Sam Farr: “California's the fifth largest economy in the world. One would think that the Republican administration would be paying…”

“California's the fifth largest economy in the world. One would think that the Republican administration would be paying attention to the economic indicators in California and realize that all is not well in the economy. Since President Bush took office, 1.9 million jobs have been lost. Californian unemployment remains above the national average, and one in 10 persons in my District is unemployed. Jobs that have been created are low-paying and do not provide benefits such as health care and other important benefits. There is a direct link between getting a good education and getting a good job, but the ability to get that good education has been undermined by the inability to adequately fund the best higher education system in the United States, the California higher education system, because students are now being turned away. Eligible to get in, all the tests, all the ability to get in, but no room in the inn. Why? Because this administration has failed to adequately fund the Pell grants and Perkins loans for students to make education accessible. During the 1980s, we learned that voodoo economics did not stimulate the economy. Neither is hoodoo economics stimulating the economy today.”