Report Exposes DeVos/Koch/Scaife Plot To Destroy Public Education

[kpete]

Voucher Advocate Betsy DeVos, Right-Wing Think Tanks Behind Koch-Style Attack on PA Public Schools
Rachel Tabachnick print page
Wed Apr 20, 2011 at 11:28:44 PM EST

...................


A new wave of school voucher bills is sweeping the nation, which would allow public education funds to be used in private or parochial schools. As with past waves of voucher initiatives, these new bills are largely promoted and funded by the billionaire DeVos family and a core group of wealthy pro-privatization supporters. They include Pennsylvania SB-1, soon coming to a vote in the PA Senate, and the "Vouchers-for-All" bill approved by the Florida Senate Education Committee on April 14. Betsy DeVos is at the helm of organizations that have set the stage for both bills, but you would never know it based on the propaganda being marketed to Pennsylvanians. Even if you are from another state, keep reading. Chances are a Betsy DeVos-led campaign is already at work in your state or will be there soon.

The DeVos family is recognized as one of the top national contributors to the Republican Party, free market policy institutes, and Religious Right organizations. Many of their previous attempts at using voucher initiatives to privatize the nation's public schools have been transparent. Recent campaigns have been more covert and are camouflaged behind local efforts described as grass roots and bipartisan.

Pennsylvanians should not be deceived. Regardless of where one stands on the issue of school choice, behind the curtain of this effort is an interconnected network of right wing think tanks and billionaire donors, funded by foundations including those of the DeVos and Koch families and the Scaife, Allegheny, and Carthage Foundations of Pennsylvania's own Richard Mellon Scaife. The leaders of many of these DeVos/Koch/Scaife-funded institutes openly voice their ideological objections to all forms of public education. Some even proudly display their support for a proclamation posted at the Alliance for Separation of School and State, which reads,

"I proclaim publicly that I favor ending government involvement in education."

.............

THE REST: http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/4/20/232844/831
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/21/968905/-Report-Exposes-DeVos-Plot-To-Destroy-Public-Education

[mod mom]

1. & don't forget Betsy DeVos is Eric Prince's (Blackwater/Xe) sister:

Former Bush administration officials are peppered throughout Blackwater’s highest executive positions. Erik Prince, the former Navy Seal who founded the company, was a White House intern under President George H. W. Bush and has been a Republican financier since, with more than $225,000 in political contributions.

Mr. Prince’s sister, Betsy DeVos, is a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party and a “pioneer” who raised $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2004. Her husband, the former Amway chief executive Richard DeVos Jr., was the Republican nominee for governor of Michigan in 2006.

-snip
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/opinion/03wed2.html

[Donnachaidh]

2. as I've said before, the Koch Brothers need a date with this lady

[FiveGoodMen]

3. And how!

It may be the country's only hope.

[loudsue]

17. I only wish. And they can take Amway Asshole DeVos with them,

and his stinkin brother in law, too.

[divvy]

23. Dick Devos recently went for his psychiatric check-up.

Dick Devos arrived at his Psychiatrists office wearing nothing but his clear Amway Cellophane boxer shorts. His Psychiatrist looked him over and said:

Dick, I believe others can see your nuts.

[libmom74]

36. +1 million

[musette_sf]

4. K&R

DeVos/Koch/Scaife

The Axis Of Evil

[louis-t]

5. The DeVos clan, along with the Van Andel family

are involved in all of the rebuilding of Grand Rapids, MI. I spent some time there recently. A lot of the new, shiny buildings are empty. On the way to get a sandwich, I was approached by panhandlers-twice. My republican cohorts bragged about how "this is a republican city, look how nice it is." I said "Yep, only city in MI built by a pyramid scheme (Amway)." Lipstick on a pig.

[Shallah Kali]

6. K & R

:kick:

[Fuddnik]

7. Don't forget the Walton money, and the Mr. and Mrs. Microsoft Foundation.

[vssmith]

10. And Levi Broad

[guruoo]

8. TN state Senate approved school voucher bill today...

Senate OKs school voucher bill; some pan vote

* BY Richard Locker The Commercial Appeal
* Knoxville News Sentinel
* Posted April 22, 2011 at midnight


NASHVILLE - The state Senate on Thursday approved a school voucher bill that allows lower-income students to take half of the taxpayer money spent per pupil in their school district - about $4,300 per year in Knox County - to any private, church-sponsored or other independent school that will accept them.

They may also take the money to any other public or charter school that has room for them.

As written, the bill will initially apply only to students whose household income qualifies them for free or reduced-price school lunches, and only to students in Tennessee's four largest counties: Knox, Shelby, Davidson and Hamilton. School districts in all four counties opposed the bill.

Thursday's 18-10 Senate approval of SB 485 is the first time a school-voucher bill has been approved by either legislative chamber. The House Education subcommittee is scheduled to review the bill Wednesday, and to become law, the bill must also pass the House. Its sponsor, Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, calls the measure the "Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act" and declared on the Senate floor that it's a "windfall" for school districts because they retain half of the per-pupil expenditure from state and local taxpayers for each student who leaves.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/apr/22/senate-oks-school-voucher-bill-some-pan-vote/

[highplainsdem]

20. The bill's sponsor, Brian Kelsey, is an ALEC member who's introduced other legislation pushed by the

American Legislative Exchange Council. I'd be very surprised if this bill doesn't at least borrow heavily from ALEC's model legislation, even if it's been tweaked slightly.

See my reply below (#18) for more about what ALEC is doing in pushing legislation for school vouchers, tax credits that will have the same effect as school vouchers, and parent triggers to force "reform" of schools.

[TheMadMonk]

31. Does that mean, the second public, or the charter school receives...

...that 50% ON TOP OF full public funding for that place?

And what happens to the remaining 50%? Stays with the 1st school? Or YOINK back into the general education budget or even general revenue?

[crickets]

9. K&R

[xchrom]

11. recommend

[rfranklin]

12. What is their thinking behind this effort?

I don't understand it. I suspect it is a power/control motivation but don't have any information. Any body have any insight?

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

:)

[librechik]

26. don't forget, along with the huge profits, they get an uneducated electorate

who will be glad to vote for the hate-filled Koch candidates for generations

[MedleyMisty]

15. Uneducated people don't revolt

They make for good compliant serfs. There's a reason why it was illegal to teach a slave how to read.

[chervilant]

27. Here are a few of the benefits

these corporatists might expect to reap:

1) Privatization will mean profits for newly minted private education groups, as well as some of the Bush clan (and any other wealthy investors who snarf crumbs from the privatization platter).

2) Those members of the wealthy elite who still need to convince themselves they are acting out of compassion, and giving charitably, can allude to their commitment to our children and to education.

3) Everyone KNOWS that only the uber wealthy possess an intellectual prowess that elevates them above the poor, pathetic hoi polloi, both materially and intellectually! Why, if we didn't have the wonderful, paternalistic corporatists around to tell us how to vote, and what to wear, and what to watch, and what to believe--why, where, oh, where would we BE?!?!

[Fire Walk With Me]

28. KONTROL.

"We've go so much power, power, power....it's not even funny."

[underpants]

35. More education = more income (in normal econ worlds). Undermine education < pay

they undermine education in their daily propaganda machine (Fox, talk radio, MSM) which conditions people to expect less pay. It works...or they wouldn't do it.

[defendandprotect]

14. Where are we on this when there is NO response to W and Obama funding "faith-based"

religious organizations?

Last time I saw the figures on this, they were unbelievably high --

haven't seen a recent report, however --

Meanwhile, Obama increased the funding --

Coincidentally, W just happened to have arranged for this taxpayer subsidy of

religion just about the time the Vatican was most desperate to pay off their

pedophile priestd lawsuits. They were selling off church property which was

bringing church members out into the streets!

[drm604]

16. What is happening to my state!

:grr:

[highplainsdem]

18. Americans United says the Walton Foundation is the major funder of DeVos-chaired AFC. And ALEC is

also behind much of the school voucher legislation being introduced, as well as the parent-trigger bills now being pushed across the country.

I'm not saying DeVos isn't important, but there are a lot of other major players, and it does seem that Walton money is more important than DeVos money in this.

Here's a link to the "Voucher Varlets" page on the website for Americans United for Separation of Church and State:

http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2010/09/voucher-varlets.html

Voucher Varlets
September 2010 Featured

By Rob Boston
Numerous Groups Push For Public Funding Of Religious Schools

Who’s behind the campaign for school vouchers? One thing is clear: It’s not average Americans. Several national organizations promote voucher aid to religious and other private schools, but they rely for money on a handful of right-wing funders, led by the Walton Family Foundation.
Here is a list of the major players. All budget figures are taken from publicly available documents and are from fiscal year 2008-2009 or calendar year 2008.

Walton Family Foundation
Headquarters: Bentonville, Ark.
Budget: $421,806,176
Description: The undisputed sugar daddy in the world of voucher groups is the Walton Family Foundation. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a voucher movement without the Walton clan. Operated by the heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, the foundation dished out $175,490,114 in 2008. While much of the money went to community groups, universities and charitable organizations, a huge chunk went to pro-voucher organizations as well. The Alliance for School Choice, for example, got $2,231,880.

-snip-

Alliance for School Choice/American Federation for Children
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
Budget: $7,706,038
Description: These two organizations are the leading voice for vouchers in the nation’s capital. The Alliance was founded in 2004 in Phoenix. Its first president was Clint Bolick, who has also worked for the Institute for Justice. In 2007, Charles R. Hokanson, a former U.S. Education Department official, became president of the Alliance, which moved to Washington. Earlier this year, Betsy DeVos formed the American Federation for Children, which appears to be subsuming the Advocates for School Choice. The group relies heavily on funding from the Walton Family Foundation.

-snip-

American Legislative Exchange Council
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
Budget: $6,975,222
Description: The American Legislative Exchange Council is a right-wing organization that exists to promote far-right laws in state legislatures, mainly by providing model legislation to sympathetic lawmakers. Although ALEC works on a variety of issues, school vouchers have always been a part of its program.

-snip-

You'll find Walton, Scaife, DeVos and Koch money behind ALEC, of course, as well as lots of money from other right-wing foundations and corporations.

There really is a vast right-wing conspiracy. Hillary Clinton was completely correct about that.

You'll find more on ALEC and vouchers in the long compilation topic on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

As the People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch points out, ALEC "created the first private school voucher legislation that proposed giving public education funds to private schools."

This is the page on the ALEC site listing all their model legislation related to education:

http://www.alec.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Education

They recommend tax credits as well as vouchers, since tax credits can often serve the same purpose.

And as I said, they're now pushing parent-trigger legislation:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x867471

If you want to follow the money more closely, to see who's funding this wide-flung intermeshed movement to privatize education, this Daily Kos diary on ALEC and education

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/12/966046/-Education-the-ALEC-Way

links to a page for downloading a PDF report (download is free) from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy on "Strategic Grantmaking: Foundations and the School Privatization Movement."

http://www.ncrp.org/index.php?option=com_ixxocart&Itemid=41&p=product&id=4&parent=3

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. And the Walton family owns a charter school compnay

Coinkidink?

I think not.

[highplainsdem]

21. Definitely not coincidence. They're out to make more money off this.

[inna]

22. kr

[KoKo]

24. I wondered where the evil Scaife was lately.. All attention on Koch..

and yet, once again, the Scaife (Ken Starr/Witch Hunt against Clintons) rears his ugly head.

Thanks K-Pete!

[Jakes Progress]

25. So why, pray tell, is our own president doing all he can to fulfill their dreams?

And why are people who call themselves Democrat being quiet about it?

[Raksha]

29. Good questions!

[Jakes Progress]

30. The answers to those questions will tell us what happened to the Democratic Party.

[Hannah Bell]

33. i don't know, but i'm sure some apologist will provide you with the latest talking points.

[L. Coyote]

32. big kick

:kick:

[proud patriot]

34. grrrrrrrrrrr They must be stopped

:patriot: