Voucher issue gets personal in Congress

[Voegelin]

That doesn't surprise me - my niece and her husband for whatever reason have tied themselves to a huge mortgage. The result - no money for fun stuff. But they found the money to put Colin in Christian School - it was that important to them.

And I bet they feel good about it everyday too. As they should. One thing is certain--parents who put out money for their kid's education are much more likely to take a deep interest in how well the school and their child are performing.

Friends of mine in their late 50s are raising two teenage granddaughters. Two of their three kids did very well but one of their daughters just couldn't make it and now they are parents again.

It is a struggle but they too have the girls in a Christian school. They are Catholic but send them to an evangelical school because it is close and affordable. The father (grandfather) told me one day.."They have some religious rules I don't understand--the girls can't have their hair cut short--but that's OK with me. At least they aren't coming home from public school with green hair and pierced tongues"

 

[Goldstein]

Parents who want to send their kids to private school should simply work harder, and not expect a free ride from the government.

 

[Voegelin]

Parents who want to send their kids to private school should simply work harder, and not expect a free ride from the government.

A free ride? I know parents who are paying over $7,000 a year in property taxes--about half of which goes to support government schools--who feel their children are in danger in the government system and who fork out thousands more to ensure their kids get a proper education which reflects their values.

Don't want to assign values to your personally Goldstein but what I have seen in Florida is that those who oppose vouchers here are flat out racists. They do not want their little Sarah sitting next to blacks in a private school.

Catholic and Protestant private schools have accepted our state vouchers. The resistence comes from the liberal private schools down in Boca Raton.

That is the flat out ugly truth of the matter.