Joe and Many Republicans Vote Against Efficient Schools

I borrowed this post from another blog, but since Joe fell into the category of Congressmen voting against this bill, I thought it was important to include here.

Republicans Vote Against Efficient Schools

June 5, 2008 at 4:55 pm · Filed under All Articles, House legislation

Republican politicians are always complaining that public schools are not efficient enough. They use this complaint as an excuse for cutting off the funds that public schools need to give American children an adequate education.

Yesterday, the Democrats in Congress called the Republicans’ bluff. You want efficient public schools? Good. Congressman Ben Chandler, who is very far from liberal, had introduced H.R.3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act. The proposed law would encourage public schools to run efficiently.

No more money-guzzling out of date school buildings. No more safety hazards for American children. The legislation would provide an investment in energy-efficient, healthy, technologically-updated schools. That way, taxpayers would save huge amounts of money on their property taxes by not having to pay so much on energy costs for schools at a time when the price of energy is shooting through the roof.

Under this law, more money would go toward quality education. Less taxpayer money would go to just keeping children warm in the winter, or to protecting schoolchildren in the South from record-breaking heat. For a small national investment in efficient schools, taxpayers around the country would get huge savings for an entire generation to come.

This legislation does exactly what Republicans say they want to do. It makes public schools more efficient. In fact, the bill makes such plain sense that 27 Republican members of the House of Representatives crossed the aisle yesterday to vote in favor of it. Thanks to them, the bill passed, and will become law if passed by the Senate. One of those Congressmen was our own Joe Knollenberg. Let's hear it for Joe. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Joe betrays college Republicans on education

It's so sad. Joe is so scared of losing his seat in Congress, he's willing to do and say anything.

Joe Knollenberg is not a defender of education

I feel compelled to write in response to Joe Knollenberg’s recent letter to the editor in the Birmingham Eccentric regarding his legislation to provide a $5,000 scholarship for high school students that enter college and major in math, science, engineering or health-care related field.

Great idea Joe, but you’re a little late to the party. If I could ever get to meet with you face to face, I’d ask why you’re only now proposing legislation to address the education needs of our children. Just to refresh the voters’ memory, back in 2005, Joe Knollenberg voted to slash funding for primary schools by $784 million. Joe also voted to cut federal student aid by $12.7 billion that would have allowed middle class students to obtain low cost loans. That same legislation increased the interest rate charged on the loans that are still being offered. Now Joe Knollenberg would have us believe he’s on our side. The hypocrisy is overwhelming. When Joe Knollenberg was in the majority and he felt his seat was not at risk, he felt perfectly safe slashing education funds.

Now that he feels his seat in Congress is in jeopardy, Joe feels the need to introduce legislation. I say voters are smarter than you give them credit for, Mr. Knollenberg.