deaf and the Laurent Clerc Center with Federal Tax Dollars and additionally supported by State Tax Dollars should be shut down and re-organized so that all deaf are valued. Right now there are not equal services for the deaf. Everyone knows this. Every school for the deaf is predominately deaf with special needs. Education for the deaf is dismal at best.
Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for FREE college education for deaf people AT THE EXPENSE of so many thousands of deaf who have nothing.
Schools for the deaf should be closed down and re organized so that there is accountability in place. Schools for the deaf are not educating the deaf students. Everyone knows this.
Absolutely, shut down every program that is for the deaf because the truth is the programs are supporting a handful of deaf people at the expense of thousands who do without.
Not acceptable.