S.C. LEGISLATORS STICK IT TO KIDS IN FAILING, BELOW AVERAGE SCHOOLS … ONCE AGAIN
FITSNews – March 29, 2007 – If your kid is stuck in a failing or below average public school in South Carolina, the S.C. House of Representatives – led by Republican Speaker Bobby Harrell – sent you a clear message today: “WE DON’T CARE.”
By a 70-49 vote, the Harrell-controlled House rejected a hard-fought school choice compromise that would have dramatically expanded parental options in South Carolina, especially for the 200,000 children who are currently trapped in one of the Palmetto State’s nearly 400 failing schools.
You’d think with the nation’s lowest SAT scores and worst graduation rate, there would be some sense of urgency among our elected officals to do something. But for the third year in a row, apparently not.
By Henry March 30, 2007 at 8:50 am
Easy on poor Harrell, Willie. He can’t have South Carolina kids actually being able to complete sentences. That would make them smarter than he is. Same goes for most of the Democrats. You’ve got to hand it to them: their logic is sound. It goes like this: “We’re dumbasses, and always have been. That’s how we got to where we is. What makes these kids think they’s something wrong with being dumbasses? They ain’t so goddamn special.”
By Alex Gillon March 30, 2007 at 8:52 am
If individuals are “trapped” in a “failing” or unsatisfactory job situation, they generally seek a new one. If they are “trapped” in a “failing” marriage, they seek
to remedy that personally. They do not seek a government remedy or aid. But if they have children who are “trapped’ in a “failing” school, they want the gov”t. through vouchers to pay them to leave. Consevatives continually mouth slogans like “individual initiative” and “excessive gov’t. interference.” Well, here’s a chance for them to put that philosophy into action. Volunteer, organize, promote–make your public school a better place to educate your children.
By Squire March 30, 2007 at 9:59 am
Alex,
Are tax dollars designated to marriages in order to make sure they work?
Unlike the examples in your illogical analogies,these schools are government institutions that are failing to fulfill their stated reason for existence. They are created, sustained, and controlled by the government, and you say parents should remedy the myriad problems personally?
Are you going to pep talk half of South Carolina students from dropping out? Organize parents to keep their kids in schools that aren’t teaching them basic skills?
By Alex Gillon March 30, 2007 at 11:40 am
If you will look at the public schools in this state, you will find that the best ones have this in common: they all have tremendous support from the parents and community. Irmo High and Dreher High are two prime examples. If you look at many of the failing schools, you will find just the opposite is the fact. Many of these schools saw this erosion of parent involvement and community support with the “white flight” to the segregationist academies beginning in the late 1960′s.(check those schools out along the “Corridor of Shame”) This bill would have just encouraged more to do the same, there and elsewhere, or rewarded those who had shirked there civic duty and had left years ago. The point that you seem to have missed is simple: the gov’t. is the people, and that individuals working together for the good of their community and all the people (not just their own selfish interests) can make a difference.
By Squire March 30, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Yes, teamwork is a good thing.
Any school, public or private, benefits from parental involvement. However, to claim involvement in public education is a staple civic duty for every American family is ludicrous. I am more than aware that government is the people, and I am likwise aware that government exists to protect the liberty of citizens to choose. If this bill had passed, many struggling families would have had the opportunity to choose the best academic facility. You want to tell them that’s a bad thing?
By Syd April 1, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Alex is 100% correct. It’s all about parents getting involved. Period. Those whose parents care, succeed. Those whose parents are absent, don’t. But I’ll go even further.
This whole School Choice debate is just another way for Republicans to disguise their desires to further segregate schools as appearing to care about middle and lower income families or those living in non-white districts. It’s a way for them to abdicate their responsibility to ALL schools and all voting demographics in order to continue to give tax cuts and corporate welfare to the rich. It’s no coincidence that the “best” schools they are always talking about are in Northeastern blue states where they recognize the need for significant and sustained investment in education and recognize that not investing in giving EVERYONE as much education as possible is a sure way to cost much, much more down the road.
By Trey Ward April 1, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I think you’ve got the title wrong. It should be; GOP LEGISLATORS STICK IT TO SCRG.
Last session, PPIC was defeated by a 5 or 6 vote margin. This session, school choice went down by 20 votes.
Why??? Because there are atleast a dozen GOP legislators who will never forget the political terrorism of SCRG, Club for Growth, and Conservatives in Action.
Cotty, Taylor, Pinson, and even Skipper Perry, (all solid Republicans) among others, were the targets of these groups because they voted against a procedural motion on PPIC in the last session.
For this one vote, they were labeled RINO’s. Direct mail from SCRG attacked them not for the merits of school choice, but because they had supported budget items for tourism or local tech schools. Pink pigs were hung on mail boxes in their districts, and post cards with their home numbers were mailed to voters asking the recipient to call the legislator and ask for a “refund”. What did that have to do with school choice?
FITS wrote a piece in November on the wasted Floyd/SCRG ad. I could not agree more. These guys have had everything laid at their feet and have squandered and failed!
If Randy and Denver worked for me, they would get pink slips. Never has so much been spent with less results(three years in a row).
Also, check Harrel’s record. I could be wrong, but I think he voted for the bill. This defeat is not Harrel’s fault. It is only the result of GOP cannibalism that began with the Governor and is continually perpetuated by SCRG and Club for Growth.
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By Scott April 2, 2007 at 8:28 am
If Trey Ward wasn’t so stupid, he would know that SCRG, Club for Growth, Conservatives in Action are interested in a plethora of issues – which include school choice.
Lower taxes, restructuring, property rights, fiscal restraint rank high on their agenda….
Unfortunately, these “Republicans” are just warmed over Democrats.
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By Trey Ward April 2, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Dear Coward Scott,
You should be glad that dueling pistols are no longer an acceptable method of settling disputes. I would not call you out for calling me stupid. I would for calling me a Democrat. More importantly, you could not show up at a duel and remain anonymous. You should have the courage to put your name on what you think and believe!
Anonymous Scott, I am not “just a warmed over Democrat”. I have served my county twice as GOP Chairman. I also worked in the Campell administration. I am sick of those who label me a RINO because I do not agree with any form of school choice that is proposed.
School choice is the only issue here. The “Gang of 14″ supports gun rights, they support life, they support less government and less taxes. You, and those like you, would replace them with people who support any version of school choice that could be passed.
God help the GOP! Democrats can not touch us. People like you will tear us apart.
I have the pleasure to remain,
Sincerely,
Trey Ward
By Scott April 4, 2007 at 7:47 am
Trey,
Are you the same Trey Ward that served as a co-chairman of Republicans for Tommy Moore joining such Republican luminaries as June Shissias and Scott Elliott?
Is Gene Pinson the same state representative that ran around Greenwood with a Republicans for Tommy Moore sticker on his vehicle?
Have you really checked in Bill Cotty and Tom Dantzler’s position on life? Most pro-lifers would tell you there’s a problem.
Have you looked at Adam Taylor, Dan Cooper, Gene Pinson, et.al. and witnessed their dedication to growing government at monstrous levels? Is that fiscal responsibility? It that for lower taxes? Where are our lower taxes? If I remember right, we had $1.1 billion in new revenues this year and got crumbs back from a majority Republican legislature.
And, Trey…last I checked school choice was in the Republican platform. It was supported by Ronald Reagan, George Bush, George W. Bush and every major Republican candidate for president in 2008 including Governor Mitt Romney, Senator John McCain, Mayor Rudy Giuliani and others.
Are you solely against school choice because Mark Sanford is for it? That’s what it seems like to me.
By Deb O'Nare April 4, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Ouch Trey,
Looks like your cowardly friend Scott just stripped away every ounce of credibility you assumed you had…
By Trey Ward April 7, 2007 at 11:00 am
Scott,
I am that man.
Mark Sanford eliminated funding in his budget for nursing programs at two different schools in this County. The hospital is the largest employer in Greenwood County. Greewood had an umemployment rate of 12% at the time. More recently, Sanford did the same for our Genetic Center (scientific R&D). Greenwood County has had two large lay-offs in the last six months (Greenwood Mills and Hansen Brick).
In fairness, I know that Sanford is making a point about cutting waste. However, his methods have been irresponsible. This county can not loose another job and Sanford has done nothing about it except to eliminate the jobs we already have.
Sanford ignored the local GOP when filling a vacancy for Clerk of Court. Instead, he appointed a man who had no experience for the job and in turn sued the republican County Council because his pay check was not as big as he would have liked.
Sanford came to Greenwood during the primary and endorsed a GOP candidate against Pinson who had a list of judgements for not paying his bills and taxes (including a 13K IRS tax lein).
I feel that Sanford has thrown my community under the bus, and I will not follow him just because there is an “R” attached to his name. I did what I thought was right for my county and will not appoligeze for it!
You are right about Cotty. I was wrong.
You are wrong about Pinson. There were no Moore stickers on his car, and he did not support Moore(although he had good reason not to support Sanford).
This exchange began about school choice. I support school choice, but not in any form. In Greenwood County this week, a private school eliminated it’s high school program. That leaves us a handful of private Christian schools that have K4-12 programs. Greenwood Christian,the only choice for me, is a good school, but that’s not much of a choice. There may be many choices wherever you are, but not in the Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick, Calhoun Falls, Ware Shoals area. With the exception of Greenwood, these areas have no tax base and no industry to speak of. No one is going to open a private school in these areas until the economic conditions improve. There are no choices here Scott. A school choice bill must have some real “choice” in it.
We can not plunge the whole state education system into an experiment. I do not oppose the forms of school choice that you support because it is a Sanford project. I oppose it because I have children in elementary school who are not lab rats for school choice supporters to experiment on.
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By RINO Buster April 16, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Looks like these anti-Sanford people are always giving cudo’s to the state education system and how well it works. If you read closely, Jim Rex’s bill for school choice is all smoke and mirrors with no substance at all. Until we challenge the public school system to be the best, they answer to no one. Oh, btw, Pinson was on the Tommy Moore band wagon.
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