{news} Eliminate Tuition, Thornton Says in New TV Commercial

[ken krayeske]

Thornton for Governor
For Immediate Release
Oct. 11, 2006
For more information, contact Ken Krayeske, 860-995-5842

Eliminate Tuition, Thornton says in new TV Commercial
 
/*Campaign continues to promote free college funding in video ads */

/Hartford/ - In his second television commercial, Green Party 
gubernatorial candidate Cliff Thornton issues a renewed call for the 
elimination of tuition and fees at Connecticut's public colleges and 
universities.

The new 60-second spot, filmed at Eastern Connecticut State University 
and the University of Connecticut Law School, is posted online at 
<http://www.votethornton.com/pages/video.html>.

"Connecticut must invest in its young people now," Thornton says. "We 
must make state universities and colleges tuition and fee free. 
Education is the most powerful weapon against ignorance and poverty. To 
democratize our educational institution is to create long term 
prosperity and security."

Thornton's new commercial explores how Governor M. Jodi Rell and the 
Democrats in the state legislature have failed to create affordable 
educational opportunities for students.

"We have to keep bringing this up, because the two parties ignore it," 
Thornton says. "The state has spent hundreds of millions making the 
campuses look good, but why have new structures if students can't afford 
to enter them? What's worse is that these young people borrow thousands 
to gain access to those buildings, and then that debt forces them to 
leave Connecticut after graduation because we rank almost dead last in 
job growth nationally."

Investing heavily in education costs spurs economic growth, and will 
create jobs, as any number of studies equate educational funding and 
economic growth.  The National Education Association in 2004 correlated 
economic growth and educational investment.

"We can grow jobs by redirecting tax dollars to build our collective 
intellectual capacity," Thornton says.

Thornton himself went to college to better his employment prospects.

"I wanted to advance my career, and the only way I could do that was 
with a college education," Thornton says.

He graduated from Hartford Public High School in 1964, and had he gone 
to UConn then, it would have been free. But after his mother died of a 
heroin overdose, Thornton enrolled in the Army, and served in Germany. 
He finally earned his bachelors' degree in marketing until 1986 at Post 
University in Waterbury. He financed his tuition payments at the private 
university with help from his employer,  SNET, and the Veterans 
Administration. 

"I understand everyone is not so lucky to have that kind of help, which 
is why we need to eliminate tuition as a hurdle for students to earn 
their education," Thornton says. "The retention rates at Connecticut's 
public colleges are poor."

Pointing to Eastern Connecticut State University, like he does in the 
commercial, Thornton notes that its two year retention rate is 59 
percent, <http://www.easternct.edu/depts/fiscal/SpendPlanArchive.htm>.

"A large percentage of students who drop out do so because they cannot 
afford school," Thornton says. "This is not right."

Thornton is advocating that people who leave college - for whatever 
reason - should have the benefit of free tuition as well.

"If Governor Rell is ever interested in completing her degree, I don't 
think, despite her years on the public payroll, that she should have to 
pay, either," Thornton says. "Making education accessible to all should 
be one of our top priorities. We need a GI Bill for all citizens. Until 
everyone who wants to go can attend college, we are failing on 
delivering the promise of the American dream."

The text of the ad is as follows:
"The two major parties consistently underfund education. Young people 
suffer and our economy shows the effects when government slashes grants 
to public universities. Consider Eastern Connecticut State University, 
where tuition has outpaced inflation, putting school out of reach for 
many worthy students. So how have the Republican governor and the 
Democratic state legislature responded? They cut funding! The gap 
between state funding and cost per student is almost $3,000. The problem 
is not unique to Eastern. Isn't it time to start investing in our young 
people. Let's eliminate tuition and fees at Connecticut's public 
colleges and universities. Vote free college. Vote Green."
.
For more information, contact Ken Krayeske at 860-995-5842.

-30-
-- 



Peace,

Ken Krayeske

Campaign Director

Thornton for Governor

P.O. Box 1971

Manchester, CT 06045


860-995-5842



*This message is paid for and approved by Thornton for Governor, Max 
Wentworth, Treasurer*


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