Rasmussen: South Carolina Shifts In Both Primaries

Captain's Quarters ^ | Jan. 14, 2008 | Ed Morrissey

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“First, stressing the NEA endorsement is a specious “guilt by association” argument, that generally condemns its user more than the intended victim”

It’s not specious. Huckabee has been a public school monopoly proponent, he’s been for NCLB and touted more spending on public schools and has been skeptical of vouchers, and the NEA responded to those positions. The NEA endorsement is a way to highlight Huckabee’s non conservative views and record on education policy.

Your personal attacks on Thompson are duly noted but mean nothing.

‘No matter how one slices it, it is the expansion of the educational welfare system into the private sector. “ Completely false and untrue. It is LESS government intrusion, as kids in 100% govt schools can be placed in schools that are private and which has less govt intrusion.

“It would weaken the sacrifice system that families now employ. “ BS! And actually a bit offensive although you didnt mean it that way. You see, when I sent my kids to private school here is what my sacrifice system was: I paid TWICE for schooling, once in paying for the school property tax and again paying for tuition. Is that right? Why should parents pay twice to educate their children?!? I find it offensive that you and others imply some welfare concept to education vouchers. It is simply a subsidy to the educational establishment *not the parent* and it never more of a subsidy fromthe taxpayers than is already going on with public school direct funding.

So why the wacky idea that parents ‘sacrifice system’ combined with direct funding of Govt monopoly schools is good? It’s not. It leaves 90% of kids locked into a public school system that has been proven to fail almost a quarter of them. And is provably less efficient and cost-effective than alternatives. And enforces secularist views.

We pay $8,000 a year to educate a K-12 child in America. You r state may vary, in some places like DC and New York it is much higher. This is a lot of money. It goes directly into a Soviet style Government monopoly system. Everyone is a direct govt employee in the system. The system is so bad we are out-competed by dozens of other countries.

No conservative should accept that awful status quo. Non-conservatives like the Huckster do.

“And I don’t see how anyone, especially a conservative, can argue that government regulation would not make its way into what are now unfettered private schools.” The FACTS are plain when you look at school choice programs - they work. They do not burden educational institutions. They are less intrusive than the current Soviet-style system.

It’s bizarre to me that you think a soviet-style system is less intrusive than a system that works like the College Pell Grant program. Bizarre. But if you have facts to back up your specious claims, I’m all ears. In the meantime, look at when the model school choice programs are really about, not biased and unfair claims from opponents who fear the breakup of the Soviet-style school monopoly:

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=9432