02.07.07
Voucher Madness At The Capitol
Leininger has got one last card to play in his voucher scam and it’s pretty sad actually:
James Leininger, who has spent millions of dollars on Texas political campaigns, said Tuesday that the 2,000 students in the private school voucher programs he personally bankrolls will be “out on the street” if the Legislature does not approve a publicly funded voucher plan this year.
The San Antonio physician and businessman said his 10-year, $50 million commitment to fund a program for students in San Antonio’s Edgewood school district is set to expire next year.
He wants the Legislature to step in and provide public money for those students — and other low-income students around the state — to attend private schools or transfer to other public schools.
“If the Legislature doesn’t act, those kids are going to be out on the street,” he said.
That’s pretty dame ruthless. He started these kids in private school he could at least guarantee to pay for them until they graduate. Don’t worry, nobody will be out on the streets.
In response, Kathy Miller of the anti-voucher Texas Freedom Network said: “Private schools may be willing to put those kids out on the street, but the great thing about our neighborhood public schools is that they would never do that.”
I wonder if he told this lady he brought with him that her money would run out before her son graduated from the beginning? Unless, of course, he was able to buy off enough legislators for the state to pay for it.
Leininger brought to the editorial board meeting Aimee Cantu, whose 10-year-old son uses a Leininger voucher.
Cantu said she wanted to shield her son from the violence and drugs that she remembers from public schools.
“I didn’t want him pigeonholed in the same schools that I went to, the same schools that failed me, failed my sisters, failed my parents,” she said.
Leininger said he wants the Legislature to approve a voucher program in nine big-city districts, including Austin’s. The voucher would be worth up to 90 percent of the per-student operating cost in the local district, with the district keeping the remaining 10 percent.
Sure she does. He’s using this woman as a prop.
The Startlegram has this on the new frame they’re using for vouchers, Voucher backers focus on minority dropouts – the “wing-nut” Stossel even showed up.
Framing the issue as the latest front in the civil rights movement, thousands of parents, educators, and students descended on the state Capitol on Wednesday to support school vouchers.
[...]
“It never occurred to me to think of it in that way, but I do think it’s a civil right to get an education,†Leininger said. “I think, frankly, this is the first generation when that’s not happening.â€
Yes it’s a civil right. Fully fund public education and your voucher program will no longer be needed. It appears that so far this session there’s no takers for Leiniger’s voucher madness this session. After what it did to the GOP in Texas House in November and almost making Speaker Craddick, Rep. Craddick again, at this point nobody wants to take this on. No matter how much money they’re promised for ’08.