Soapbox

I try to keep my political views to myself. (My family is thinking, no you don't, but I mean when I'm not with them.) However, I feel the need to express a political view today. I will then take my soapbox and put it away for a long time--I promise.

Tomorrow, there is an important vote taking place in the state of Utah. Last legistlative session, our legislature voted to approve a very flawed law which gives funds to parents who want to send their children to private school. Those who are in favor talk about how they're in favor of parents being able to choose. This is a strange argument--I'm in favor of parents being able to choose too, but I think that if they choose to send their children to private school, they should finance it.

Utahns have an important democratic opportunity to vote and decide whether to let this bill become part of Utah law. It is very important that people get out and vote against this bill.

Here are a few key flaws:

Those in favor of this legislation say that it will help poor people send their children to private school. This is simply not the case. Even the poor families who qualify for the highest dollar voucher ($3000) will still not be able to afford private school--the tuition is much higher than that on average. Additionally, even if they could afford the tuition, they would have to find a way to get their children to school--buses don't run there. Many of these children also use a government subsidized free breakfast, free lunch, and after school care program. None of these would be available for children at private schools.

Public schools will lose money. We can all agree that education is essential and that we need to be working to make it better and better. This is not the way to do it. Pro-voucher groups say that public schools will not lose money, but this is not true. Even the impartial voter information pamphlet reveals that after a few years, millions of dollars will be diverted away from public schools. This is unacceptable.

Vouchers will further exaggerate the class system. Children should be going to schools with people who are different from them. We all need to learn from each other. Private schools can choose who to accept and who not to accept. This is a very dangerous practice which shouldn't be funded by the taxpayers. I don't want to pay for prejudice.

Voucher law has very few requirements for the private schools where the money is going. Teachers do not have to be certified--in fact, they don't even have to have a college degree. Private schools won't be held to the same No Child Left Behind requirements as public schools or any other government standards, but they will be receiving government money.

Some people think that the money that they pay for taxes SHOULD be returned to them as vouchers if they don't want their children to go to public schools. This makes no sense. I pay the same taxes everyone else does. In fact, I pay a higher percentage because I am single. My tax dollars fund public education, public roads, all kinds of government stuff. I don't directly use the public education system. By pro-voucher arguments, I should be getting my money back too! I don't want my money back. I want to fund good education.

Pro-voucher arguments would like to make anti-voucher groups evil by association. Many of the commercials talk about how anti-voucher work is being funded by the NEA, by "liberal east coast agenda," etc. We should be worried about the issues, not about who is on which side of them.


There have been excellent articles in the Deseret News (www.desnews.com) in the past few days. You should read them. There have also been articles and editorials at ksl.com. Read those too. Read the impartial voter information pamphlet. Get educated about the facts. Then get out and vote tomorrow.

I'm for education. I'm for parents being able to choose. I'm for great schools. I think that educating children is one of the highest callings anyone can aspire to. I am for continuing to work to improve public education.

Because I am FOR all of those things, I'm AGAINST Referendum 1.