Comments on: Bush's tech budget favors Homeland Security Dept.

If Congress approves proposal, agency spending would jump 21 percent--and funding for NASA, education would shrink.

[rcrusoe]

They'll need every penny

It takes a lot of money to maintain all those windows computers that are so easily damaged by a "bumbling computer nerd".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4715612.stm

[Laserdisc]

That's really odd...

I've done some IT work (installing library computers) for the military and the only thing running Windows I found were office workstations otherwise everything else was running different flavors of unix. I guess plugging in any Windows machine into any enviornment (be it MacOS, Linux or otherwise) could allow hackers access to what should have been a highly secured network and it probably was except they overlooked the Windows machines that were connected to this "highly secured" network. If the govt were smart they would start using MacOS for their workstations since Macs have such a small market share and the fact that the latest OS is built on Unix. The chances of this occuring again would be greatly lowered due to the small number of people that use or hack MacOS.

[200mbpsBPL]

Broadband over Powerlines for Security of the power grid

" Transformers have eyes and ears

Security of the power grid is a high priority for us. The communication signal on the lines allows us to place cameras and other monitoring equipment on the electrical grid. All the data is piped into a central location, reducing the time and resources needed to monitor the grid. This frees up manpower to do more important things, like making sure your power keeps flowing."

http://www.duke-energy.com/news/plc.asp

[marileev]

At the Cost of Technology in Schools

The story cited the cutback in technology education programs stresses an already maxed out U.S. education system already pressured to "...train 70,000 high school teachers, to lead advanced-placement courses in math and science, bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms, and give early help to students who struggle with math, so they have a better chance at good, high-wage jobs." -- President Bush State of the Union http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/sotu.transcript/index.html

Many of the new budget proposals run in direct opposition to the State of the Union's blindly optimistic marks, with many states unable to hire new teachers. In Washington State, we are 46th. in class size - http://www.washingtonea.org/

Can we afford to cut the potential futures of our kids?

[rcrusoe]

Technology in schools isn't always the answer.

Maybe we need better management of the money we already spend on education (as well as every other government budget item).

Washington D.C. spends more per child than any other city in America, and scores dead last in academic achievement.

What good is a computer for "Johnny" when he can't read?

[heystoopid]

Sadly

Sadly, it looks like the average school teacher will now need three job's just merely to support him/or herself in the suburban dream!

So there ain't no incentive to become a teacher! at this rate they will be down to $6 an hour, for average school board to fund basic education for the first six years from the cent in the dollar budget(well we are still fighting and losing Nixon's war on drugs(1973) and juniors new war on terrorism(*2000))

Oh well, as nelson would say Ha! Ha!

[Riphly]

Grand Announcements

That's the Bush administartion style all over! - make the grand
announcement on TV and in the NP headlines that he's gonna
build up and support education, he's such a good old joe, such a
caring guy!
But when the buck stops at his desk, it gets shoved into the
black hole of "security" where there is no accounting for it's use,
secrecy doncha know, and payment to 'security services' that
create nothing and benefit only the companies providing the
service.
Education might create an educated child, but then that child
would be able to think and evaluate Bush administration-like
activities and then VOTE AGAINST them. Now that just wouldn't
do...