Government should keep this promise

It's easy and popular to make promises.

It's the keeping of them that is tough.

Such is often the case in Washington D.C., where a promise too often is only as good as the next election.

We may become so jaded to empty promises that we don't really expect politicians to keep them.

It's different when children are at stake, however. It's even worse when those children are those who need extra help the most.

Now consider the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act -- I.D.E.A. -- passed in 1975, requiring special education for students with disabilities, and promising that the federal government would pay 40 percent of the costs.

As you may have guessed, while states and local school districts have kept their end of the bargain, the feds have never completely come through. In fact, federal special education funding has never exceeded 15 percent of the cost. Thus, local and state taxpayers have had to pick up the slack. In McCook's case, that's usually 30 percent of the total, with 70 percent coming from state and federal sources.

The problem seemed on its way to being solved earlier this spring, when the U.S. Senate unanimously approved an amendment by Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel to gradually move the federal government toward paying 40 percent of the special education costs for students with disabilities.

Unfortunately, the House education bill contains no such provision, and the education bill's final form is expected to be shaped by a conference committee before the end of the year.

"(The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is a gigantic, unfunded mandate," Hagel said at a press conference on Tuesday. "Educators have long struggled to provide the best education possible to all students. However, this federal mandate has forced them to choose between special education funding and other important education programs."

Governors have stepped out in support of Hagel's amendment as well. "Students with disabilities are entitled to the same educational opportunities as all other students, and special education opportunities today will help individuals with disabilities build bright and productive futures," Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns said. "In addition, full funding for IDEA will provide state and local governments with much-needed control and flexibility during these uncertain economic times to address a number of local priorities, in addition to special education."

We can't forget that our nation is at war, and our economy has slipped into a recession as well.

But we should remember that offering every citizen as many opportunities as possible is an important part of our national identity.