Billionaires Invest $60 Million To Ensure Education Is High On '08 Agenda

Everybody's favorite billionaire Bill Gates and his buddy Eli Broad are known for dispensing large amounts of the fortunes into worthy causes. The pair have already spent more than $2 Billion to improve schools. Gates and Broad say now that they are not satisfied with the pace of changes in the schools and they will not join forces and dump $60 Million into politics in hopes that they can put education very high on the agenda for the 2008 presidential race. This is said to be one of the most expensive initiatives for a single issue ever in a political race. Other high cost initiatives include a 22.4 million that the Swift Vets and P.O.W.s for Truth group spent against Senator John Kerry in 2004 and $7.8 million spent on advocacy that year by AARP, the lobby for older Americans, but both are very small in comparison to this new push for education. “I have reached the conclusion as has the Gates foundation, which has done good things also, that all we’re doing is incremental,” said Eli Broad. “If we really want to get the job done, we have got to wake up the American people that we have got a real problem and we need real reform.” The project is called Strong American Schools and uses the slogan "Ed in '08" and will include TV and radio ads in battleground states as well as internet campaigns as well as a national network of operatives in both parties. Bill Gates responded to questions via email stating “The lack of political and public will is a significant barrier to making dramatic improvements in school and student performance.” The campaign cannot legally endorse any candidates but will instead focus on three main areas: 1. A call for stronger, more consistent curriculum standards nationwide 2. Lengthening the school day and year 3. Improving teacher quality through merit pay and other measures. “Right now it’s too low on the list of priorities for all the candidates,” Mr. Broad said, “and our job is to get it up on the list.”