Democrats, Friends of the Poor and Disadvantaged.

Or so they would have you believe, they never tire of talking about it and telling you about the heartless fat cat Republicans, they are the masters of the ‘Give a Dog a Bad Name’ strategy.

Meantime see how they pander to the Teachers’ Union fat cat ideologues and stick it to the poor of Washington DC, from the Washington Post, the whole column.

Presumed Dead
Politics is driving the destruction of the District’s school voucher program.

EDUCATION SECRETARY Arne Duncan has decided not to admit any new students to the D.C. voucher program, which allows low-income children to attend private schools. The abrupt decision — made a week after 200 families had been told that their children were being awarded scholarships for the coming fall — comes despite a new study showing some initial good results for students in the program and before the Senate has had a chance to hold promised hearings. For all the talk about putting children first, it’s clear that the special interests that have long opposed vouchers are getting their way.

Officials who manage the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program sent letters this week to parents notifying them that the scholarships of up to $7,500, were being rescinded because of the decision by the Education Department. Citing the political uncertainty surrounding vouchers, a spokesperson for Mr. Duncan told us that it is not in the best interest of students and their parents to enroll them in a program that may end a year from now. Congress conditioned funding beyond the 2009-10 school year on reauthorization by Congress and approval by the D.C. Council. By presuming the program dead — and make no mistake, that’s the insidious effect of his bar on new enrollment — Mr. Duncan makes it even more difficult for the program to get the fair hearing it deserves.

That’s not to mention the impact of the last-minute decision on these families. Many of the public charter schools already have cut off enrollments for the upcoming school year; the deadline for out-of-boundary transfers for the public schools has passed. No doubt Mr. Duncan is right about possible disruption for new students if the program were to end. But scholarship officials have been upfront with parents about the risks, and the decision really should be theirs. Let them decide whether they want to chance at least one year in a high-quality private school versus the crapshoot of D.C. public schools.
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That, after all, is what this program is about: giving poor families the choice that others, with higher salaries and more resources, take for granted. It’s a choice President Obama made when he enrolled his two children in the elite Sidwell Friends School. It’s a choice Mr. Duncan had when, after looking at the D.C. schools, he ended up buying a house in Arlington, where good schools are assumed. And it’s a choice taken away this week from LaTasha Bennett, a single mother who had planned to start her daughter in the same private school that her son attends and where he is excelling. Her desperation is heartbreaking as she talks about her daughter not getting the same opportunities her son has and of the hardship of having to shuttle between two schools.

It’s clear, though, from how the destruction of the program is being orchestrated, that issues such as parents’ needs, student performance and program effectiveness don’t matter next to the political demands of teachers’ unions. Congressional Democrats who receive ample campaign contributions from the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers laid the trap with budget language that placed the program on the block. And now comes Mr. Duncan with the sword.

Every day comes something disgusting about the Democrats and yet millions vote for them. The millions who are either idiots or bought and paid for I guess.

H/T Powerline.

Update. Greg Forster at PJM has more.

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Posted by ligneus1 on Apr 12, 2009 in Marxism, Obama, Uncategorized | 8 comments

8 Comments

  1. zee
    Apr 12, 2009

    To think teachers were once benign and trusted figures in a child’s life. Now they are, for the most part, malignant tumors sucking blood from children.

  2. El
    Apr 12, 2009

    Bush doesn’t care about black people!

    You have to watch this, on the school topic:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx4pN-aiofw

  3. MK
    Apr 12, 2009

    Yes indeed Zee, sucking away, when they’re not trying to have sex with the children that is.

    It’s the power of the media and the ignorance of the masses. The fools gleefully voted for obama and now they have to suffer the consequences.

    The thing people do not understand is that it is in the interests of the democrats and the left to keep the people poor and in the dumps.

    MKs last blog post..He dared to opine against homos!

  4. zee
    Apr 14, 2009

    El
    This post has nothing to do with Bush, but go ahead and ignore the billions he wasted for AIDS in Africa.

    Anything produced by ABC is a waste of my time. Want good schools? Get the damn gov’t out of it. Get rid of the unions. And fire every freaking teacher who can’t inculcate the basics while leaving their freaking politics at home. Replace all the revisionist textbooks, all the touchy-feelie ‘sally has two mommies’ crapola with America’s actual history and the classics. Bring back dodge ball and tag. Oh, and shoot all the shrinks and social engineering elitist whores on sight. Schools will straighten out in no time.

  5. zee
    Apr 14, 2009

    MK- it is so very good to see you. I have been very remiss in keeping up with you.
    Isn’t it amazing what has happened to America.
    I am still stunned. To Obama and his ilk, children are economic units – disposable and expendable. Those w/great skills or gifts will become pets of the state. Remember when Russian artists, ballerinas, gymnasts, etc were always trying to escape when on tour. Stories of how they endured excruciating training and were taken from their families with no say for their destiny. I swear to god this is a nightmare, it really is. What is more grotesque are the Americans who remain so fatuously ignorant of it all, or worse, they welcome it

  6. zee
    Apr 14, 2009

    I clicked to your blog and see that you are Lig’s daughter. So, sorry for being bitchy, but, as Lig will attest, it comes naturally. Since it is you, I will check out the video. Just took for granted by your Bush reference that you were one of the many who feel a need to drag Bush into everything. As Lig will tell you, I am not a Bush fan, but sick of his name being thrown about yet. So, will check out your vid tomorrow and my apologies.

  7. ligneus1
    Apr 15, 2009

    Zee, no need to apologise, she’s not one of those wilting flower lefties, she’s open to disagreement and a different point of view unless it comes from one of the aforementioned wfl’s!

  8. El
    Apr 15, 2009

    Yeah, the ‘joke’ was of course that you won’t hear anyone screech that Obama doesn’t care about black people – maybe it was a bit obscure. It’s probably all Bush’s fault anyhow. :P

    Normally I wouldn’t post anything from somewhere like ABC, but as it’s my fellow libertarian John Stossel I make an exception. ;) I don’t know if you like him much but I think he does a good job of calling bullshit on a lot of things and forcing people to take a different look at the issues. I get his Stossel in the Classroom free DVDs and they’re great springboards for discussion for older kids – I’m looking forward to actually being able to use them, but in the meantime I was curious.

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