Education: Can the differences be any clearer?

Weekly Talking Points: October 22, 2001
Education: Can the differences be any clearer?

With only two weeks before Election Day, it is important that we communicate
to voters that there are clear differences between Democrats and Republicans
in this election, most importantly when it comes to public education.
Democrats want to protect and improve public education by reforming teacher
training, making literacy a top priority and holding students, parents and
administrators accountable. Conversely, Republican leaders want to take
$600 million away from our public schools to put towards a private school
network and have no plan to improve schools for the 1.2 million public
school students currently in New Jersey.

REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP WANTS TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
* Our Republican opponent wants to take nearly $600 million out of our
public school systems and use it to fund a private school network.
* The non-partisan Office of Legislative Services resoundingly discredited
the Republican school voucher plan and said it would drain money from public
schools without providing any savings, thus increasing local property taxes.
This plan hurts public schools.
* The Asbury Park Press said, "Rather than save money, the Schundler voucher
plan would divert $585 million from public schools." [Source: Editorial,
Asbury Park Press, 10/14/01]
* Henry Cram, Rancocas Valley Superintendent, said the Republican proposals
are the "wrong solutions" for public schools. [Source: AP, 10/4/01]

REPUBLICANS THINK EMPTY DESKS ARE THE ANSWER TO CRUMBLING SCHOOLS
* Rather than building new schools or repairing old ones through the school
construction program, our Republican opponent wants to fill empty seats in
private schools and leave our public schools crumbling and property
taxpayers footing the bill.
* Our Republican opponent opposes $8.6 billion dollars in property tax
relief in the form of school construction funds because he says there are
enough empty seats in private schools that we do not need to build or repair
crumbling and overcrowded schools.

BRET SCHUNDLER: HIDDEN AGENDA TO PRIVATIZE EDUCATION
When touting his school voucher plan, our Republican opponent often refers
to a study of it conducted by the Heartland Institute, a Libertarian,
ultra-conservative think tank. However, its President, Joseph Bast, is one
of the most outspoken opponents of public education in the nation. Here is
what Joseph Bast, the Republican advisor on education issues, had to say:

* "Because we know how the government schools perpetuate themselves, we can
design a plan to dismantle them." [The Libertarian Case for Vouchers and
Some Observations on the Anti-Voucher Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and
David Harmer, http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

* "We see vouchers as a major step toward the complete privatization of
schooling. In fact, after careful study, we have come to the conclusion that
they are the only way to dismantle the current socialist regime." [The
Libertarian Case for Vouchers and Some Observations on the Anti-Voucher
Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and David Harmer,
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

* Bast says he is "100 percent committed to getting government out of the
business of educating our children." [The Libertarian Case for Vouchers and
Some Observations on the Anti-Voucher Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and
David Harmer, http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

* "Government education demoralizes families...And it sets in motion an
entitlement mentality." [The Libertarian Case for Vouchers and Some
Observations on the Anti-Voucher Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and David
Harmer, http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

IN HIS OWN WORDS: "What he's saying is that I want to spend less money on
public education. And he's right. And I don't apologize for it." [Source:
Schundler on WMTR radio program, 10/8/01]

_________________________________________________________________________
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