Thanks to Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, for introducing the Chronic Absenteeism Reduction Act. School-based mentoring programs are a valuable step in helping students overcome the hurdles to school success. The public neighborhood school is the heart of a community and can be a powerful central place of support for children whose families may be struggling economically. I urge schools in rural Washington to use this legislation.
In our region, the congresswoman can do even more. Take it from former Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.; James A. Baker III, secretary of state under George H.W. Bush; and George P. Shultz, secretary of state under Ronald Reagan: carbon pricing helps families.
Their plan is transparent and simple: collect a fee on fossil fuels, then give all the money back to Americans as a monthly dividend. In the 3rd Congressional District, even with a slight rise in energy costs and gasoline, 89 percent of low-income households would see an increase in real income. In 20 years, the policy is projected to generate an extra $400 per month for a family of four. No matter the effect of global warming, this plan can help parents in our region focus their attention on their kids.
