From a former life....

I just got a dorky e-mail from Phil telling me (and what I'm assuming was other 'CASA Alumni') that CASA got 2 mentions in today's Globe and Mail which has been traditionally hard press for CASA and other PSE advocacy, oh heck maybe even advocacy groups in general, to attain. Anyways, I was going to make fun of the e-mail (general dork-i-ness of it etc.) when I first started to reply but then I looked at the two mentions I felt kinda proud, lame I know...

Anyways here they are (both from A10):

FEDERAL BUDGET 2006: PRIORITIES
Student subsidies

JEFF GRAY

OTTAWA -- Students pursuing postsecondary education will find a small tax credit on the cost of their textbooks in the federal budget, and those who win scholarships will no longer have to pay income tax on them.

Those small moves that individual students across the country will notice - akin to the GST cut, and child-care and public transit allowances - also come with a larger commitment to give provinces and territories $1-billion to modernize classrooms, update equipment, computers and laboratories, and expand libraries.

While the tax breaks and cash, will be welcome, they fall short of what postsecondary institutions need, said Phillippe Ouellette, 24, of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, which represents 300,000 students.

"I think it appears that they've made an effort to define themselves as friendly to postsecondary education," Mr. Ouellette said of the Conservative government, adding that it missed the mark.

He said universities need dedicated long-term funding, and $4-billion for improvements and measures to make it easier for more people, notably from low-income families, to get an education.

The textbook break will allow full-time students to claim a 15.5-per-cent tax deduction on $65 worth of textbooks for each month they are enrolled, or a credit of $520 a year. A typical student, the government says, would then see a tax reduction of $80.60 over a school year.

The tax break will cost $135-million in 2006-07 and $125-million in 2007-2008 in lost revenues. About 1.9 million students are expected to be eligible.

I love that it mentions him being 24 as yesterday was his birthday.

and then amongst a series of quotes reacting to the budget:

FEDERAL BUDGET 2006: PRIORITIES
QUOTES

'Those who have a lot of money will say it's a good budget, no question about that. The middle class are the losers and the rich are the winners.'

Liberal Leader Bill Graham
***
'We will vote against it, but we will propose amendments. If Mr. Harper would accept a few changes, we're here to improve the budget. But we'll see.'

NDP Leader Jack Layton
***
'What about those students who can't access postsecondary education in the first place? What's the government doing to help students get into the system?'

Phillippe Ouellette, national director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
***
'The Conservatives' stealth campaign against the Kyoto Protocol continues in this budget.'

John Bennett, senior policy adviser on energy for the Sierra Club of Canada
***
'We're very pleased with the budget. I wouldn't say Kelowna is dead. We see this as a down payment

on the Kelowna agreement.'

Patrick Brazeau, national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, which represents off-reserve and non-status Indians . . .

there were more here but you get the idea....

Right after the two federalist opposition party leaders - good work.