'Pit of hell' comment reveals GOP agenda

Houston Chronicle ^ | March 16, 2003 | MOLLY BETH MALCOLM

[Cincinatus' Wife]

State Rep. Debbie Riddle, a Houston Republican, came under fire last week for suggesting that our state's commitment to providing all Texas children with a quality education is a concept from communist Russia, or, to use her words, "straight out of the pit of hell."

Specifically, The El Paso Times reported that after a hearing of the House Border Affairs Committee, of which she is a member, Riddle said: "Where did this idea come from that everybody deserves free education, free medical care, free whatever? It comes from Moscow, from Russia. It comes straight out of the pit of hell." While Riddle's comments are outrageous, they also reveal the Republican's true agenda in Texas. Riddle's comments amount to more than an individual politician foolishly showcasing her ignorance. Unfortunately, they are an accurate portrayal of the approach that many Republicans bring to the budget crisis facing Texas. Republicans proposed abolishing the state's public school finance system. Their plan would cut state funding for nine out of every 10 Texas school children without any alternative method to replace it. Republicans have proposed a voucher program that would divert taxpayer dollars to private schools and drain money out of public schools.

Republicans are contemplating slashing a program that provides low-cost health insurance to half a million children from working families. The Republican cuts would leave 250,000 children out of the Children's Health Insurance Program. Furthermore, Texas will forfeit $1 billion in federal funds from Washington, D.C., if the Republicans have their way. Republicans have proposed cutting treatment for the mentally ill and mentally retarded. The $287.5 million cut will result in the closing of state hospitals, hundreds of layoffs and thousands of Texans going without mental health treatment.

Republicans have proposed increasing tuition at our state colleges and universities. What Republican leaders are calling "tuition deregulation" would result in middle-class families being unable to afford college education for their children.

Republicans have proposed kicking 25,000 of our senior citizens out of nursing homes. Hundreds of thousands of elderly or disabled people who live at home would lose their medication as well.

One Republican even suggested eliminating the 12th grade in order to balance the budget! Democrats want to balance the budget, but we oppose balancing the budget on the backs of children, the elderly and working families.

Republicans appear willing to put cuts ahead of people. Riddle may sound like an extremist, but her views reflect the proposals of many Republican legislators. What makes the Republican cuts so alarming is that there are enough Republicans like Riddle in the House and Senate to pass these types of draconian cuts.

There's a reason Republicans haven't controlled the legislature for 130 years. Perhaps after the Republican cuts are enacted, the voters of Texas will decide they shouldn't control it for another 130 years.

Malcolm is chairwoman of the Texas Democratic Party.

[dalereed]

"American public education began at the turn of the (I assume "Twentieth") Century?"

My mother, born in 1906 was not educated in "public school" per say, she was educated in a one room school built by the local residents and a teacher that was hired by them. No government involved. That was in North Dakota and by todays standards would be equivelant to a Masters or PHD.

The only public schools were in large metropolitan centers and were not very old at that time. My father, 1902, went to public school in San Diego, CA.

[Maceman]

One Republican even suggested eliminating the 12th grade in order to balance the budget!

Business Week magazine -- no bastion of conservatism -- ran a very compelling article about doing this back in 1999. It is definitely an idea worth considering -- assuming one has to have government schools in the first place.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I have an idea. Give everyone at least half of their taxes back. . Let there be an open market for school choice, including money to homeschool. Under these conditions I think people would learn to use birth control and condoms if they did not want children.

[vannrox]

THERE IS NOTHING OUTRAGEOUS ABOUT THE COMMENT AT ALL.

It is true.
If our founders wanted the State to provide these services, they would of explicitly put it in the Constitution.

Anything that was considered important was written down.

[B Knotts]

"Public education", i.e., socialized schooling, is now really more of an entitlement program providing child care and free breakfasts and lunches. It's also a massive jobs program. That's why politicians rarely speak out against it. It's hard to wean people from the public teat, when they do not wish to be so weaned.

[Lessismore]

"straight out of the pit of hell."

The idea that all should be able to read the Bible on their own and not just receive an interpretation from priests is a Protestant plot.

Maybe Ms. Riddle is Catholic?

[meenie]

First, the US government should not be involved in elementary and secondary education. States, under the equal protection clause, should reimburse any home schoolers as well as any other private or religious schools, the same amount as spent on 'public schools'. Children and their education are too important to be left to the whims of a government sponsored monoply.

[TxBec]

A friend of mine is on this program and she tried to convince me to sign up a couple years ago. ("It's VERY affordable.")....I said, "that's good" and stayed on my health plan..

I was talking to her the other day and she is not happy. She can only see certain doctors, can't get appointments when she needs them, etc. She now is switching over to the plan I am on. Go figure.

[B Knotts]

Yeah, because all us Catholics is ignorant, illiterate Micks, right?

Why don't you go back to the p*ssing match that is the religion forum and stir up your hatred over there?

[TxBec]

ping.

[Spiff]

Looks like one Republican gets it.

Socialism is socialism and it is evil in all of its forms!!

[Maigrey]

I have to agree. When was all the freebies guaranteed? Watch out folks, socialism is spreading, and it is eating away your pocketbooks for those who want the freebies.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"There's a reason Republicans haven't controlled the legislature for 130 years."

Gee, Molly, some of us know why. When those darned dark-skinned folks started to become able to attain the right to vote after our party freed them from the bondage that yours championed, you took that right away from them. After you spent decades reenslaving them back into your party, then you systematically prevented lighter-skinned Republicans from winning office through mass-scale disenfranchisement known as gerrymandering. Y'know, the same disenfranchisement that permits (still) a 17-15 'Rat to GOP majority when you get far fewer votes. Lie, cheat, steal, manipulate, you name it, that's why you guys were able to hold the legislature for 130 years. A record, I'm sure, you're quite proud of, and as you say, anxious to display again.

[Maigrey]

I went most of my childhood without health insurance. I didn't suffer... so why do these kids need it now? Is the DNC forcing tax dollars to their cronies who profit off of insurance premiums?

[Goodlife]

Cutting public education is wrong.

Except when Michigan Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm does it.

Read some Michigan stories some time. Jennifer Granholm has done cuts that would make anyone proud. They even are described by the liberal Detroit Free Press as "courageous." If Dick Posthumus had won, and implemented the same cuts, he would have been described, in print, as the philosophical successor of Adolph Hitler.

Personally, from what little computer work I've done in Detroit, it looks like public education down there exists solely to bring younger kids in proximity to older drug dealers. :P

[DanZ]

Today's Houston Comical (Sunday edition as opposed to the Sunday edition they print and sell on Saturday). On the front page they have two pictures. On the left is a picture of a 10 to 12 year old girl with a peace sign covering her face. On the right side is a picture of a 10 to 12 year old boy, his face is covered by the Bars & Stripes. The caption identifies the girl as a demonstrator for peace outside the U.S. Embassy in DENMARK, the boy is participating in a rally supporting American troops in Georgia.

Now, I have some thoughts on the Houston Comical's picture. It was Anne Frank who hid in an attic somewhere in Demark for a number of years before the Natzis found her and send her to her death at a concentration camp. And it may very well have been a grandfather of the boy pictured in the Houston Comicle that served in the U.S. military during W.W. II. This grandfather and other selfless U.S. soldiers are the ones that freed the Danish from the Natzis and thus allowed this young girl, whose head must be full of mush, to demonstrate against the U.S. After all, not only will the U.S. by removing Saddam Housain from power, give the U.S. freedom from terrorism, we will also free the people of Iraq from the type of terror practiced by the Natzis in W.W. II

The Houston Comicle is a "extreme" left wing publication :). They are Socialist both in their editorial coverage and in the stories they caryy in all the other parts of the paper. I would say that the Houston Comicle and their editors are experts at using McArthyite tactics. There is some good news. The circulation of the Houston Comicle is declining - but best of all the advertising content is dropping. FOLLOW THE MONEY.

[judgeandjury]

Republicans have proposed a voucher program that would divert taxpayer dollars to private schools and drain money out of public schools.

Well, if parents use a voucher program to take their child out of a public school and place him into a private school, then that public school would no longer need to spend any money to teach that particular child. The amount of money per student that the public school receives would remain the same. The total amount of money that the public school receives would be less, but the total number of students attending that public school would also be less due to the voucher program.

[steplock]

http://www.gohotsprings.com/school/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=127

Are we teaching American Citizens or training Prussian Serfs?
PRI
Diane Alden

How do we Americans begin to understand the problems we are experiencing today with our educational community and with our system of education?

Oddly enough, the answer to this and other perplexing questions regarding education go back in history to Napoleon’s defeat of the Prussian army in 1806. Because of the Prussian failure to defeat Napoleon, Germany took a long hard look at its institutions—primarily its school system. This introspection led to the conclusion that Prussian pride and power could only be restored by restructuring that system.

A strategy was devised in which the Prussian government would set up a forced government educational system which would turn out well disciplined students who would follow orders without questioning authority. To accomplish this feat, the goal of educating children became a national priority permeated with strategies adapted to turn out a national work force rather then an educated citizenry. Every step in the education process was calculated to offer authority figures the least amount of trouble and consequently train a well disciplined albeit docile citizen.

[RightOnline]

"While Riddle's comments are outrageous,..."

Are they now, Molly girl? Well, here's a news flash, sweetheart. There are one HELL of a lot of us who feel exactly the same way. If you want to be so hell-bent to give away everything, start with YOUR bank account, sweetie.