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 | Planet Extras! | | Rollerblade, Industry Group Decry Proposed Bush Budget Cuts Skates in School program, multi-use trail development would be stunted By Robert "Living With Orcs" Burnson Budget cuts proposed by The administration's 2006 budget proposes cutting funding -- and eventually phasing out -- the Physical Education for Progress (PEP) program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The PEP Program The PEP program provides grants to schools to buy athletic equipment and help pay salaries for physical education teachers. The Bush administration wants to cut the program by $15 million, reducing its annual budget to $55 million in 2006. Schools in Rollerblade's Skate in School program use PEP grants to buy skate equipment, which the company offers at a reduced price. More than 700 schools have participated in the program. "This is terrible news," said "The president's proposed cuts only undermine the progress we've all made over the last few years with government-subsidized programs that encourage healthy lifestyles for our nation's youth." The Conservation Fund The administration proposes cutting $92.5 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The fund is the main federal support for new parks and trails. Cutting the program would "affect the development of paved trails for multi-sport use, which includes inline skating," said Kalinda Mathis, marketing director of the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association and former director of the recently defunct International Inline Skating Association. The sporting goods association is strongly opposed to the proposed budget cuts. "It is almost inconceivable, during a time of intense public awareness of obesity and physical inactivity, for our government to turn away from two very cost effective programs, which promote healthy lifestyles through physical activity," said association president Tom Cove. (posted on February 15, 2005) | Talk about this story: • Skate Industry Decries Bush Budget Cuts Related reading: • 2004 Planet interivew with Rollerblade's Nick Skally | |||||||||
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... Copyright © 2005 by Robert Burnson | |||||||||||||
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