Support Tennessee's Economy - Save Higher Education!

On Thursday, January 15 Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin introduced the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009," which is the economic stimulus bill that the US Congress will be voting on in the weeks to come. A key part of the bill is $79 billion in aid to colleges that are facing severe cutbacks.

Tennessee's public universities and colleges are facing devastating budget cuts at a time when our state's economy desperately needs the opportunities that public higher education provides. Cuts proposed for next fiscal year, if approved, would cripple the state's ability to put its economy back on track. The federal government must act now to help Tennessee avoid such a catastrophe, by providing a bailout to the state with funding for higher education as a key priority.

Tennessee's Governor and members of the Tennessee General Assembly must push our state's Congressional delegation to act in support of this aid. Though Governor Bredesen and the Tennessee legislature will not vote on this legislation, they can pressure our elected officials in Washington to support this much needed funding.

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Talking Points

Higher education is an engine for economic growth. In the present economic climate our colleges, universities, and technical institutes are the largest job-creation program that the state has.

Cuts to higher education will decrease our ability to be innovative in areas such as new technology for medicine, communications, agriculture and alternative energy.

Although cuts to higher education appear to solve the immediate problem, they will only increase the state and national budgetary problems into the foreseeable future.

Investments in higher education are investments in the future of all Tennesseans. In the current economic environment, workers who face layoffs desperately need access to adequately funded state colleges, universities and technical institutes.

Public higher education provides opportunities for citizens to improve their skills. This in turn boosts the state's overall economic productivity and is a reliable way to establish a strong tax base and improve the Tennessee economy in the long term.

Though Governor Bredesen and the Tennessee legislature won't be voting on this legislation, they can pressure our elected representative in Washington to support this, as state officials have done in the past when they go to Washington to ask for federal support.

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

The economic crisis our country currently faces is truly daunting.

For months we have heard about the bailouts for the financial services companies and for the "Big 3" automakers.  In response to the economic crisis facing American families and the massive budget shortfalls that states like our own are confronting, the Congress has begun discussing a much-needed economic stimulus plan.

When economic growth slows, state tax revenues, like stock prices, fall.  As the legislative session begins we know that Tennessee faces a tax-collection deficit that approaches $1,000,000,000.

We know that higher education is immensely important if we are to get our economy back on track. Investments in public higher education are investments in the future of all Tennesseans. Ultimately these investments boost the state's overall economic productivity, and improve Tennessee's economy in the long term. In the present economic climate public higher education institutions are the largest job-creation program that the state has.

In response to the crisis on Wall Street, Congress allocated $700 billion.  Something must be done to stop the massive budget cuts to higher education.

Please do all you can as an elected state official to pressure our Tennessee Congressional delegation to support federal funding to offset cuts to higher education.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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