Tamburg 
CEO in training of UBMS
Posts: 130
(2/17/06 5:34 pm)
Reply
|
Letter from COE President
February 16, 2006
Dear Colleague:
Once again, your response to the President's proposal last week to terminate Upward Bound and Talent Search at the conclusion of the 2006-2007 school year has been most gratifying. Friends of equal educational opportunity throughout the country are already moving to ensure that we succeed in defending the life chances for a half million low-income and disabled students. This is going to be a long and difficult fight.
As President Bush moves to eliminate Upward Bound and Talent Search, Congress must be persuaded that their local communities are adamantly opposed to the President's proposal, and that a variety of local interests support TRIO. This campaign must include:
* Letters, e-mails, phone calls and faxes to both Senators and Representatives protesting these proposed cuts and voicing support for TRIO. These communications must come from students, parents, college and agency leaders, business people, civic groups, clergy and, most especially, city, county, and state elected officials.
* Articles in local newspapers and interviews on radio and TV describing the local impact of these cuts are essential.
CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
February 16-24
Members of the House of Representatives and Senators return to their states and districts for the President's day recess. Business people, clergy, educators, local community leaders, students, parents, and alumni must meet with their representatives at town hall meetings and other events to express their concern about the proposed cuts and get these elected representatives on the record as opposing these cuts
February 27-March 17
During this period - leading up to the Council's Policy Seminar - we must intensify the pressure on elected representatives of both parties. We must also use this time to ensure that a large number of alumni, parents, and other supporters attend the Policy Seminar, March 26-28.
March 20-24
Members of the House of Representatives and Senators will return to their states and districts for the Spring District Work Period. Meetings such as those that took place during the February work period must be intensified so that in as many public settings as possible, your elected representatives are asked to explain their position on TRIO. This might be a good time to approach local newspapers for positive editorials and supportive opinion columns. Send these to your Congressional representatives.
March 26-28
The COE Policy Seminar. We must have a record attendance at this event - over 900 people attended last year - with a large representation of alumni and parents from all states and Congressional districts. Last year's record numbers became the key factor in our final victory over the President's proposal.
(For more information go to <www.coenet.us/leadershipp...nars.html> )
March 30
This is, typically, the date that members of the Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives submit their highest funding priorities to the Chairman. By this date, we need to make sure that several Subcommittee Members have made TRIO their highest priority for funding, and that the majority of both Republicans and Democrats in the entire House have communicated with the Appropriations Committee about the importance of TRIO in their districts.
HOUSE MARKUP
The House of Representatives always begins the Appropriations process before the Senate and it is expected that the House will hold its Subcommittee "mark-up" in early June. We hope -- depending upon the strength of our effort in the next four months -- that the Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education appropriations subcommittee will again vote to reject the President's proposal to terminate our two programs, and GEAR UP.
The Senate is likely to act right before or right after the July 4th recess. However, even after both the House and Senate have acted upon the President's proposal, the matter will not be resolved until both appropriations bills have gone to conference and then sent back to the President for his signature. It is expected that this will occur on or before Friday, October 6, when Congress is scheduled to adjourn.
We will continue to keep you apprised of steps to be taken at various stages of this campaign. We very much encourage you to call Al Phillips (Alvin.Phillips@coenet.us <mailto:Alvin.Phillips@coenet.us>) or Jamie Baxter (Jamie.Baxter@coenet.us <mailto:Jamie.Baxter@coenet.us>) of the Council staff with any questions or suggestions you might have.
Sincerely,
Arnold L. Mitchem
President
|
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies 
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies