It is a real pleasure to be at Oliver Beach Elementary School this morning and I thank Oliver Beach Principal Mary Ann Rigopoulos for welcoming us here for this important announcement. I am proud to stand with one of Maryland’s and, in fact, our Country’s most dedicated and effective public servants - Senator Barbara Mikulski. Senator, welcome back to Baltimore County, and congratulations on helping President Obama pass a stimulus bill that will help our country recover from the economic malaise that has gripped the nation. Having served since 1987, Senator Mikulski is the most senior female senator in congress, and in 2004 she received the largest number of votes ever received by a candidate in the State of Maryland. Her efforts make a real difference for families who believe that government does have a role to play in improving their lives. Senator, we are always pleased when you take time to visit with us. As a regional cluster program for adaptive learning support students, Principal Rigopoulos and her staff are dedicated to ensuring that all students reach their full potential. I am so impressed that students at Oliver Beach are offered numerous meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. By giving students the opportunity to participate in activities like the Academic Quiz Bowl, Math 24 Challenge, Spanish Club, band and chorus, Oliver Beach is truly embracing the whole child. Students at Oliver Beach learn inside and outside of the classroom. I applaud the administration, staff, parents, and students for creating a true school community. Congratulations on a job well done. Today, our nation faces the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. In recent months, we have watched in sad disbelief as many of the world’s foremost financial institutions fell into bankruptcy. The Dow Jones industrial index has fallen by approximately 40 percent since January 2008. Unemployment is approaching nine percent and has risen in almost every metropolitan area in America. As President Obama has stated, every crisis is also an opportunity, and we are fortunate that Senator Barbara Mikulski is poised to seize yet another opportunity. For Senator Mikulski, doing nothing is simply not an option. On Tuesday, we all saw the results of the federal government acting decisively to meet this crisis head-on when President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law. This groundbreaking legislation will invest $787 billion in the future of our nation. Senator Mikulski, thank you for insisting throughout the process that investing in our children and investing in education is not pork. It is stimulus in the truest sense of the word, and it is the right thing to do! There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.” Increasing funding for education in this stimulus package prepares our nation to thrive and prosper not just next week, next month, or the next four years, but for a generation. As Senator Mikulski just announced, the stimulus package includes $1.25 billion dollars for education funding with $214.5 million dollars directed toward special education. We are anticipating that $23 million dollars from this stimulus package will be targeted for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding in the Baltimore County Public Schools. Ensuring that all of our students, including those with special needs or disabilities, receive the highest quality education possible is one of the most important responsibilities of government. And these resources will assist our school system in meeting the educational needs of children with disabilities from birth to the age of 21 in a variety of ways. With these funds, the school system will provide meaningful professional development opportunities for staff, purchase state-of-the-art technology, and develop alternative programming for students. These are funds directed at Main Street, not Wall Street. At a time when governments at every level are making budget cuts as a result of the recession, this stimulus funding is particularly welcome. Thanks to the hard work of Senator Mikulski, and our entire Maryland federal delegation, we will be able to fulfill our obligation to children to give them the essential educational services they need. Once again, on behalf of the people of Baltimore County, I thank Senator Mikulski for always remembering her roots. I thank her for being one of the senate’s strongest advocates for the middle class. Senator Mikulski has never forgotten those days many years ago when she worked in her parents’ grocery story delivering groceries to seniors in her beloved east Baltimore. Senator, thank you for bringing those values to work each and every day, and thank you for bringing badly needed relief to this neighborhood and to communities across America.
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