Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/92845
Education Voter Guide 2012 The choice is clear: Help or hostility - by NEA President Dennis VanRoekel are the foundation of America's future prosperity. That's why it's so troubling that public education is under assault. We cannot afford to elect politi- cians with dangerously misplaced priorities, who blatantly disre- spect public school employees and whose policies would lead to larg- er class sizes, less instruction time and drastic funding cuts. This is why the the choice in this election is so clear. Other than job creation, President Obama has made education his top domestic priority, while his opponent has shown outright hos- tility toward our public schools. To stay informed about NEA's E VanRoekel involvement in this critical elec- tion, be sure to connect with us online at neafund.org. Thank you for all that you do for America's children. « « « Spotlight on issues that matter Standing up for educa- tional support profes- sionals President Obama protected the jobs of hundreds of thousands of educators and support profession- als across the country - over 450,000 jobs in total. Romney has made his living fir- ing workers and cutting their ben- efits. Recently he said of educa- tion support personnel "I realize that he got to school on a bus and the bus driver got him there, but I don't give the bus driver credit for the honor roll." ducators know that good schools Delaware's Joe Biden (left) and Barack Obama have made job creation and education their top priorities. Investing in higher education President Obama signed into law $36 billion over 10 years to increase the maximum Pell Grant award and $2 billion for community colleges, and led the charge to stop the stu- dent loan interest rate hike. (Whitehouse.gov, Accessed 8/24/12) Romney wants to eliminate Pell Grants for 1 million students, reducing funds by $170 billion. A champion for retirees « With passage of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama has ensured that Medicare is stronger for seniors. He will also protect and strengthen Social Security, and oppose slashing benefits for future generations or gambling Americans' retirement benefits in the stock market. Romney supports the Ryan budget that would end Medicare as we know it, turning it into a voucher program and force seniors to pay thousands of dollars more each year in health care costs. Looking out for our priorities « While President Obamahas invested resources to save more than 450,000 educator jobs, Mitt Romney believes in cutting funding 10 October 2012 DSEA ACTION! for education and handing tax breaks to millionaires. Romney wants to cut funding for programs like Head Start, special education, and school-provided breakfasts for low-income children - something he did as governor of Massachusetts. (The Washington Post 11/4/11) Romney, a multimillionaire, said Americans should get as much edu- cation "as they can afford." (Mitt Romney Campaign Speech, Virginia, 6/27/12) Romney supports the Ryan budget which cuts education funding, even as his plans will widen the gap between the rich and the middle class by giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. (The Huffington Post, 8/1/12, The Los Angeles Times, 5/24/12) Understanding the tax differences « President Obamabelieves in cut- ting taxes for middle class families; Mitt Romney would give multimil- lionaires like himself even more tax breaks while hard-working Americans pay the price. Romney's tax plan would increase taxes on those earning less than $200,000 per year, while decreasing taxes on people making more than $1 million per year. (The Huffington Post, 8/1/12) Romney made millions destroying American companies and forcing them to lay off thousands of work- ers as head of Bain Capital. (The New York Times, 6/2/2012) Class size matters « Educators, parents and President Obamaknow that lower class sizes make a difference, but Mitt Romney disagrees. Romney says that "class sizes don't matter." While he sent his five sons to an exclusive private school with an average class size of just 12 stu- dents, he would cut teachers from public schools that are already struggling with funding cuts. (Belmont Hill School website, Accessed 8/9/12; Forbes 5/16/12) Romney claims that lowering class sizes just swells the ranks of educa- tion unions. (Florida Republican Debate, 9/22/11; Romney, Mitt, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness) Romney agrees with anti-education governors in saying that America does not need more teachers, and supported the extreme efforts in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states to end collective bargaining and unions altogether. (The Washington Post, 6/8/12) « « « www.dsea.org