Nine “Republicans” – including four “former” Democrats and the self-proclaimed “conservative” leader of the GOP-controlled South Carolina Senate – voted against a scaled down parental choice measure this week. The vote to reject the measure – which was sponsored by longtime school choice champion Larry Grooms – comes as many of these lawmakers are opting to join Democrats in advancing U.S. President Barack Obama’s signature government-run early childhood education initiative.
Astounding, isn’t it? When it comes to advancing academic achievement for future generations, the S.C. Senate is choosing the documented failure of costly top-down programs like Head Start over the proven success of choice, which has been adopted in some form or fashion in every other Southern state.
Are these Chicago Aldermen? Or South Carolina Senators? Seriously … even liberals are starting to embrace the need for parental choice.
Sadly, narrow status quo thinking is par for the course in this “most Republican state in the nation,” which is home to the worst government-run school system in America. Our leaders don’t seem to want solutions, they just want to throw more money at the problem and call it a solution (all evidence to the contrary).
Voting against Grooms’ choice plan were the following fiscally liberal Senators: Thomas Alexander (RINO-Oconee), Paul Campbell (RINO-Berkeley), John Courson (RINO-Richland), Ronnie Cromer (RINO-Newberry), Wes Hayes (RINO-York), Hugh Leatherman (RINO-Florence), Larry Martin (RINO-Pickens), Billy O’Dell (RINO-Abbeville) and Luke Rankin (RINO-Myrtle Beach). Four of those lawmakers – Leatherman, Martin, O’Dell and Rankin – are former Democrats, so their opposition to market-based education reforms isn’t surprising. Meanwhile Courson, Hayes and Martin have been consistent supporters of South Carolinas failed government-run establishment for years.
The big surprise on this list? Cromer – whose district strongly supports choice. In fact our sources in Newberry County tell us that Cromer is already getting “lit up” over his vote against this bill – as he should be given the number of parochial schools in his district eager to offer academic programs to students in their communities.
Perhaps Cromer was just confused?
One surprise “no” vote on the Democratic side was S.C. Sen. Robert Ford (D-Charleston), who a few short years ago was championing a much more aggressive parental choice platform. According to our sources, former S.C. Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian – who once said he didn’t want to “buy the black vote” so much as “rent it for a day” – finally got to Ford.
Talk about a helluva day to “rent” a Senator …
The battle is far from over, though. Despite this setback, it’s becoming abundantly clear literally anything can happen in the coming days in the Senate – where the budget process has totally unraveled. The State Senate’s old guard – led by the notoriously corrupt Leatherman – is on its heels, struggling to maintain the order .
Used to ramming through a budget and dictating terms to all constituencies, Leatherman no longer has his reliable Democratic base. Why not? The current version of the budget does not contain an expansion of Medicaid associated with Obama’s socialized medicine law – a.k.a. “Obamacare.” As a result, Democrats are refusing to vote for it.
That means the “Republican” finance chairman is actually having to … perish the though … court “Republican” votes to get his budget passed.
Increasingly, it’s looking as though a school choice bill will be part of that negotiating process.
Anyway, this website does a lot of criticizing (with good reason), but we’d like to take a moment to praise the eighteen Republican Senators who stood up and supported this measure – and urge them to hold the line in their support of this legislation as the budget process moves forward.
After all given the chaos in the “upper” chamber this year – anything can happen.
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61 comments
“SC Senate Screws Kids…Again”. I assume the first time was when they voted against expanding Medicaid to cover those whose families could not afford health care insurance.
Cut the bullcrap.
Nah. That would be when the SC gubmint was formed.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
“SC Senate Screws Kids…Again”. I assume the first time was when they voted against expanding Medicaid to cover those whose families could not afford health care insurance.
Cut the bullcrap.
Nah. That would be when the SC gubmint was formed.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
FITS – You listed 9 “republicans” who voted against school choice.
Yup. I’m a product of SC public schools. That’s why ;)
You are a po’, pathetic self loathing thing. Deluded that rich = better, you eternally suck up. Do they let you in the front door?
Yup. I’m a product of SC public schools. That’s why ;)
FITS – You listed 9 “republicans” who voted against school choice.
Yup. I’m a product of SC public schools. That’s why ;)
You are a po’, pathetic self loathing thing. Deluded that rich = better, you eternally suck up. Do they let you in the front door?
That giant sucking sound was the latest version of Howie the Voucher Clown’s voucher scam being sent to the sewer where it belongs by honest and responsible Senators who are not willing to be bought and paid for by a corrupt carpetbugger Voucher Clown.
sic(k) willie and Howie’s other Voucher Sluts should be ashamed. They know the voucher scam would do great harm to those who need help the most. They could care less.
Want a list of bought and paid for voucher sluts?
Check the list is Senate “yes” votes.
They are some of the best SC Senators Howie the Voucher Clown’s money can buy.
Sincerely,
BIN News Editorial Staff
P.S. Notice how quiet the sic(k) one has been about the voucher scam this season, He and Howie the Voucher Clown knew it had no chance this year – again.
That giant sucking sound was the latest version of Howie the Voucher Clown’s voucher scam being sent to the sewer where it belongs by honest and responsible Senators who are not willing to be bought and paid for by a corrupt carpetbugger Voucher Clown.
sic(k) willie and Howie’s other Voucher Sluts should be ashamed. They know the voucher scam would do great harm to those who need help the most. They could care less.
Want a list of bought and paid for voucher sluts?
Check the list is Senate “yes” votes.
They are some of the best SC Senators Howie the Voucher Clown’s money can buy.
Sincerely,
BIN News Editorial Staff
P.S. Notice how quiet the sic(k) one has been about the voucher scam this season, He and Howie the Voucher Clown knew it had no chance this year – again.
It somehow renews my faith in humanity to see that Uncle Howie hasn’t bought everyone off…I’m sure he’s working on it, though.
If the proponents of this legislation would get serious about accountability and transparency, maybe they’d get a little more traction. As it is, this legislation is a government handout, with no accountability or transparency required, to the nation’s worst private schools. (I thought conservatives didn’t approve of government handouts.)
Put language in this legislation that holds private schools to the same rigorous accountability and transparency requirements of public schools, and maybe this legislation won’t be such an object of ridicule. But it’s never been about accountability and transparency.
Exactly, put some language in the bill to hold any private school that accepts the money to the same standards, laws and regulations that a public school must follow. Absent this the gov would be “picking winners and losers in the marketplace” eh Will??
Actually I’d recommend considering the exact opposite … why don’t we empower the parents/students with 100% choice (public school choice as well as private school choice) and then we can unburden the public schools from all the ridiculous regulations as the ultimate “regulator” will be the parents/students deciding which school is best for them/their child. The regulations (the biggest reason they are failing) we have saddled/shackled the public schools with is frankly because parents don’t have choice.
Close. Well said. +1.5
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
WTF?? I’m lost. ‘hold them to the SAME laws, regulations and standards’?? Wouldn’t that make them a public school??
That sounds like T.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
You don’t need over-burdensome regulations if you have “choice”. Parents and students can vote with their feet if the independent school of their choice is not providing the education the parents want for their child. Empower parents through “choice” seems reasonable to me.
As soon as you get the feds to agree to end all regulation let me know
There’s no need to get the feds to end regulation. Simply don’t comply. Stop taking the money and they are powerless.
What are they going to do? Arrest the whole state?? I think that’s called war.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Absolutely.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
It somehow renews my faith in humanity to see that Uncle Howie hasn’t bought everyone off…I’m sure he’s working on it, though.
If the proponents of this legislation would get serious about accountability and transparency, maybe they’d get a little more traction. As it is, this legislation is a government handout, with no accountability or transparency required, to the nation’s worst private schools. (I thought conservatives didn’t approve of government handouts.)
Put language in this legislation that holds private schools to the same rigorous accountability and transparency requirements of public schools, and maybe this legislation won’t be such an object of ridicule. But it’s never been about accountability and transparency.
Exactly, put some language in the bill to hold any private school that accepts the money to the same standards, laws and regulations that a public school must follow. Absent this the gov would be “picking winners and losers in the marketplace” eh Will??
Actually I’d recommend considering the exact opposite … why don’t we empower the parents/students with 100% choice (public school choice as well as private school choice) and then we can unburden the public schools from all the ridiculous regulations as the ultimate “regulator” will be the parents/students deciding which school is best for them/their child. The regulations (the biggest reason they are failing) we have saddled/shackled the public schools with is frankly because parents don’t have choice.
Close. Well said. +1.5
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
WTF?? I’m lost. ‘hold them to the SAME laws, regulations and standards’?? Wouldn’t that make them a public school??
That sounds like T. Did you stop and put your brain in gear prior to typing?
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
You don’t need over-burdensome regulations if you have “choice”. Parents and students can vote with their feet if the independent school of their choice is not providing the education the parents want for their child. Empower parents through “choice” seems reasonable to me.
As soon as you get the feds to agree to end all regulation let me know
There’s no need to get the feds to end regulation. Simply don’t comply. Stop taking the money and they are powerless.
What are they going to do? Arrest the whole state?? I think that’s called war.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Absolutely.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
What do you expect from this bunch?
I’ll guarantee they protected their in district expense, their golden retirement, their state paid chauffers, etc!!!
They all need to go…all!!!
What do you expect from this bunch?
I’ll guarantee they protected their in district expense, their golden retirement, their state paid chauffers, etc!!!
They all need to go…all!!!
I think everyone should go to an Episcopal or Catholic school to get a thorough education prior to age 18.
Those with a Catholic schoolgirl fetish agree heavily with this statement.
Those with a Catholic schoolgirl fetish agree heavily with this statement.
I think everyone should go to an Episcopal or Catholic school to get a thorough education prior to age 18.
I think everyone should go to an Episcopal or Catholic school to get a thorough education prior to age 18.
Those with a Catholic schoolgirl fetish agree heavily with this statement.
Nothing top-down ever works. Except sex, of course.
-2
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Nothing top-down ever works. Except sex, of course.
-2
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
— should’ve edited this one a little more carefully before pulling the trigger. Surely that headline was intended to read, ” SC SENATE SCREWS RICH KIDS…. AGAIN
— should’ve edited this one a little more carefully before pulling the trigger. Surely that headline was intended to read, ” SC SENATE SCREWS RICH KIDS…. AGAIN
Regardless of issues with a sad public school system, still not a fan of tax breaks for people sending their kids to Christ Church, Bishop England, Cardinal Newman, St. Joes, etc.
Actually taxpayers (and the public schools) financially benefit from this legislation. Taxpayers (Federal, State & Local) pay approximately $10,000 / year / student to send kids to public school. Giving someone a net $280 tax benefit ($4,000 x 7% tax rate = $280 savings) to taking a kid OUT of the public school system only saves taxpayers and makes the public school classes smaller. A $6 BILLION state school budget and the primary issue the quasi-unions care about is fighting a $32 million school choice bill. When did freedom of choice become a bad thing?
Are you crazy? You are buying into the Howie Rich myth. Giving someone $280 is not going to allow them to take a kid out of public school. This is not about taking kids out of public school this is about giving money to people who already have their kids in private school.
This is a give away program. This current legislation is not the goal, its the foot in the door. It starts as, oh its only a few million dollars. Then suddenly lets make it a tax credit and it becomes hundreds of millions of dollars. Then lets increase the tax credit. Suddenly the taxpayers are paying for the entire private school system, but only for the people who could afford it anyway. All with not one ounce of control over who gets into these schools. Which is great for the parents of kids in Private school, but no one else.
Voted you down before I read the post because, “It’s Jan, YEAH!!”
Then I read the second sentence. I thought you’re some kind of big wig business person that deals with mucho dinero all day. Healthcare as I recall. The statement above, for which you refer to a handout of $280, is in fact a savings to the government you fracking moron.
As to the first sentence of the second paragraph, I thought little libitards such as yourselves strive to increase the number of ‘give away’ programs that the gubmint has. But… AH HA, its not really a give away, is it?? No! It’s simply the gubmint stealing a little less.
As to the article (DamnIt) Janet, I would have no problem seeing this crap fall to the way side. It’s just another BS red herring (You know, like the other one known as The SC Dept. of EDU.) that will ultimately make private businesses uncompetitive because they would be taking money from the gubmint and keeping their rates of tuition up thereby increasing their bottom line by reaching into my pocket for a little ‘give away’.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Well said.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Regardless of issues with a sad public school system, still not a fan of tax breaks for people sending their kids to Christ Church, Bishop England, Cardinal Newman, St. Joes, etc.
Actually taxpayers (and the public schools) financially benefit from this legislation. Taxpayers (Federal, State & Local) pay approximately $10,000 / year / student to send kids to public school. Giving someone a net $280 tax benefit ($4,000 x 7% tax rate = $280 savings) to taking a kid OUT of the public school system only saves taxpayers and makes the public school classes smaller. A $6 BILLION state school budget and the primary issue the quasi-unions care about is fighting a $32 million school choice bill. When did freedom of choice become a bad thing?
Are you crazy? You are buying into the Howie Rich myth. Giving someone $280 is not going to allow them to take a kid out of public school. This is not about taking kids out of public school this is about giving money to people who already have their kids in private school.
This is a give away program. This current legislation is not the goal, its the foot in the door. It starts as, oh its only a few million dollars. Then suddenly lets make it a tax credit and it becomes hundreds of millions of dollars. Then lets increase the tax credit. Suddenly the taxpayers are paying for the entire private school system, but only for the people who could afford it anyway. All with not one ounce of control over who gets into these schools. Which is great for the parents of kids in Private school, but no one else.
Voted you down before I read the post because, “It’s Jan, YEAH!!”
Then I read the second sentence. I thought you’re some kind of big wig business person that deals with mucho dinero all day. Healthcare as I recall. The statement above, for which you refer to a handout of $280, is in fact a savings to the government you fracking moron.
As to the first sentence of the second paragraph, I thought little libitards such as yourselves strive to increase the number of ‘give away’ programs that the gubmint has. But… AH HA, its not really a give away, is it?? No! It’s simply the gubmint stealing a little less.
As to the article (DamnIt) Janet, I would have no problem seeing this crap fall to the way side. It’s just another BS red herring (You know, like the other one known as The SC Dept. of EDU.) that will ultimately make private businesses uncompetitive because they would be taking money from the gubmint and keeping their rates of tuition up thereby increasing their bottom line by reaching into my pocket for a little ‘give away’.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Well said.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Those private schools that have parents taking “school voucher” tax credits or deductions should be subject to accountable and reportable education standards.
The only way that I would support “school vouchers” would be if those without children in the school system get a larger tax credit or deduction. It only makes sense since those aren’t using the education system.
Excellent last thoughts Ralph. My sentiments exactly. But alas this is the myth of gubmint. You must pay for services you don’t use.
It’s kind of like mandatory car insurance. If you have an accident and 1. Don’t tell the police, and 2. Don’t file a claim, and 3. The other party does not file a claim then you make the repairs for $150 and everyone is happy (except your wallet). On the other hand, if the insurance company finds out you had the accident, claim or no, they triple your annual rates until such time that you have paid them back 200% + and everyone ELSE is happy.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Those private schools that have parents taking “school voucher” tax credits or deductions should be subject to accountable and reportable education standards.
The only way that I would support “school vouchers” would be if those without children in the school system get a larger tax credit or deduction. It only makes sense since those aren’t using the education system.
Excellent last thoughts Ralph. My sentiments exactly. But alas this is the myth of gubmint. You must pay for services you don’t use.
It’s kind of like mandatory car insurance. If you have an accident and 1. Don’t tell the police, and 2. Don’t file a claim, and 3. The other party does not file a claim then you make the repairs for $150 and everyone is happy (except your wallet). On the other hand, if the insurance company finds out you had the accident, claim or no, they triple your annual rates until such time that you have paid them back 200% + and everyone ELSE is happy.
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel