A standing ovation greeted New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson before he addressed an overflow crowd of students at Rancho High School this morning. His talk was geared to topics close to their hearts as he introduced many of them for the first time to Barack Obama's priorities for education and the economy.
Richardson highlighted Obama's strong support for the Dream Act, which provides a route to citizenship for young people who attend college or serve in the armed forces. He also discussed Obama's plan to provide $4,000 in tuition aid in return for 100 hours of community service. Speaking directly to issues facing the Latino community, he emphasized the urgent need to increase high school graduation rates among Hispanics and outlined Obama's policy proposals to achieve this goal, including increased teacher pay, preschool education, and improving No Child Left Behind.
Local Assemblymen Mo Denis and Ruben Kihuen also spoke to the high schoolers. Kihuen asked for a show of hands to see how many of them had volunteered for the Obama campaign. A sprinkling of hands rose up. He reminded them that none of Obama's educational priorities would come to pass unless he is elected, and urged them to volunteer, noting that there were only three weeks left in the campaign. "Take a few hours and phone bank, or talk to your neighbors and get out the vote," he said.
Click Here to Continue Reading...
Comments are closed for this post.
