Part of the problem associated with literacy is that we've come to believe our own press. Literacy rates that we love to quote are determined by averaging the number of print newspapers that are bought daily in both the US and Canada. Also, generally, Grade 9-level reading is the accepted norm to determine whether or not a person is literate. So, various almanacs (of good repute) say that 99% of the North American population is literate. NOT SO. Maybe 80% (that's a guess), but certainly 99% looks better when governments have to show us all what a good job they're doing. Literacy money? We don't need no steenkin' literacy money . . . .