Posted on: Monday, April 14, 2003

EDITORIAL
Bush aid cut would hurt Hawai'i schools

Hawai'i residents aren't the only people complaining about the quality of our public schools. So are the families of many members of the military stationed here.

But the public schools attended by military kids would be even worse off were it not for what is called "impact aid." Many military families don't pay income taxes in this state, and to that extent don't contribute to the cost of educating their kids.

To help make up for that, the federal government cushions the impact of 30,000 military or other "federally connected" students on the state school system with aid expected to total $41 million this fiscal year.

Unless President Bush has his way. As part of a budget-balancing effort, he wants to cut impact aid for the total 900,000 military dependents who attend off-base schools by $173 million. Hawai'i's share would be about $11 million.

That would cut per-pupil impact aid here from less than $1,400 per military pupil to about $1,000. Since the state spends $6,775 per pupil on average, it would increase the subsidy of military students by Hawai'i taxpayers.

Make no mistake. Hawai'i welcomes the children of military families in its public schools. "Segregated" military schools would unnecessarily divide resident and military families and create unneeded social strains.

The reduction in federal impact aid to Hawai'i schools would accompany a $3 million education cut already ordered by Gov. Lingle. There's no pretending that this kind of budget-cutting won't hurt.

Students are hardly the only ones hurt by Bush's proposed budget trims. Billions of cuts are targeted at food stamp and child nutrition programs, and for healthcare for the poor. Even veterans' programs — in the middle of a war — would be reduced.

Big budget cuts are needed because the administration must pay for the war in Iraq and its postwar occupation as well as make up for enormous tax cuts that will primarily benefit the wealthy.

Congress approved Bush's 2001 round of tax cuts, totalling $1.6 trillion. Now Congress plans to cut another $350 billion (the Senate proposal) or $550 billion (House version).

The rich get richer at the expense of the poor and middle classes and their children — both now as programs affecting their welfare are trimmed and when they grow up and have to pay for the ballooning deficit.