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Grand Junction Educators and Students Show Sequester Concerns

by KREX News Room
by Taylor Kanost

Story Created: Mar 21, 2013 at 7:12 PM MDT

Story Updated: Mar 21, 2013 at 7:25 PM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Grand Junction students and educators gathered at Colorado Mesa University today to express their growing concerns about how sequestration cuts will affect Western Slope education.

At the beginning of the month, Congress allowed the sequestration to go into affect, enabling automatic, across-the-board budget cuts to several programs across the country.

Education in Colorado is taking a big hit from these cuts, as White House officials project Colorado will lose nearly $8.4 million in education funding.

Over one hundred teacher and aide jobs are in jeopardy, and nearly 12,000 students across Colorado could be impacted.

"We're significantly impacting the future," said Carolyn Sandeen-Hall, Co-President of Mesa Valley Education Association of Retired Teachers. "Students won't be prepared to take on the challenges for employment and full participation as functioning citizens if they don't have these opportunities"

Considering the economy in the Western Slope is not rebounding as quickly as the eastern half of Colorado, the budget cuts may have a bigger impact the folks of western Colorado.

"We don't need to make these severe cuts," said Tom Acker, CMU Professor of Spanish. "We seem obsessed with balancing budgets, when in fact we should be investing in our students, in our infrastructure, and making it a much more profitable environment for businesses to come into and invest."

Ultimately, it will be those programs for students that need them the most, such as Head Start and work-study jobs, that will feel the biggest effects.

"I think everybody has a right to a higher education," said Acker. "In our economy, and in today's world, everybody needs to access higher education. So why should these folks be left out?"

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The Sequester Kid said on Friday, Mar 29 at 5:24 AM

Liberal Democrats and thjeir friends in the TEACHER'S UNIONS taking a page from President Obama's Sequester Playbook, to "Make the Sequester sound as draconian as you can." It is not even a cut, but a reduction in the rate of government spending. Lying liberal Democrats are going to be the death of this great country yet. You libbies want real pain, wait until Obamacare hits and your Health Insurance rates go up 32%, instead of the $2,500 reduction in cost that the President Obama promised.

GJ Native said on Saturday, Mar 23 at 2:10 AM

Blame Obama for the sequester it's his idea. As for education home school your kids.

Truth said on Friday, Mar 22 at 4:41 PM

You two arguing is exactly what both parties want; it has been BOTH parties contributing to the decline in education and other areas, both federally and locally. Wake up.

Disgusted said on Friday, Mar 22 at 11:44 AM

Hardly. Our kids are suffering because of Marxist Democrats. And unfortunately, the suffering has just begun.

BN said on Friday, Mar 22 at 6:57 AM

The repubs control the house. Your side refused to compromise so its in your lap. Thanks for playing tho

Disgusted said on Thursday, Mar 21 at 11:55 PM

Which party has had a majority for 5 years now? It is called reality, look into it.

BN said on Thursday, Mar 21 at 8:27 PM

Thank the Republicans for the sequester. Now your kids get to suffer as well.

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