Advocacy

The state of Mississippi, while home to generations of literary giants, ranks at or close to last of all state literacy rates and the dollar amounts spent on each pupil in its public school system. High poverty levels and a lack of funding for remediation, materials, and teacher training all contribute to the critical problem.

In February, legislation that would provide small businesses with access to greater health insurance options and lower premiums by allowing for the creation of Association Health Plans was introduced in both the House and Senate.

On Wednesday, February 16, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced in the Senate "The Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005" (S.406), which looks to "help small businesses access greater health insurance options and lower premiums" by allowing for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHP). The bill was co-sponsored by a bi-partisan group of 10 senators, including Senators Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) and John McCain (R-AZ). Following its introduction into the Senate, S.

For the eighth consecutive year, principals and teachers will offer to dye their hair green, be duct-taped to walls, or jump out of airplanes; all-star football players will wear silly, tall striped hats; and governors and mayors will issue proclamations, all to encourage children to pick up a book and read on March 2, the National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America Day.

On Wednesday, February 2, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives "The Small Business Health Fairness Act" (H.R. 525), legislation that would allow for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHPs). AHPs would enable small businesses to band together across state lines through bona fide trade and professional associations to purchase affordable health packages for themselves and their employees.

The November 10 opening of Warner Brothers' animated adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's classic Christmas tale, The Polar Express (Houghton Mifflin), starring Tom Hanks, is just over a month away.

By Robert Gray In July, NEA chairman Dana Gioia announced the dismal results of a survey of America's reading habits, including the news that those people admitting to having read fiction, poetry, or plays had dipped to 46.7 percent in 2002, down from 54 percent the last time the survey was done in 1992. A copy of the study still rests on my desk, taunting me.

The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott Medal-winning children's book, will hit the big screen this November 10 in an animated adaptation from Warner Bros., starring Tom Hanks.

In George Orwell's novel 1984 (Signet), one of Big Brother's most famous slogans is "War is Peace." And while Orwell's ominous, futuristic story was published 55 years ago, the "Rhetoricians for Peace," an independent activist group, believe that such Orwellian doublespeak has taken on special relevance these days.