On Wednesday, John Edwards had a clear message for parents who are worried about their children’s education costs.
“When your neighbor calls you and says that her daughter has worked hard and wants to go to college — you tell her: Hope is on the way.”
Who knew Edwards’ target audience may have been a member of Bush’s own cabinet?
As Poppy and a reader named LGW mentioned today, Tom Ridge may not stick around for a second Bush term (if there’s a second Bush term) because he wouldn’t be able to afford his kids’ college education.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is considering stepping down after the November election, telling colleagues he is worn out from the massive reorganization of government and needs to earn money in the private sector to put his teenage children through college, officials said.
[…]
Ridge, 58, has explained to colleagues that he needs to earn money to comfortably put his two children, Tommy Jr. and Lesley, through college, officials said. Both are now teenagers. Ridge earns $175,700 a year as a Cabinet secretary…. Ridge’s most recent financial disclosure reports, filed in early 2003, showed that he owned between $122,000 and $787,000 in stocks and funds, including modest ownership in The Walt Disney Co., General Electric, Nike, Oracle Corp. and Microsoft Corp.
These guys couldn’t be any more off message.
I wonder if the administration realizes how it sounds to the rest of us that a high-ranking federal official with a big salary, expensive Washington-area home, and generous stock holdings has to leave government just to send his kids to college.
As Poppy put it:
[A]ccording to CNN, college costs have soared over the past two years of the Bush presidency. Private tuition is up 10 percent, public college tuition is up 14 percent and community college tuition is up 12 percent. No wonder a guy who reports directly to the President thinks that a salary of $175,000 isn’t enough to save to send his kids to college.
And if Ridge can’t get by on his salary, what are the rest of us supposed to do?
Of course, Ridge will have the best of both worlds in just a few months. He’ll be able to cash in with the private sector after Bush loses to Kerry, who will in turn make it easier for the Ridges to send their kids to college.
Don’t worry, Mr. Ridge, hope is on the way.