Politics or Politicians

Once, long ago...I used to work in a TRIO program called Student Support Services. If you don't know what that is, no problem. In a nutshell, TRIO programs help current and future poor and first generation college students get a college education. It is a federally funded program, a part of Johnson's War on Poverty. Student Support Services works with college students to increase retention and graduation rates.

Every year, people go to DC to meet local congressmen with TRIO students. It helps give students a look at government and the government a look at the poor.

In the 80's, when the Democrats held the Congress and the Republicans held the White House, they heard the same rhetoric every trip to capital hill:

The Democrats would tell the visiting students how important their work was and how important it is to fully fund TRIO Programs. There should be more programs and the current programs should have better funding.

The Republicans would always say that they had their funding priorities, and while TRIO Programs were important, they weren't on top of the list.

This ended in 1992 when Clinton was elected President.

The TRIO people returned to Capitol Hill with all of the markers they have been given over the years and this is what they heard:

The Democrats told them that they had their funding priorities, and while TRIO Programs were important, they weren't on top of the list.

The Republicans told them how important their work was and how important it is to fully fund TRIO Programs. There should be more programs and the current programs should have better funding.

The day I heard this story was the day I decided that there weren't too many Republicans in DC and there weren't too many Democrats.

This was the day I decided there are too many politicians. Be sure to vote next month!