They focused on increased education, making sure that such an issue would never arise again.
Today, he told the Senate that the measure should be approved largely because the most objectionable aspects like the money for education were sure to be changed.
Enumerating the Council's priorities, he said: "Education, making sure the cuts stay out of the classroom, and we seem to be in substantial agreement with the mayor on that point, although it's a question of looking at the details to make sure that it really does go there".
And that kind of approach, I believe, will not grow our economy because the only way to pay for it without either burdening the middle class or blowing up our deficit is to make drastic cuts in things like education, making sure that we are continuing to invest in basic science and research, all the things that are helping America grow.
The truth is, if you want a decent job that will lead to a decent life today you have to work harder, regularly reinvent yourself, obtain at least some form of postsecondary education, make sure that you're engaged in lifelong learning and play by the rules.
The late Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, when asked his assessment of the French Revolution, is supposed to have replied: "It's a bit too soon to say, is it not?" Yet advocates of civic education are sure they already know the lessons of Sept. 11, and they seek to impose those lessons upon a captive audience of schoolchildren.
Among the cuts proposed are reductions in spending on pre-school education and Sure Start, IT services, school maintenance and community relations schemes.
Finally, since the real purpose of this investment exercise is education, making sure the swings in the stock market did not cause them a significant loss of funds was important.
Bonus: If you aren't convinced of the enormous potential technology can play in transforming education, be sure to watch Nicholas Negroponte's One Tablet Per Child Project.
A: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will put children first by investing in early childhood education, making sure our schools are adequately funded and led by high-quality teachers, and reforming No Child Left Behind.
