[clownboy]

Clownboy, it is a wonderful thing that you donated computers to your child's school. Other richer people than you could donate books, libraries, buses, millions of dollars... to their own child's school. Not the schools of other's children. This is about the choice and freedom of wealthy parents, not the future choices that ALL children shoud have. In other words, only if the state donates computers do all children get to use them. Only if the state funds excellent public schools do all children get to attend them. The voucher, as you yourself said, just hands taxes back to wealthy parents.
I have nothing against choice. Unless it means the choice to underfund children's education. What do you have against equality?

You misunderstand how public schools are funded. EVERY student gets an equal share of the state education pool. They ALREADY carry those "per seat" funds with them to whichever public school they attend. Rich or poor, fat or thin, each student is funded EQUALLY BY THE STATE - except those students who go to private schools. They lose their state funding, they get ZIPPO. How is THAT equal treatment?

It is NOT state funding that makes an excellent school. If that were true we would have the finest public schools in the nation right here in Oregon (we pay very close to the highest per student). Alas, reality does not match your supposition.

[Comrade Ogilvy]

QatzelOK, I didn't disagree with the idea that the state CAN provide good education--it can. I merely stated that the private sector can do the same job, if not better, more efficiently and with more variety.

[NewEdition_83]

It is sad that public school funding will be decimated over the years due to vouchers. I understand that we as Americans want to send the best students to the best school, but do you think this ideology would backfire? A handfull of students would advance to a more rigourous private school, while the majority of young children lives will destined at a poorly funded public school. This saddens my heart, I do not know the motive of GWB in this dilemma. In one case a few students will succeed while many unfortunate souls will not.

[clownboy]

It is sad that public school funding will be decimated over the years due to vouchers. I understand that we as Americans want to send the best students to the best school, but do you think this ideology would backfire? A handfull of students would advance to a more rigourous private school, while the majority of young children lives will destined at a poorly funded public school. This saddens my heart, I do not know the motive of GWB in this dilemma. In one case a few students will succeed while many unfortunate souls will not.

First, President Bush ha svery little to do with this. The movement for vouchers preceeds his term, heck, it proceeds Clinton's terms in office. This is up to Congress, and SCOTUS to a lesser degree.

Secondly, you have the effects wrong. Read the rest of the thread. The dollars go where the students go (rich or poor, equally). If the parent's take the voucher to a private school, that private school gets the money for that student. If the parents take the voucher to a public school, that public school gets the money.

The ONLY difference between that and what is happenning now, is that parents (rich, middle-class and poor) have increased choices. Instead of being able to ONLY choose from public schools, they'd be able to consider private schools as well.

[Comrade Ogilvy]

It is sad that public school funding will be decimated over the years due to vouchers. I understand that we as Americans want to send the best students to the best school, but do you think this ideology would backfire? A handfull of students would advance to a more rigourous private school, while the majority of young children lives will destined at a poorly funded public school. This saddens my heart, I do not know the motive of GWB in this dilemma. In one case a few students will succeed while many unfortunate souls will not.

Public school funding has increased at a greater rate than real GDP for the last forty years while the quality of education has greatly declined. It's not the money, chief.