In response to the stimulus package pending before Congress, the nonprofit organization Campus Progress, the youth division of the Center for American Progress, issued a statement outlining its expectations for the stimulus package, specifically in regard to the needs of young people:
“Young people have a particular stake in the new stimulus package, as we continue to shoulder unique burdens in our unstable economic climate. Despite our generations’ historic diversity and levels of academic achievement, we are predicted to be the first generation to not surpass our parents’ standards of living. Indeed, we are the ones who are not only suffering now, but will also be greatly impacted by the long term effects of this economic crisis. For example:
– Over six in ten college students are burdened with educational debt, and more and more, students are being forced to take second jobs or drop out of college as a result of their financial burdens. Without access to higher education, young people will not have the same opportunities for economic or professional advancement, and they will be unable to compete on a global level with their peers. Campus Progress stands behind the provisions of the House stimulus bill that would increase funding for higher education Pell Grants by as much as $15 billion. Student aid stimulates the economy in the long term by supporting education, which is the cornerstone of sustained economic growth. Pell grants are also spent on goods and services such as textbooks and housing, which will help stimulate the economy in the short term.
– We are also faced with an acute energy crisis, the likes of which has never been seen in our lifetime. We are the generation that will inherit a damaged planet, but we are also the generation that is the most passionate about the opportunities provided by this monumental challenge. Campus Progress supports a stimulus bill that would invest nearly $70 billion in energy efficiency, renewable energy, transit, and fuel economy programs, and create an estimated 459,000 green jobs by the end of 2010. As young people, we are the stewards of the movement to build a just, clean energy future. We must set an example in our own lives and encourage all Americans to support green jobs that will not only help stimulate the economy but also create pathways out of poverty and a more sustainable world for our children and grandchildren.
Campus Progress agrees with President Obama: it is now or never for the stimulus package. Our communities desperately need short-term tax relief for the middle class and new job creation so that Americans can begin to feel steady on their feet and be able to contribute to the long-term growth of the economy.
This material was created by Campus Progress, where Katie Andriulli is the Communications and Outreach Manager. A copy of Campus Progress’ statement on the stimulus can be read here.
