Thursday, January 27, 2011

Generational Theft

I got this letter from my wife this morning, and then I did some research.
http://schoolchoiceweek.com/about-us This popped up as an ad next to a google search I did for something that included the word school. My guess is that it was funded by sources similar to those who put a third party candidate into the governor's race to take out Libby Mitchell, and put in a Tea Party governor in Maine who would gut public education as we know it.
... Charter schools are union busting pure and simple. School choice is an entirely different matter, and I am all for it. Here's a modest proposal: let Maine high school students choose any school they want to attend, and provide the transportation for them to do it. By and large they will flock to the rich communities that have a local tax base supporting schools -- who wouldn't?


Please help to counter the flood of propaganda about to engulf us as Obama's Chicago-style school "reform" comes to steal yet more resources from our children.   
Here's what I found out when I followed the link.

The "Commonwealth Foundation", which has put this whole propaganda effort forward, is an extremely well financed and super slick organization. Clicking through their web site will show a distortion of facts, name calling and labeling (" Generational Theft," to describe public worker`s pensions.) on the order of Beck, Limbaugh and Hannity. The object is to bust the unions.
     This is coming to Maine soon as the new Governor attacks the working people while  slashing the state budget.
     In the past, when people worked hard, they were able to count on an agreed upon retirement plan. Then the Corporations began their attack on labor, union or not, under the guise of " being more competitive" with other nations. Constantly demonizing and scapegoating domestic labor and demanding concessions, corporate profits grew. Capitol moved offshore saying they just couldn`t afford to do business here because of the greedy workers. With the manufacturing sector of the economy gutted for corporate profit, state and public workers are the target now for all the states with giant budget deficits.
     The public was frightened into, and forced to accept, the immense bailouts of big banks and Wall Street to the tune of trillions of dollars. The people who run these institutions were rewarded with large bonuses and nothing has changed in how they are regulated or do business. This, coupled with the wars of occupation that corporate profiteers are engaged in, is true Generational Theft.