Weekly Talking Points: October 22, 2001
Education:  Can the differences be any clearer?

With only two weeks before Election Day, it is important that we communicate 
to voters that there are clear differences between Democrats and Republicans 
in this election, most importantly when it comes to public education. 
Democrats want to protect and improve public education by reforming teacher 
training, making literacy a top priority and holding students, parents and 
administrators accountable.  Conversely, Republican leaders want to take 
$600 million away from our public schools to put towards a private school 
network and have no plan to improve schools for the 1.2 million public 
school students currently in New Jersey.


REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP WANTS TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
* Our Republican opponent wants to take nearly $600 million out of our 
public school systems and use it to fund a private school network.
* The non-partisan Office of Legislative Services resoundingly discredited 
the Republican school voucher plan and said it would drain money from public 
schools without providing any savings, thus increasing local property taxes. 
This plan hurts public schools.
* The Asbury Park Press said, "Rather than save money, the Schundler voucher 
plan would divert $585 million from public schools." [Source: Editorial, 
Asbury Park Press, 10/14/01]
* Henry Cram, Rancocas Valley Superintendent, said the Republican proposals 
are the "wrong solutions" for public schools. [Source: AP, 10/4/01]


REPUBLICANS THINK EMPTY DESKS ARE THE ANSWER TO CRUMBLING SCHOOLS
* Rather than building new schools or repairing old ones through the school 
construction program, our Republican opponent wants to fill empty seats in 
private schools and leave our public schools crumbling and property 
taxpayers footing the bill.
* Our Republican opponent opposes $8.6 billion dollars in property tax 
relief in the form of school construction funds because he says there are 
enough empty seats in private schools that we do not need to build or repair 
crumbling and overcrowded schools.


BRET SCHUNDLER:  HIDDEN AGENDA TO PRIVATIZE EDUCATION
When touting his school voucher plan, our Republican opponent often refers 
to a study of it conducted by the Heartland Institute, a Libertarian, 
ultra-conservative think tank. However, its President, Joseph Bast, is one 
of the most outspoken opponents of public education in the nation. Here is 
what Joseph Bast, the Republican advisor on education issues, had to say: 


* "Because we know how the government schools perpetuate themselves, we can 
design a plan to dismantle them." [The Libertarian Case for Vouchers and 
Some Observations on the Anti-Voucher Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and 
David Harmer, http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

* "We see vouchers as a major step toward the complete privatization of 
schooling. In fact, after careful study, we have come to the conclusion that 
they are the only way to dismantle the current socialist regime." [The 
Libertarian Case for Vouchers and Some Observations on the Anti-Voucher 
Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and David Harmer, 
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

* Bast says he is "100 percent committed to getting government out of the 
business of educating our children." [The Libertarian Case for Vouchers and 
Some Observations on the Anti-Voucher Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and 
David Harmer, http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

* "Government education demoralizes families...And it sets in motion an 
entitlement mentality." [The Libertarian Case for Vouchers and Some 
Observations on the Anti-Voucher Separationists, Joseph L. Bast and David 
Harmer, http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-269.html]

IN HIS OWN WORDS: "What he's saying is that I want to spend less money on 
public education. And he's right. And I don't apologize for it." [Source: 
Schundler on WMTR radio program, 10/8/01]



_________________________________________________________________________
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