The wisconsin assembly republican recently passed Assembly Bill 110, which is just another in a long line of attacks on public education. While it is billed as a bill which would permit families of special needs students to send their students to private schools with tax dollars. As is true with everything the republicans have given us, Not so much!
The lack of quality and help for special needs in the bill is not what I want to focus on. I would like to guide people to why bills like this make the assembly floor and pass(along party lines) MONEY!
A spreadsheet on political contributions prepared by the office of Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, using data from the Government Accountability Board (see link), shows that Howard Marklein received $31,500 from national advocates for school choice, including individuals from the Walton family (Wal-Mart), and the De Vos family (AmWay), who are long-time backers of voucher school programs and other alternatives to public education. Marklein was also supported by issue ads paid for by the American Federation for Children, the organization which sponsored a national summit on school choice last week in Washington D.C. where Walker was a keynote speaker.
But Marklein was not the only lawmaker to receive thousands of dollars from these individuals and groups, according to Roys’ figures, released last week by Assembly Democrats in a special media session covering school vouchers and other legislative issues relating to schools.
Other Wisconsin legislators from across the state who benefited from school choice political contributions according to Roys’ figures include: John Klenke, R-Green Bay, $63,500; Andre Jacque, R-Bellevue, $44,200; Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, $43,200; Tom Larson, R-Colfax, $44,950; Erik Severson, R-Star Prairie, $44,250; Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City, $50,000; Jeffrey Mursau, R-Crivitz, $34,000 and Karl Van Roy, R-Green Bay, $75,750.
It is nice that the Walton family and the De Vos family care so much about our children’s eduction here in Wisconsin…now here is Mark Pocan explaining it even further:
Aren’t we conservatives opposed to bailouts of private businesses. The campaign contribution info explains the support for the bailout schools.