Lucy Snyder ([info]las) wrote,
@ 2008-03-04 12:03:00
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Reading Is Fundamental program to lose funding
I found out this morning that the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program has been cut out of the 2009 federal budget.

From their website:
"The President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 eliminates the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, which is the RIF Book Distribution Program. Unless Congress reinstates funding for this program, RIF will be unable to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation's youngest and most at-risk children." (read more)

Aside from basic concerns about the need for a literate, educated population in a democracy: we writers won't find places for our books and stories if there aren't any readers. We need to do every little bit we can to battle illiteracy and aliteracy. RIF has a contact-your-congressperson page ... please take a moment to fill out the form. I'd really hate to see program go under.

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[info]sclerotic_rings
2008-03-04 05:15 pm UTC (link)
The comments as to why the Bush Administration wants to cut funding to RIF are just too easy. In the final analysis, nobody's going to be doing a comprehensive documentary about the Bush Administration after he's gone, mostly because Beavis and Butt-Head Do America did a better job than anyone knew.

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[info]gridlockjoe
2008-03-04 05:21 pm UTC (link)
This from the president whose library will consist of one copy of My Pet Goat.

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[info]sclerotic_rings
2008-03-04 06:05 pm UTC (link)
You've obviously never been to Southern Methodist University, as My Pet Goat is sophisticated literature for its crowds of MBAs and sorority bimbos who plan to major in "Mrs.". The real draw is going to be the one existing copy of Bush's intended 2000 concession speech, the one that reads "Uhhhhh...like, this sucks worse than anything has ever sucked before. Huh huh huh huh."

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[info]silveradept
2008-03-04 08:13 pm UTC (link)
The librarian says that there are a lot of kids in all our neighborhoods who wouldn't be getting any books at all in their lives if there weren't programs like these. We can only do so much in our branches and in our outreach programs. If people want kinds to be able to read and enjoy any sort of textual material, we need more programs like the one about to get axed.

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[info]sarajlarson
2008-03-04 08:52 pm UTC (link)
These are the only books some poor kids ever get. And actually OWNING a book can make a difference in a child.

And need I point out, illiterates make better cannon fodder?

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[info]flaggerx
2008-03-04 09:26 pm UTC (link)
Not if ask the Army, who is of the opinion that educated people make far better soldiers than their ignorant brethren. In fact the Army Chief of Staff has had a recommended reading program for solidiers starting with the private and all the way up to senior officers.

Here's the list:

http://www.history.army.mil/prlist.html

Of course President Bush doesn't spend much time listening to soldiers either, at least those who dare tell him what he doesn't want to hear.

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[info]delta_monk
2008-03-04 09:00 pm UTC (link)
Well, Bush didn't get where he is today by reading books, did he?

That really is stoopid :(

Nice icon BTW :)

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[info]j3nny3lf
2008-03-04 11:40 pm UTC (link)
No Child Left Behind - except the poverty stricken and at-risk. You know. Screw them!

Here's what I sent in my letter:

As a former beneficiary of the RIF program, I know how important it is. Without RIF, I might well have given up in despair and not sought a better life for myself. Without RIF, I may not have had the chance to develop dreams to chase.

Can we not cut something else, instead?

Books can change lives for the better. These kids should not be denied this opportunity.

Please do everything in your power to ensure that RIF's funding is NOT cut from the budget.

It astounds me that we're giving $600 back to Americans who file tax returns, and that our president considers this to be a more useful expenditure of money than keeping children reading.

Me

Edited at 2008-03-04 11:41 pm UTC

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[info]sylvar
2008-03-05 12:55 am UTC (link)
Done, and thanks for mentioning it.

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