Op-Ed Columnist - Unfazed by Reality - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - Unfazed by Reality - NYTimes.com: "Congress had already been considering legislation that would provide something approaching $50 billion in aid to states: $24 billion to offset increased costs in the states’ share of Medicaid payments and $23 billion for teachers’ salaries. But the constant chatter from Republicans and increasing numbers of Democrats about rising federal budget deficits has stymied those efforts.
The concerns about the effect that this aid might have on long-term federal deficits are misplaced, because the effect would be barely noticeable — if at all. But if Congress doesn’t act, the impact in the here and now will be both powerful and painful. The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, has warned that the nation could face an “education catastrophe” if the federal government fails to provide assistance to prevent the loss of 100,000 to 300,000 public school jobs."