FreedomWorks active in Pennsylvania school choice movement

[alp227]

On Monday an installment of Freedom Radio, a podcast production of FreedomWorks, outlined the conservative action group’s involvement in the school choice movement of Pennsylvania.

The Keystone state is in the midst of a heated campaign over SB 1, the state Senate bill that would put the state in the company of Indiana as having the most expansive public-funded student voucher program in the country.

The podcast identified the guest, David Spielman, as one of FreedomWorks’ point men in organizing rallies in cities across Pennsylvania. During the exchange, Spielman told host Tabitha Hale, “We sent a message, lets just say, that people want SB 1.” Hale followed up that “we’re in a position of facilitating what’s already going on there.”

Spielman accused organizations opposing the voucher bill of misappropriating the proposed law’s key features. In particular, he pointed to “the teachers unions” who are “spreading around messages that are upsetting conservatives,” like arguing the bill is unconstitutional and would raise taxes.

Full story and sources at Washington Independent

[eppur_se_muova]

1. O!M!G! They're **upsetting conservatives** ?!? OH THE HUMANITY !!

Oh, wait ... EVERYTHING upsets conservatives.

OK, let's calm down and see what horrible offenses this proposal would commit ... Let's see ... unconstitutional ... uh huh ... raising taxes ... yep ... Well, nothing in either of those to upset conservatives! I mean, they've never objected to either one before, right? All I'm saying is "let's be consistent here".

As you were.

[JPZenger]

2. Some conservative legislators prefer tax credits

Yes, the voucher bill is temporarily dead in PA because a group of conservative legislators (mainly in the PA. House) said they prefer expanded state tax credits. Those tax credits can be used to fund scholarships to private and parochial schools. The voucher advocates say the scholarships are not large enough.

Some rural Republican legislators also didn't want to fund vouchers because there are so few private and parochial schools in their districts. They felt all the money would go to the urban areas.