School Choice in DC? "Look for the Union Libel"

Wall Street Journal ^ | Feb 11, 2003 | Editorial

[The Raven]

When it comes to P.T. Barnum levels of cynicism, nothing compares to the deal by which Big City politicians sell out their own constituents by keeping choice out of even the worst public schools in exchange for support from the teachers unions.

[aristeides]

Did Mayor Williams know about the embezzlement by the teachers' union executives? Can he be prosecuted?

[AndyJackson]

Don't beat up on Williams too badly. He is the best we've got. He certainly isn't liked by the Democratic machine in D.C. which has tried every trick in the books to get him jailed, banned, disbarred and whatever else the fortunately completely incompetent DC bureaucracy might be able to do. (Who do you think was behind the faked signitures on his registration petition in the first place? He had not trouble getting signatures and votes the legal way when an effort was made). By the way, as a D.C. resident, I aplaud any and every possible diminution of home rule. D.C. is an example of why some ditatorships are better than some so-called democracies.

[aristeides]

I've been in favor of Williams in the past, but I find it very hard to believe he was not aware of the corruption of the teachers' union leaders. And some of the embezzled money went to his campaigns.