Bob Schaffer: “Start with our Dollars to the Classroom philosophy and the legislation that we have pushed as one of our top education…”

“Start with our Dollars to the Classroom philosophy and the legislation that we have pushed as one of our top education priorities and let us use that example by comparing how an American taxpayer would spend their money versus how Washington currently spends its money on education today. If a taxpayer, who is represented by the blue sections of the chart, and where we think surplus money ought to go, versus the Vice President, which is next to nothing, let us suppose that taxpayer would want to budget that tax savings for a new washing machine. That family would expect that 100 percent of the money they budget for the washing machine would go to the actual purchase of the washing machine. But in Washington when we say education is a high priority, somehow people in Washington are just content to see only 60 percent of the money budgeted for education actually ever make it to a classroom. Now that is a huge distinction in how Americans view fiscal responsibility versus how government views fiscal responsibility. Republicans have a different way. Clinton and Gore, they have been in the White House now for 8 years. They have had their opportunity to try to use the money that the Americans have sent here and spend it wisely, and we share their sincerity that we want to help children. But we are not for all the waste that for 8 years they have been willing to endure and sustain. Sixty percent out of every education dollar is all that makes it to a child's classroom.”