Student in Edwards' College for Everyone program speaks about his experience (CMSM won't print this)

[draft_mario_cuomo]

Two preliminary things: 1) Edwards will appear on Leno tonight :bounce: 2) If elected Edwards will expand this program into a national program. This investment in our greatest resource, our young people, will cost $8 billion a year. It is time we rid ourselves of Republican-lite ways and become Democrats again. Democrats who are willing to expend the necessary resources to expand opportunity, not merely take small steps that sound good--but are not good and sound and do little because of a fear of looking like a "big government liberal" or because of an obsession with reaching consensus with right-wingers that leads us to eviscerate such programs in the name of compromise.

== Tracy Russo in News Feed of
6/25/2007 at 6:00 PM EST

After the end of the 2004 election, John Edwards spent most of the next two years working with a variety of organizations to fight poverty. The "College for Everyone" program was one of the ideas developed by the Center for Promise and Opportunity. Tony Tyson was one of first students to participate in the program. He currently attends North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Below he explains how the program has impacted his life.==

Tony Tyson

It is unfortunate that the recent articles about John Edwards' work failed to include comments from people like my family, who benefited from programs like "College for Everyone" funded by the Center for Promise and Opportunity Foundation.

The College for Everyone program has been a life preserver for families like mine. My parents worked hard and tried to save money for college. But it became impossible for them to put away money for both my sister and me to attend college at the same time.

College for Everyone saved me from not having to sit out a year or two, due to lack of funds. It provided the necessary funds for me to attend college the first year, without having an extraordinary financial burden. My father and mother already had my sister in college. If my parents had to pull everything out of their pocket to support both of us, they would've eventually reached a financial cut-off point. Then, they would have to ask themselves, "Which one do we help this time?" But, College for Everyone relieved the pain for my parents of making the decision of whether I help my daughter or my son.

We really thank Senator Edwards for being there to help us. When I say "us," I'm also talking about my classmates in Greene County, North Carolina. For example, a classmate of mine was the first person to attend college or an institution of higher learning in her family. College for Everyone opened that door for her. So, College for Everyone to me is like lady justice. It leveled the playing field for students who desired to attend college and were not sure if they could go.

On behalf of Greene County and Greene Central High School I would like to say thank you to Senator Edwards and College for Everyone.

- Tony A. Tyson II==

http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/6/25/1808/97072

[waiting for hope]

1. It's a fantastic program

and it could work on a national level. Everything he is proposing is designed to help all Americans and trying to make this country the promise it once was.

K&R!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. I wonder if anyone has ever done a case study on the Philomath Oregon grads...

I was just told this story today by a client...

An old Logger Baron set up a scholorship fund for the town of Philomath that guaranteed every high school graduate could go to college. This started about 40 years ago. I wonder if anyone has looked at how much incomes/standards of living have risen for the town. It definitely looks to be doing well from driving through today. :)

[iamjoy]

3. DUH - A Haircut Is More Important

I mean, why would they want to talk to some one actually helped by a program of John Edwards when they can talk about his haircut or house?

:sarcasm:

John Edwards has true compassion for those less fortunate, and really wants to help. But, the media doesn't want to cover that. Of course, it is the same for all of our candidates. Hillary is a helped start the Children's Health Insurance Program. We don't hear much about that, do we? What about Obama - we don't hear a lot about his job training project either.

I mean, I could go on because we really have a great bunch of candidates, but none of that matters because the media only wants to cover the crap.