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100,000 teachers: Clinton lies again

President Clinton has been braying about those 100,000 teachers he says will be hired across the United States because of his efforts.

Congress is on the verge of passing a huge spending bill. The House is supposed to vote on it tonight and the Senate on Wednesday.

The deal was worked out last week between negotiators from Congress and the White House. Clinton claimed to have forced Republican leaders from the Senate and House to agree to spend $1.1 billion from the budget surplus to hire the 100,000 new teachers.

U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor, R-Old Fort, was in Tiffin Monday for a candidate interview at The Advertiser-Tribune. He said Clinton is just spouting a slogan when he talks about 100,000 teachers.

Gilmmor said he hadn't had the opportunity to read that portion of the spending bill. But, he said, at most 20,000 teachers could be hired.

Furthermore, not all the the money will be spent on teachers.

Congress won negotiations concessions that would have some of the money used for special education and other school programs.

Gillmor favors the special education use for all the $1.1 billion. He said it would offset the difference between what was promised when Congress mandated some special education programs and what has been delivered.

Also, federal money for teachers would be for the term of the spending bill. If districts hired them, they either would have to be ready to do without them or pick up the extra tab when the federal dollars disappeared.

The 100,000-teacher promise carries the same veracity as many of Clinton's statements. None.

If 100,000 teachers were hired for one year at $25,000 apiece (that woulnd't include benefits and other related costs), it would cost $2.5 billion.

If the president has learned anything from his scandals and the prospect of impeachment proceedings, it doesn't look as if it has been to tell the truth.