Favors vouchers

Politicians have told us for a long time, "If only you give us more of your money, we’ll ‘fix’ everything." Studies show that less than 36 percent of the more than $30 billion of your money California spends each year trickles down to the classroom. Frustrated teachers, when their union bosses aren’t listening, will tell you the rest is wasted on a bloated bureaucracy of "educrates" (only 100 teachers for every 227 employed in education).

Kailey, the Sarasota high school student, doesn’t have a place to sit because a lot of "educrates" are sitting behind desks dreaming up and administering "diversity" and "tolerance" training programs.

Did you know Gov. Davis just signed into law AB-1785 which requires that homosexuality be taught as a normal, healthy lifestyle in kindergarten through 12th grade?

The "Daddy’s Roommate" and "Heather Has Two Mommies" type curriculum that was rejected by the New York school board is now mandated in California by law. AB-1931 provides $2 million of your tax dollars for "tolerance" field trips. Teachers will be "trained" how to determine student motives (who will these "thought police" be "trained" by?).

Money is not the problem. Want proof? Private schools are, on average, two grade levels ahead of government schools and they spend, on average, half as much per pupil. Why? Because they are accountable to parents! If they don’t perform they go out of business. They are not over regulated and crippled by the education code.

My own four kids are in the public school system and I hope it turns around, but without vouchers to provide the catalyst it will not. Prop. 38 saves taxpayers $3 billion annually.

If you believe more money will help the public schools here’s $3 billion to add to the pile without raising taxes.

If you’re satisfied with your local school, please consider the inner-city drug and gang-plagued schools. Remember the single mom who drove from L.A. to the "Valley" to keep her son safe only to have him gunned down on campus? If she had a choice her son would be alive. Please vote for Prop. 38. Get involved in the campaign.

Visit the web sites at: Campaign@voucher2000.com or www.38yes.com. Other family resources: Focus on the Family, (800) AFAMILY, www.family.org/resources. Try "My Truth, Your Truth, Whose Truth" Capitol Resources Inst. Cacapres@aol.com.

Steven Charles

Westlake Village