Blunt Endorses Vouchers

Yesterday, in St. Louis, Gov. Matt Blunt endorsed a plan for vouchers in Missouri.  His plan would take money out of the treasury that would otherwise be available for public schools and send the money to private and parochial schools.

Blunt's support for vouchers comes as no surprise as the pro-voucher group, All Children Matter (ACM), conducted a $200,000 independent expenditure on Blunt's behalf during the 2004 campaign in an attempt to buy his support for school vouchers.  (See Rep. Jane Cunningham letter for other recipients of ACM funding.)

This is a payback to a political contributor at the expense of the kids.  Shame on him.

Yesterday, Rep. Cathy Jolly was quick to hold Blunt's feet to the fire for his misleading rhetoric:

But bill opponents such as Rep. Cathy Jolly, D-Kansas City, said the measure "absolutely will take money" from public education. Tax credits will relieve individuals and corporations of their obligation to pay taxes that otherwise would have gone to fund education.

"You can dress it up," she said, "but it's diversion of money from public schools. Our public schools are struggling for every bit of money from the state Legislature now."

While he has endorsed a plan that would allow a few select students to abandon failing urban schools, Blunt has yet to present a plan to fix the urban schools for those students left behind by his voucher plan.  Blunt should be fixing those schools, not stealing from them.