Sam Farr: “Mr. Chairman, I think that this is a real watershed issue of where American public policy is reflected in how we are…”

“Mr. Chairman, I think that this is a real watershed issue of where American public policy is reflected in how we are going to use Federal funds, Federal taxpayer dollars, to spend those dollars effectively in the coming years and in the coming century. Without a doubt, with the actions we have taken this year, we have been the educational Congress and the educational President with all the tax breaks and incentives we have given. We have promoted wiring every classroom in the United States with computers. We have promoted the downsizing of schools so that we can have a smaller class size. But, Mr. Chairman, when we think about it we cannot get there from here unless we put money into construction. What is happening in the United States, and California is probably the leading State in this area because we have the largest number of students in the United States, what happens is we are moving all of our expenditures for school construction out of the regular budgets. The only way those capital outlay programs are funded is through State bond acts or through local general obligation bond votes. Those votes in California, and other States I think are going to adopt those same requirements, require a two-thirds vote. So it is harder and harder and harder for schools to provide money for construction, which is absolutely essential.”