AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
President Bush delivers the State of the Union to a joint session of Congress while Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, right, watch at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, in Washington
Posted on 02/01/2006 9:34:25 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - After a series of reports warning of the growing economic threat from China and India, ``competitiveness'' has become the latest catch-word of Silicon Valley's high-tech industry.
President Bush elevated the issue for the nation Tuesday, announcing a decadelong ``American Competitiveness Initiative'' that would pour $136 billion into scientific research and the promotion of math and science education.
--snip--
High-tech leaders praised the proposal Tuesday night.
``I was heartened by the amount of time he spent talking about competitiveness,'' said Carl Guardino, head of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. ``To hear him focus on math and science, especially in middle school and high school, was terrific.''
Bush's plan includes longtime priorities of the high-tech industry and echoes calls made by academic and business leaders in reports on competitiveness dating back to 2004. The initiative also mirrors congressional proposals, including an extensive ``Innovation Agenda'' unveiled by Democrats in the House of Representatives in November.
Competitiveness is an issue on which Democrats and Republicans can work together, said Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, who helped craft House Democrats' proposal. But the real commitment will come when Bush funds his proposals in upcoming budgets, she said.
``The president has a history of coming up here and giving great speeches and not acting on what he says,'' Eshoo said, noting shortfalls from funding promises for his ``No Child Left Behind'' education plan.
About two-thirds of Bush's competitiveness package will be paid for out of a business tax credit for research and development that Bush wants to make permanent. Much of that money would probably be spent anyway over the next 10 years, although the White House also wants to enhance the credit.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
But how do you get students really interested in math and science?
Everytime Bush opens his mouth he spends my money. Price theory will guarantee that we have enough math and science majors and/or investment, not central planners.
"Math is hard"- Barbie
"But how do you get students really interested in math and science?"
That is precisely the problem. Kids are more interested in drugs, clothes, sex, American idol, baseball, football, video games, etc. Who cares about science and mathematics? Throwing money at it will only encourage more 'foreigners" to come here, get education, get experience, and go back to India and China.
Does anyone here think that this money, apart from a total overhaul of the public school system, will solve our competitiveness problem with China in the next ten years.
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
President Bush delivers the State of the Union to a joint session of Congress while Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, right, watch at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, in Washington
This is why I agree with Tony Snow, that the SOTU speech was a 'C'.
No.
I just KNEW when the President spoke last night of all the wonderful 'initiatives' and such, what he was REALLY saying was: "We'll spend more of the taxpayer's money on....."
Especially considering that public schools- including public universities- spend an inordinate amount of time in sensitivity training, esteem building, and celebrating diversity.
Maybe we'll need to send kids to school year-round, in order to allow time to actually learn something important?
And building huge football stadiums.
It's all about entitlement programs and long overdue reforms across the board.
The left helped install and prop these pigs up for years.
While they may have provided much relief to many in need over the years , we are at the point where there are better ways to deal with the issues at hand and we must pursue solutions or pay even more dearly down the road financially and societally.
It seems that Everett Dirksen said it best.. a few dollars here , a few more dollars there and before ya know it, you're talking about some serious money.
The 'pass the major issues of our time onto future generations' attitude must and can be changed but only if rational folks are involved in those changes and implementing them.
Sadly, there are not enough of them in Congress today that agree, imo..
"High-tech leaders praised the proposal Tuesday night."
I'm sure they did. Now, if we can get them to stop sending tech jobs to India and other countries, there might be some work for all these kids.
Nope, they won't go back to India or China, they'll figure out a way to stay here and make the big bucks. Plus, they will have plenty of cheap labor to detail their cars and clean their bathrooms in the form of the kids who were more interested in drugs, clothes, sex, etc.
Well, we need to do something because what we're doing now apparently isn't working. Does anyone know the percentage of college degrees awarded in the math and science areas? Maybe we just need to allow more Asians into the US. They seem to excel at math and science.
I fear you are right.
To me, the problem is that we say that learning math and science only makes sense if you want to pursue a career in that area.
The fact is, regardless of your career, knowledge of math and science is critical to your success, even if you are an MBA. In today's economy, with its focus on technology, if you do not have an understanding of math and science, it puts you at a disadvantage, even if you don't go into a career directly as a scientists.
President Bush sure is generous . . . with our money.
And I think math and science is like serious exercise for the brain. It has to make you smarter.
Unfortunately a lot of kids see big money being made in other ways (some not legal). I like to think the brightest would gravitate to the tougher academic subjects but I know that doesn't always happen.
Math trains you on how to think. An engineering degree combined with an MBA is gold.
What a joke. These guys are responsible for creating the mindset that only the foreign-born are qualified to do high-tech work and that Americans need not apply.
"The $136 billion will just go down the nea union rathole."
I'm pretty sure you're right.
Do the number 36 24 36 come to mind?
And what do we do to get the girls interested? Have the Chippendales teach?
One way is to have good teachers early in schools make it interesting.
And as someone else stated, drop all the other "crap" and actually concentrate on academics!
Far too many attack this move, while many of these same Freepers post here about how "outsourcing" is killing our economy. One cannot have it both ways!
This move will improve a literate and world class technical workforce for our future.
Anyone here have another idea to increase math and science skills in our school systems? If you do, what are the details, and how will YOU fund it???
LLS
That would certainly help!
I was just speaking in general that our kids need better role models. I'm sure they can name all the rappers but can they name even one astronaut? We need to put much more emphasis on math and science in elementary school. Of course, as long as they understand that homosexuality is a wonderful thing...
Employment possibilities or scholarships such as the mining, oil/gas industries provide.
You teach them math and science. You use teachers that wanted to be math and science teachers. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Where do you think the 36 24 36 came from, they already understand multiplication.
LOL - I thought that was more like circumference!
That assumes a competitive teaching market, which is not available to most people these days.
If his program 'transfers' money from broken programs to ones that work, I am all for it.
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