Next week this space will return to The Plan by Rahm Emanuel and Bruce Reed to examine its call for “Universal Retirement Savings.” Our expert guest will be Jordan Curry of Northwestern Mutual.
Certain junctures seem to lend themselves to checkpoints. In this case, Mr. Curry needed to borrow my copy of the book and the expert I engaged regarding The Plan’s pre-college educational aspects is unable to meet my timeline. So, we will adjust our sails.
As the previous installment alluded to changes since the book’s publication, this one compares and contrasts The Plan’s 2006 goal of “Universal College Access,” with the current educational agenda espoused by the Obama administration.
We will see that, in sum and especially regarding educational policy, Obama’s current agenda and The Plan’s are virtually identical. This lends merit to our examination of The Plan as a worthwhile pursuit.
Disclaimer?
What concrete indicators show this administration's commitment behind its rhetoric? In just under 3 weeks, President Obama has removed the ban on stem cell research, directed the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison, bombed Pakistan, picked a fight with China, assigned and dispatched 2 heavily-credentialed envoys to the Middle East, addressed children’s healthcare and pay inequality in the workplace and is on the verge of delivering an economic stimulus package few can comprehend in size or scope. This is not a complete list of the administration’s documented initiatives or actions. The pace is blistering and intense.
A February 7, 2009, Detroit Free Press article (http://www.freep.com/article/20090207/NEWS15/90207027/1285/Stimulus+compromise+cuts+education+spending) notes that much of the reductions in the stimulus package were from spending marked for education, so by the time this article posts we may have a reaction to that item from the administration. However, a February 7, 2009, opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123396676711659061.html) suggests, convincingly, that much of these educational funds were politically--not economically--motivated and offers a lesson on why Americans should fear a filibuster-proof majority by either party. Politically savvy and pragmatic, Obama will probably not choose this moment to stake his claim on education.
Checkpoint
When Barack Obama and Joe Biden were among those apparently hopeful of finishing second in the nominating process to Hillary Clinton, the former offered these words on November 7, 2007, to a group in Bettendorf, Iowa, that may have well marked the beginning of his surge:
It...means putting a college education within reach of every American...I'll
create a new and fully refundable tax credit worth $4,000 for tuition and fees
every year, which will cover two-thirds of the tuition at the average public
college or university. I'll also simplify the financial aid application process
so that we don't have a million students who aren't applying for aid because
it's too difficult. I will start by eliminating the current student aid form
altogether - we'll use tax data instead. And I'll tap the tremendous resource of
community colleges, which educate half the undergraduates in this country, by
creating a new Community College Partnership Program. We'll help schools
determine what skills and technical education are needed to help local industry;
we'll expand new degrees for emerging fields; and we'll reward schools that
graduate more students. (http://www.barackobama.com/2007/11/07/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_31.php)
As a review of last week’s post will confirm, most of this is a “copy and paste” from The Plan. These words are reinforced in Obama’s current public policy statements, as he promises to create, “a new American Opportunity Tax Credit:”
This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of
a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover
two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and
make community college tuition completely free for most students. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/education/)
Harkening back to, and perhaps an adjustment on, The Plan’s call for “Universal Citizen Service,” the Obama policy statement also states that, “Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.” The statement also promises to heed The Plan’s call for adjustments to the financial aid process, by:
eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling
families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their
tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.
Conclusion
While maintaining positions on unaddressed matters 3 weeks into a Presidency is unremarkable, the completeness of the transference of The Plan’s proposals through a full year of campaigning and into White House policy statements may indicate a high level of commitment and elevated intent to execute.
Future checkpoints on this subject will examine the data behind the proposals and the identity and role of key implementors.
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