Heritage Of Shame: Right-Wing Foundation Exploits Poor D.C. Kids

[Starry Messenger]

http://blog.au.org/2010/03/26/heritage-of-shame-right-wing-foundation-exploits-poor-d-c-kids/

Every morning, I pass through Union Station, a majestic restored train station, on my way to work at Americans United.

Union Station contains a stop for the Washington, D.C., subway, the Metro. Lately, I’ve noticed huge posters plastered all over the station walls. They depict pictures of smiling (mostly minority) children demanding to know why Congress won’t give them “scholarships” to attend private schools.

The posters plug a Web site called voicesofschoolchoice.org. At first glance, you would assume this was a project of African-American parents in the District of Columbia who want to see the city’s federally funded voucher plan reauthorized. (The plan was authorized for five years in 2004. Recently, the Senate voted against extending it.)

If you go to the site and scroll down to the very bottom, however, in barely legible, tiny type, you learn the truth: Voices of School Choice is a project of the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank that works to abolish as many government programs as possible.

Two of Heritage’s biggest targets are teachers’ unions and public education. Promoting vouchers and other school privatization schemes gives Heritage an opportunity to take a shot at both at once. So this new campaign isn’t really about helping poor, minority families at all – it’s about promoting Heritage’s right-wing ideology. What a surprise!

Heritage isn’t interested in helping people in need and has consistently taken stands against social programs that lend a hand to the poor, the unemployed, the working class and the elderly.

[inna]

1. kr

are there *any* LEFT-wing think tanks at all out there??

serious question, cuz i'm not aware of any.

[Starry Messenger]

2. I'm looking, believe me!

If not, maybe we need to make one. I found this one yesterday, it seems vaguely promising though I haven't had a chance to poke around in it deeply:

http://greatlakescenter.org/

[starroute]

3. I hoped after Weyrich died that Heritage would dry up and blow away

Unfortunately, it seems that in the last year it's come back stronger and more toxic than ever -- and it has long-standing ties with the anti-ACORN forces, the campus conservative groups that backed O'Keefe's ventures, Morton Blackwell's Leadership Institute, and any number of climate change deniers.

Damn shame, too.