Bob Marx calls on Congress to increase funding for early childhood education immediately so that we create a brighter future for the next generation of Americans.
Congressional Candidate Bob Marx
Speaking to a group of Big Island residents today, Marx stated: “The time is now to invest in early childhood education. We cannot afford to wait any longer. The state of our education system here in Hawai‘i is in shambles – our schools fall far below the national average, and many are below developing countries like Singapore. Less than half of our keiki entering kindergarten is prepared for elementary school, mostly due to not attending preschool.”
There have been dramatic cuts in preschool and pre-K programs nationwide. The results of these cuts have been especially devastating in Hawai‘i: 1 in 3 of our third grade students cannot read. “The problem is that we are on the wrong side of trying to solve the problem at the third grade level – when what we should be doing is investing in preventative measures like early education,” Marx stated.
Recent statistics show that for every $1 spent on early education there is a $4.20 return on that investment in taxpayer savings by reducing the amount of spending on social welfare services. Hawai‘i spends $16,520 per student per year to attend public schools versus $46,720 per person per year to house our prisoners. Long term studies show the quality early education leads to reduced crime, promotion of the importance of education, resulting in a more skilled workforce. The annual rate of return nears 10% on every dollar spent on early education.
“We need to start investing in young children. We can do this by making sure there is sufficient funding to train more teachers,” Marx added. “We need to stimulate this struggling economy, but we need to invest in the things that matter, in the things that will have a long-term benefit for our ’Ohana. Pouring millions into infrastructure, like fixing roads and potholes is a great way to create new jobs in the short-term. But what happens when the roads are fixed and the potholes are filled? What kind of return on that investment do we get? I can tell you that the return is nowhere near the return we will see if those same dollars are spent on early education,” Marx stressed.
“Very young children are some of the most underrepresented sector of our population. Did you know that 85% of the human brain develops before the age of 5? Children’s brains are much more active than adult brains – in children ages 3 to 10, brain function is 2 ½ times that of an adult. Studies show that poor experiences as a young child lead to devastating effects later in life, including unhealthy relationships, poor dietary habits and the inability to hold a job,” Marx continued.
Our state spends three times as much money housing prisoners than it does on education for our children: $46,720/year vs. $16,520/year. Nationally, the Federal Government spends 8 times more money on Defense than on Education. Instead of spending $1 million on one bomb, that same money could be spent on paying 25 teacher’s salaries at $40,000/year.
“We need to start investing in human potential now. It cannot wait any longer,” Marx stressed. “People insist that we cannot instill the importance of education in families who don’t put an emphasis on going to school. How can we instill the value of education to parents and grandparents who did not finish high school? We must start by investing in early education.
“Behavior is learned, but if we can instill the importance of educating our children, then we can stop that cycle. Our children are our future, and if we don’t invest in our future now, pretty soon it will be too late. We are at a tipping point. If we don’t act immediately, the long-term effects will be irreversible. If we don’t put in the money now, there will be nothing to cash in on later,” Marx continued.
“The amount of money spent of welfare services: medical assistance, food stamps, welfare subsidies, special education programs, family interventional services, mental health services, and corrections, pales in comparison to what can be saved by investing in our kids. All the millions and millions of dollars we spend annually on these services would be dramatically reduced if those same dollars were invested in educating our children now. Every five hours a child is born into poverty in Hawai‘i. We need to ensure that all of those children have access to a quality education so that they can create a better life for themselves and their families,” Marx concluded.
Bob Marx is a Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District, which represents rural Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island
Filed under: Announcements, Education, Hawaii, Kids, National Affairs, Politics, State Affairs | Tagged: Bob Marx, Early Childhood Education | Leave a Comment »
Congressional Candidate Bob Marx on Social Security and America’s Retiring Population
Bob Marx believes Social Security is an essential program that America’s retiring population counts on for economic stability.
Congressional Candidate Bob Marx
Forty percent of Americans aged 65 or older depend on Social Security to keep them from slipping below the poverty line. Despite the essential nature of the program, funds for retirees are running out.
Many view Social Security as a fund or retirement account that is tied to the individual contributor. This is not how the program actually functions. Rather, employee taxes are used to pay benefits directly to current retirees, and current payees depend on the next generation of employees to pay for their retirement benefits. The problem with Social Security’s sustainability stems from the current economic climate—higher unemployment, lower wage growth, and a 3.6% cost of living increase translate to full Social Security benefits running out in 2033—a mere 21 years from now.
Bob Marx, neighbor island candidate for Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District, remarked on the need for Social Security reform Tuesday, commenting that “now more than ever we need to ensure our kupuna are taken care of.” Social Security is in dire need for reform—the program took in $691 billion in tax revenue in 2011, $45 billion short of the Social Security’s $736 billon in expenses. To continue paying 100% of benefits past 2033, the combined employer-employee tax rate would have to be raised 4.3% from 12.4% to 16.7%.
The problems with Social Security extend further than its potential inability to pay future benefits. The employer-employee combined tax rate burdens the employee rather than the employer. Faced with a higher tax rate, employers stay competitive by reducing employee wages to offset the higher taxes. Marx noted, “The problem [with any reform] will be preventing employers from pushing the costs onto workers… [which will] further depress our economy.”
Bob Marx has been adamant about the need to ensure our elderly are taken care of. At an event in downtown Hilo, Marx spoke with residents about the need for social security reform. “Our elderly have more expenses than ever and poverty is a real possibility.” When asked about what he would do if elected, Marx replied: “I will ensure the stability of our retirees and ensure all of our social welfare programs are solvent well into the future.” Marx proposed raising funds to pay for Social Security by increasing taxes on non-earned income. “Taxes on capital gains and dividend earnings are lower than they were 10 years ago—and look at the resulting situation our economy is in.”
As the Federal Government’s largest expenditure, Social Security is a program that is an essential public service. In this economic climate, much focus is on cutting costs and inevitably, cutting corners. “Services such as Social Security are the product of our government’s responsibility to retirees,” stated Marx. “We should prioritize those most in need, ensuring that they can retire above the poverty line.”
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Filed under: Announcements, Economy, Guest Commentator, Hawaii, Health, National Affairs, Politics, State Affairs, Sustainable Living | Tagged: America's Retiring Population, Bob Marx, Social Security, Social Security Administration, Social Security debate (United States) | Leave a Comment »