Why is the government insistent on making the pursuit of education more difficult for young people? A recent study of some 41 countries found that the countries that performed the best economically from 1960 to 1985 had the strongest educational systems.

Our current paltry federal support for education is disgraceful at .02% of the budget or $27 billion. Transportation did a little better this year with $38 billion. The Republican Congress has made cuts in both of these vital social programs.

Student Veronica Ayesh from Georgia stated in your June 13 article on student loan cuts that she couldn’t understand why Congress refuses to cut the military. The U.S.A. forgot to come home from the war after WWII, and the budget for 1995 is 18%, or $272 billion. If you count the interest on the debt for past military procurements and pensions for all the admirals and generals we have accrued, we are talking about 27% of the budget or $422 billion yearly.

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Some young college grads have to go into the military because there are no other jobs available. This is a disgrace and the building of a death economy. Congressman (Newt) Gingrich is tickled that the military will purchase 442 F-22s manufactured in Marietta, Ga., Gingrich’s own backyard. $72 billion in tax dollars, or $2.3 million a day, on this wasteful project. Research has shown that $1 billion spent on missiles creates 9,000 jobs, whereas $1 billion spent on education creates 63,000 jobs.

Thomas Mann, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said, War is a coward’s escape from solving problems of peace. The U.S. is such a coward as we pursue weapons research of $38 billion yearly, while the Center for Disease Control receives $36 million yearly.

I hope that college students who are now beginning to feel the pinch of government mis-management will become more vocal about common-good priorities for this country.