By: James B. Ewers Jr. Ed. D.
I am reminded of the time-honored expression; tough times don’t last but tough people do. We are in the throes of tough times. Some might describe it as a nightmare in real time.
When we thought it couldn’t get any worse, it has. This cycle of madness and meanness is unprecedented at least in my lifetime.
An economic avalanche has hit the United States of America. The stock market is in a state of unrest and uncertainty. Many are placing blame and throwing shade at
the new group in Washington DC.
Citizens regardless of their political affiliation believe that we are in a moment of crisis. Lawmakers when they return home to give updates are being booed off
the stage.
This is what happened to Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards from North Carolina recently. He was in Asheville where the city is still recovering from
devastating floods some months ago.
One person in attendance asked, “How do you justify cuts to staff of the VA helping veterans especially those with long-term care needs.? The Congressman responded by saying, “Like him or not, Elon Musk has brought a lot of really smart people.”
In my opinion that was a frail and puny response to that question. Reports show that the Veterans Administration is preparing to lay off 80,000 staffers. Can you get the gravity of how letting go that number of people will affect the delivery of services?
The GOP has been advised not to do town halls and public assemblies. So, it begs the question, how do voters get updates and questions answered? It appears
that the new trend in DC is to do it by sending out emails. As we can see now, that is a popular way to be told you are being fired. That is appalling at every level of decency and humanity.
These cuts and gashes are also occurring at the US Department of Education. First off, if you have a family member who is going to college now, you should be worried.
If you have a relative who will be graduating from high school in the coming months, be watchful about the future.
The leader of the US Department of Education proudly said that she is putting herself out of a job and that the dismantling of the department is her final mission. Let’s be clear and know that she is a millionaire.
What will happen to Pell grants and loans? Will they disappear from the higher education landscape? Will Trio programs like Upward Bound and Student Support
Services be upended? Will summer enrichment programs and internship programs be dissolved?
All these questions are being juggled by people who are far removed from real America. They are living in a bubble of bad ideas and bad practices. They share the
same philosophy of their leader.
I wonder what the current vice president of the United States of America JD Vance thinks about all these education cuts. He was raised in a working-class family in Middletown Ohio. I wonder if he is familiar with a Pell Grant or a student loan?
National reports say the US Department of Education will cut approximately 1300 employees. These are men and women in the department with varying years of experience.
What this means to me is that the remaining staff will be stretched thin as they try to provide services for families. In addition, colleges and universities will feel the adverse effects of these drastic measures.
Dismissals and discharges have also affected the Internal Revenue Service. The Associated Press reports the agency is getting ready to cut its workforce in half. There are approximately 90,000 employees in the IRS.
We are in troubling times. When you have a moment, listen to Lord You Are Good, a song sung by Todd Galberth. It will strengthen you and make you know that this trouble is only temporary.
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a longtime educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalist.
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