NEWS
The Kids Will Have to Wait
June 07, 2012
There's never a shortage of politicians who say they make the decisions "for the kids," but when it comes to putting the interests of students over their own ambitions, the number shrinks dramatically. That certainly seems to be the case when it comes to passing - or even openly debating - school choice legislation in South Carolina.
After months of self-congratulatory discussions and time wasted on pandering resolutions, members of the SC Senate decided that they didn't have enough time to discuss school choice bill, H. 4894. That's right. Politicians who spent 6 hours in one day listening to speeches lauding retiring state senators and their staff couldn't find the time to debate school choice. This issue has dominated editorial pages, been the subject of rallies, and been a widely-debated reform measure. If that isn't enough to merit debate from the people elected to pass education laws in South Carolina, then what is?
The real story isn't a lack of time, it was a calculated move from elected officials like Senators John Courson, Larry Martin and Wes Hayes who were afraid they would have to vote on the issue out in the open. Every one of these lawmakers has been contacted by constituents who urged them to support school choice. Every one. It's sad that these opposing senators chose to reward residents in their districts (who actually made the effort to engage in government) by denying them the basic respect of having their wishes dealt with on the Senate floor. Consistent efforts by Senator Larry Grooms (Berkeley), Senator Kevin Bryant (Anderson) and Senator Lee Bright (Spartanburg) to bring the bill to an open vote were routinely shot down.
Sorry, low-income and special needs students, your education struggles are less important to politicians than the ability to avoid being honest with voters. Institutional interests took a very clear precedent over the needs of children.
Senator Larry Grooms (Berkeley) made sure to point that out. Senator Grooms has been incredibly focused on giving parents real educational options, and deserves special commendation for his heartfelt, and policy-focused call for the senate to take up the issue. These were Senator Grooms' final words before the session ended.
"The South Carolina General Assembly never misses the opportunity to give out money to a group with a catchy idea or a good lobbyist. The General Assembly routinely and adamantly refuses to allow parents to keep their own money to help their own children. That insult...sometimes just adds to injury."
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Comments
The Real Intent of School Choice Bills
One notices very quickly the $4,000 per child tax deduction offered to parents who choose to send their child(ren) to "independent" (read "private") schools.
For you to imply that this bill--or any like it--was drawn up out of genuine concern for "low-income and special needs children" is so transparently cynical and manipulative as to be offensive. And for you to further imply that senators who oppose this bill are not concerned for "low-income and special needs children" is beyond hypocritical. Your School Choice movement began as and continues to be primarily interested in using public funds to subsidize tuition costs for predominantly white and predominantly well-off parents to send their kids to private schools. Here's a thought for you to ponder: Why not drop the $4000 per year/per child tax deduction from the bill and let it proceed from there? I mean, if your concern is "low-income and special needs children," why is what you term the "modest" $4000 per year/per child deduction even in the bill?
At least Grooms is honest--though, to be sure, it is not intentional--when he implies that the real issue is not education but allowing "parents to keep their own money to help their own children." He might want to strike that from the record, as arguing school choice on that basis would open, for you and your ilk, a real Pandora's Box.
You're kidding, right?
Do you really think that the best a "secret conspiracy to help the wealthy through school choice" could come up with is a tax deduction worth a few hundred bucks? That is what a "$4,000 tax deduction" boils down to, right?
That bill does more for low-income and special needs students than anyone else. Substantially more. I don't know if you read the legislation or not and already knew that, so I won't presume on your motivations (like you did on these guys).
You're on such a roll with the moral outrage- which is great and everything - that you're just not tracking on who school choice is helping in other states. Please, go look at Florida and tell me it's a conspiracy to help the affluent.
Oh well. I'm just a guy, and probably won't change your mind. I'm fine with that.
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