Wrong priorities

According to a report by the Washington Roundtable and The Boston Consulting Group, Inc., presently in Washington there are 25,000 unfilled jobs because there are not enough qualified applicants with higher education. In addition, there will be an even larger gap of 50,000 unfilled jobs by 2017.

So it would seem that our representatives’ priorities should be preparing students by fostering interest in STEM and health care subjects and familiarizing higher education institutions with employer needs. Their priority should be making higher education more affordable and increasing funding for Pell grants and similar programs instead of distracting us about creating jobs.

In the meantime, our House and Senate sit on our students by doubling student loan interest rates and soap-boxing Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget, which includes cutting billions of dollars in Pell grant funding. Right this minute, there are corporations lobbying for an increase in H-1B visas in order to hire foreign workers for these upcoming jobs.

Some of the same corporations keep our tax revenue through tax breaks by jumping happily through our numerous loopholes. Our tax revenue money; money we need for educating our children in order to qualify for our jobs.

Teresa Nevins

Spokane