BogdanFieldFilmNotes4

Explain why the USA should have enough money for public education:

According to “The Story of Broke”, written by Annie Leonard, Jonah Sachs, and Louis Fox, the United States of America should have plenty of money go towards educational improvement throughout the country. Big businesses in the US dominate subsidies and it is absurd that we are allocating enormous amount of funds to large oil companies when our planet is undergoing an environmental crisis. $4 billion to $41 billion account for the amount of oil and gas subsidies in the US.

A part of the reason these companies get these huge breaks is because they know how to ask for them. Campaign donors and lobbyists are often a huge influence on government officials. In 2011, US senators who voted to keep oil subsidies around received five times more monetary compensation in campaign money than those who voted against. Basically, oil companies have the ability to buy votes. For example, Shell, the oil company, proposed a plant in Pennsylvania. This plant is said to receive tax credits for 25 years valued at 66 million dollars a year. The deal was struck by the republican governor, Tom Corbett. Later, he received more than one million dollars in donations for his campaign by the oil and gas industry.

By investing less in oil and gas subsidies and reallocating these funds to energy efficient and sustainable projects, we could provide the United States with environmental improvements, economic benefits and employment opportunities. Ultimately, this would save our planet and our money. According to the film, with $100 billion dollars, the US could increase the number of elementary school teachers by 40% and provide scholarships to 6 million university students. Subsidies should be reallocated to aid students in receiving the best education possible, as education is the first step in improving our country in an environmental way, an economical way, and in an equality way.

Carrington, Damian. "US Taxpayers Subsidising World's Biggest Fossil Fuel Companies." The Guardian. May 12, 2015. Accessed October 10, 2015. http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-broke/