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Frankly Speaking About . ..
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“We need to master the art of transmit
ting wealth. The words ‘portfolio
diversification,” ‘capitalization,” ‘mar
ket yield,” ‘asset allocation,” and ‘mutu- ;
al funds’ should become a regular part §- 4 /
of our vernacular.” f@,
On Investing in Education 5 2
“Our children need to get a laptop for
Christmas, birthday, and Easter instead
of Nike sneakers, leather coats, and platinum jewelry.”
“The blame game in education must come to an end.
Administrators blame the teachers. Teachers point out the par
ent’s lack of involvement. And parents blame the bad influence
of their children's friends. There is enough blame to go around
from the policy maker to the student. Let’s move on and let’s all
be accountable.”
-Excerpt from 2002 speech delivered by Senator
Walker at the Augusta-Richmond NAACP
Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Fund Banquet
Creative University-High School
Partnership Emerges in Augusta
uoyed by state funding through the efforts of Senator Charles
B Walker, Augusta State University recently initiated the
Partners in Education Program, a collaborative undertaking of
year-round academic activities targeting students from T.W. Josey
and Lucy C. Laney high schools. The Program’s primary purpose:
to enable students to make a successful transition to Augusta col
lege life and into the area’s workforce by saturating them with col
lege-sponsored activities before they graduate from high school.
Senator Walker, himself a graduate of Augusta State University
and Lucy Laney High School, led the effort last summer to secure
the General Assembly’s approval of $200,000 on behalf of the
Partners in Education Program. The funds will be used for sup
plies throughout the year and stipends for both the high school
teachers and university professors during the summer session.
Partners in Education coordinators assure a comprehensive mix of
exciting and youth-oriented educational activities. During the
year, field trips, essay and paragraph writing workshops and other
projects will be used to increase students’ knowledge in science,
math, language arts, and social studies. The Program culminates
into a summer workshop held on the campus of Augusta State
University.
Interested parents of students from T.W. Josey High School or Lucy
Laney High School should contact their child’s teacher for addi
tional information about the Partners in Education Project.
Augusta Priorities Receive
Attention in State Budget
urrent budget measures under consideration in the
C General Assembly include millions of dollars in funding
for the Augusta area. Senator Walker has prioritized efforts to
maximize tax dollars by bringing services back to Augusta's chil
dren, women, and families. He is also fighting for budget items
that impact taxpayers across the State including $350 million in
continued cuts to property taxes. The following is a listing of
proposed funding for worthy projects in Augusta and Richmond
County.
Items in “Amended General Appropriations Act for State
Fiscal Year 2002”:
1. Medical College of Georgia SSO million
2. Equipment in Classrooms and for
Student Services in Augusta $780,000
3. Augusta Youth Development Center ~s4 million
4. Augusta Transitional Center $600,000
5 Renovation of Gracewood State
School and Hospital $1.3 million
Items in the Governor’s Budget Report for State Fiscal Year
2003:
1. Medical College of Georgia $10.2 million
2. Augusta Medical Examiner Program $317,000
3. E. Georgia Reg. Police Academy $ 72,000
4. Mass Transit Grants to Augusta $145,000
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Senator Walker with Augusta participants from Project
Success, an after-school mentoring and tutoring project
o °
Low-Cost Medications
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including food and rent.” The Share Card will offer immediate
access to medicines for the treatment of diseases including
hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and
depression.
1 In order to be eligible for the Share Card, an individual must sat
isfy three requirements: 1. Be 65 years of age or older or
Medicare eligible, 2. Have annual individual income below
SIB,OOO or joint income below $24,000, and 3. Have no other
prescription drug coverage. Individuals, who believe they may
qualify for this program, should call 1-800-717-6005 on or after
‘February Ist to request an application.