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Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Littlest Sacrifices

Kids in the United States are falling behind the rest of the world in education, according to a number of  reports and sources. Texas is in the midst of some of the most drastic cuts to the public education system in the states history, in addition to systematically cutting funds for programs that provide social services to people. Medicaid cuts to hospitals that care for the uninsured or underinsured will likely cause a backlash of people who plummet into disease and malnutrition. Emergency rooms may resort to treat and street tactics to minimize the financial loss. In the midst of all this mayhem, our kids are trying to go to school and lay the foundation for their future. The programs in the schools that educate kids with special needs are being cut to the bone. Special Education will suffer. Not just the programs for kids with learning disabilities or learning disorders, but kids with mental health issues, physical issues and the gifted and talented will be cut as well. Next week we celebrate Children's Mental Health day... a day set aside for communities to organize and support advocating for our kids mental health. Bring your kids with you. Invite your city officials and state legislators. Put faces to the programs that will be cut. These are kids, not dollars and cents on a balance sheet. Cuts need to be made to secure our financial future as a nation and a state. There are many more special interests that should take the cut before we remove the education we do offer our kids. If we did it right, maybe we might even consider making our education system really teach kids what they will need to know to be effective and successful. Like reading, writing, and how to balance a checkbook. Take time to really pay attention to what happens in Austin, and Washington. Make your voice heard. Lets make this country a gift for our children's children, not a burden.

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