Letter: Kennedy is right about higher education

Tuesday, April 25, 2006 | 7:07 a.m.

I don't agree with Sen. Ted Kennedy on immigration and his amnesty program cloaked in guest-worker garb. He is, however, spot on about the problem with our education system nationwide. While many in Nevada struggle with something as simplistic as low test scores and high dropout rates, the world is becoming a dangerous place for the poorly educated American.

Illegal immigrants are taking the low-end jobs here while workers in foreign countries stealthily siphon off our high-tech opportunities. Kennedy proposes that the federal government pay for the education of those willing and able to obtain a college degree. No, this is not any more preposterous than was the GI bill enacted after World War II.

It was the GI bill that propelled our country and our prosperity to where it is today. What Kennedy and others are concerned about is this: China and India graduate 650,000 and 350,000 engineers every year, respectively. Here in the United States we graduate 72,000, but half of these are foreign students. Even if all the foreign students remained, it will not be enough to keep us from becoming a second-tier economy very soon.

Contrary to popular belief, if I shine your shoes and you flip my burgers we cannot game our way to prosperity. The odds are against us. Do the math - the clock is ticking.

Richard Rychtarik, Las Vegas