Ga.’s back-door voucher program riddled with deception
From its inception, Georgia’s tax-funded private-school “scholarship” program has been shrouded in deception and guile. Its champions have misled the public and state legislators about the purpose of the program, how it would function and who it would benefit, and they continue to mislead today.
Yet with state money tight and public schools struggling just to stay open the traditional 180 days, defenders of the scholarship program want to double the size of the program to $100 million a year.
I have a better idea: If the program can’t be made open and accountable, with demonstrable evidence that it is serving those it was created to help, it ought to be abolished altogether.
Let’s take a minute to review how the program works: As a Georgia taxpayer or corporation, when you contribute a dollar to a private-school scholarship program, an offsetting dollar is deducted directly from your state tax bill. For example, if you have a state tax bill of $2,500 and donate $2,500 for a scholarship, your tax bill falls to zero. Since 2008, the program has diverted more than $170 million of state tax revenue to private schools.
According to its supporters, the program was supposed to help finance private-school scholarships for poor children stuck in underperforming public schools. Oddly, though, the law contained no means-testing for recipients, and it quickly became obvious why. The program was a scam. Once it was passed, supporters started openly pitching the program as a means for affluent parents of children already in private school to arrange a state tax subsidy.
“You can take this chunk of money and be able to say, “No, I want this money to go to education, and not just education, I want it to go to the school of my choice, and maybe even more detailed, (to) the student of my choice,” one legislator told parents.
The question of accountability is also critical. Public schools face increasing and understandable demands to be accountable for their use of tax money and their effectiveness. Students face required standardized testing; teacher evaluations are mandated; school districts are losing autonomy to the state. State officials may even strip members of DeKalb County School Board from office for failing to do their jobs properly.
So what accountability is being required from private schools accepting tax money? None. As in literally, none. We have no idea what kind of education our $170 million in tax money has provided. We have no idea who is getting the scholarships. In fact, in 2011 legislators passed a law making it a crime to release any information about the inner workings of the program.
It makes no sense: Why require increasingly minute oversight of public school dollars, while at the same time mandating willful, total blindness to how taxpayer dollars are being spent in a private setting?
In addition, much of the money is being used to subsidize schools that freely acknowledge that they discriminate against students and parents on the basis of religion. Taxpayer money should not be used in that fashion. As the Southern Education Foundation recently pointed out, those state tax dollars are also being used to subsidize schools that refuse to serve gay students or in some cases even bar students who dare to support gay rights for others.
At Providence Christian Academy near Lilburn, for example, students can be expelled or barred for “promoting, supporting, or condoning … homosexual activity or bisexual activity,” a policy that presumably would also bar the children of gay parents from attending or receiving a scholarship.
As a private institution, the folks at Providence Christian and other schools have every right to maintain that policy. Having such policies subsidized by the taxpayer is another matter entirely. If such discrimination wouldn’t be tolerated in a public school financed with taxpayer money, why should it be tolerated in a private school that is also financed with taxpayer money?
On Monday, SEF officials submitted a complaint to the state Department of Revenue that documents in great detail multiple, widespread, blatant and continuing violations of state law regarding the scholarship program. (The full complaint is available here; it makes convincing reading.) It will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of it.
– Jay Bookman
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507 comments Add your comment
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
9:20 am
Simple Truths
January 30th, 2013
9:17 am
Holy crap, this smells like a scam! A dollar-for-dollar tax credit where you can push money to a place that can directly benefit you. Forget the lack of accountability for a moment, the underlying math of the credit doesn’t seem to pass muster.
========================================================================
disgusting isn’t it
why can’t GA be more like Obama………… give $$$ to green energy companies run by friends and campaign contributors to make products you can’t sell but we still get rich even thought the company goes bust…………..
whats up with ga………. wanting students to read and write………….
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
9:22 am
So to answer your question: No, legally, what you describe is not supposed to happen. But yes, in reality, it happens all the time.
====================================================================
jay
kinda like…………. no federal or state $$$$ will be used for abortions………… No, legally, what you describe is not supposed to happen. But yes, in reality, it happens all the time.
TaxPayer
January 30th, 2013
9:22 am
I would say that I am shocked, SHOCKED, I SAY, to hear that even Georgia’s Republicans are nothing but a bunch of scheming conniving crooks… But I’d be lying. And that would be so un-Christian of me.
TaxPayer
January 30th, 2013
9:23 am
But yes, in reality, it happens all the time.
Prove it, sam.
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
9:24 am
Jay – I said there are a few real teachers still around but most now call themselves “educators”.. guess the word “teacher” is looked down upon now and the word “educator” makes them feel self important. It all started with “sanitation engineers” . Every day I see these “gradeates” that can speak proper English, can’t read and can’t give you change back from a dollar. Yet they have been in school for 12 years. Talk about letting our youth down and wasting tax dollars. There is more “deception” in the Atlanta school system than in the Russian mafia.
Paul
January 30th, 2013
9:25 am
Thomas H jr
” We will have to disagree on what is a “public fund”.”
Fine.
Now, would you oppose the state allowing parents to reduce their tax bill by up to $2500 by paying it to private schools for their kids to attend, which schools were authorized by the state and prohibited attendance by Christians or those who espoused heterosexual relationships?
Jay
January 30th, 2013
9:26 am
I appreciate that Thulsa, and I believe that you are correct about the gerrymandering. That’s where the whole plan is vulnerable to constitutional challenge.
I should also note that Virginia Republicans have backed away from the proposal, as has the Republican governor of Michigan.
Simple Truths
January 30th, 2013
9:26 am
Uncle Samantha @9:20, focus on the topic. When “green” energy is the topic du jour, I will offer my thoughts on that feeding trough.
DannyX
January 30th, 2013
9:26 am
I want a $2,500 tax credit so I can send a kid to the Chip Rogers School of Broadcasting.
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
9:27 am
Jay _ I did not hear so much whining and gnashing of teeth from you when King Roy and the Dem royalty were in charge of the deception and scams like gerrymandering and taking of lobbyists gifts.. It’s all about the Repubs being in charge isn’t it Jay? In your opinion have the Repubs ever done anything right in the state of Georgia? Come on Jay throw them a bone.
St Simons - aboriginal
January 30th, 2013
9:28 am
far and away the most corrupt state in the union.
oh, this is gonna be a hard fall, Ga cons.
The wipeout is already coming in Flow-rida.
May take a little longer here.
especially when all you have to justify this pillage
and looting is ‘bu…bu…bu…Roy Barnes’
Erwin's cat
January 30th, 2013
9:28 am
that’s 170 million that could go towards a new dome with a retractable roof!
TaxPayer
January 30th, 2013
9:28 am
Republicans don’t do math or science but they do a great interpretive dance of their version of Christianity.
Jackie
January 30th, 2013
9:29 am
Good reading for the debate on public v. private school academic achievement.
http://www.projectappleseed.org/public-private.html
TaxPayer
January 30th, 2013
9:29 am
I did not hear so much whining and gnashing of teeth from you when King Roy and the Dem royalty were in charge of the deception and scams like gerrymandering and taking of lobbyists gifts..
Ear wax buildup must be another serious problem afflicting Republicans.
Redneck
January 30th, 2013
9:30 am
Bookman you do have point in that we should have a grading system that tells us what the public is buying (the same for both public and private schools)If a school is failing to serve the students in its care I would like to know that. However, the rest of that is liberal HOR$3 $tuff. A gay kid can and will get a good education IF their parents work at it.
Brosephus™
January 30th, 2013
9:30 am
When the Georgia legislature passed a private school scholarship program in 2008, lawmakers promoted it as a way to give poor children the same education choices as the wealthy.
The program would be supported by donations to nonprofit scholarship groups, and Georgians who contributed would receive dollar-for-dollar tax credits, up to $2,500 a couple. The intent was that money otherwise due to the Georgia treasury — about $50 million a year — would be used instead to help needy students escape struggling public schools.
That was the idea, at least. But parents meeting at Gwinnett Christian Academy got a completely different story last year.
“A very small percentage of that money will be set aside for a needs-based scholarship fund,” Wyatt Bozeman, an administrator at the school near Atlanta, said during an informational session. “The rest of the money will be channeled to the family that raised it.”
A handout circulated at the meeting instructed families to donate, qualify for a tax credit and then apply for a scholarship for their own children, many of whom were already attending the school.
“If a student has friends, relatives or even corporations that pay Georgia income tax, all of those people can make a donation to that child’s school,” added an official with a scholarship group working with the school.
The exchange at Gwinnett Christian Academy, a recording of which was obtained by The New York Times, is just one example of how scholarship programs have been twisted to benefit private schools at the expense of the neediest children.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/education/scholarship-funds-meant-for-needy-benefit-private-schools.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
9:31 am
simple
I CAN’T FOCUS………….. I AM PRODUCT OF THE GEORGIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS SYSTEM WHEN THE DEMOCRATS RAN THE STATE.
Brosephus™
January 30th, 2013
9:32 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=617T8oCoH_0
kayaker 71
January 30th, 2013
9:32 am
Morality, 9:27,
But this is an opinion column, which we are reminded of so many times by Bookman’s sheep. That gives you certain license to tell half truths, skew the data to your point of view, ignore facts that may well tell a different story and all of the time, revel in the fact that you are a “journalist”. Wow. Where can I find a job like that?
Janney
January 30th, 2013
9:33 am
Thank you for posting this, Jay. Scary stuff how Georgia is allowing public funding to go to private schools that have no accountability to the public.Very interesting to read the comments and justifications of our conservative friends on this blog.
Jay
January 30th, 2013
9:34 am
morality, I know you won’t believe it, but the record is there if you care to look: I was very, very hard on Barnes, Tom Murphy and the Democrats on ethical and other issues when they were in power. The laws we have today that at least require that lobbyists report what they spend exist in large part because of a months-long campaign back in the ’90s led by the AJC editorial board.
the cat
January 30th, 2013
9:34 am
What is the percentage of tax payer scholarships going to Jewish or Muslim private schools?
Brosephus™
January 30th, 2013
9:34 am
Not sure if that YouTube video is still up and running, but it’s mentioned in the NYT article that I linked.
The idea, based on a technical interpretation of the word “enroll,” was promoted by State Representative David Casas, a Republican and co-sponsor of the scholarship legislation in Georgia. In meetings with parents, he had explained that the bill’s wording was intentional — using the word “enrolled” rather than “attending” — to enable the scholarships’ use by students already in private schools.
Parents questioned the idea. “Aren’t people going to say that’s a scam?” asked one father during a presentation by Mr. Casas that was posted on YouTube. “ ‘You’ve been going here for nine years. Now you’re enrolling in public school? You’re enrolled in two schools?’ ”
Mr. Casas, the president of a seminary, assured him it was not a scam. “Feel fine about it,” Mr. Casas said.
“Some people felt a little weird about that, felt it was dishonest that they would take their child, enroll them in a public school and not have them actually attend, but all of a sudden they actually qualified for a scholarship,” Mr. Casas said at another meeting, where he called the program “too good to be true.” A transcript of the comments was contained in the Southern Education Foundation report. Mr. Casas did not respond to inquiries seeking comment.
clem
January 30th, 2013
9:34 am
there should be means testing…or at least a sliding scale; rich folks just gaming the system. the state income tax rate is for all intent purposes a flat tax.
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
9:35 am
INSANITY
all these crying liberals spend time/money/energy trying to prevent people with different views the ability to educate their children
if these liberals would spend their time/money/energy creating schools THAT DO EDUCATE children then it would be a moot point
but the key is they CAN’T………………… so they have to attack those who CAN
and you all know what WOODY ALLEN that racist/facist republican said about those WHO CAN’T
DannyX
January 30th, 2013
9:35 am
“I CAN’T FOCUS………….. I AM PRODUCT OF THE GEORGIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS SYSTEM WHEN THE DEMOCRATS RAN THE STATE.”
Republicans got off to a roaring start, Linda Schrenko the first Republican elected State Superintendent is still doing time in a Georgia prison for stealing money from a deaf school fund.
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
9:36 am
X – Chip Rogers hasn’t done anything different than many of the Dems and Repubs throughout history. Get in politics, do favors, get your payoff. Obama and the Dems wrote the book. Jammy Codder has been in D.C. getting his payoff for 50 years. The system stinks but until we have TERM LIMITS for Congress and TERM LIMITS at all levels the scams, kickbacks and bribes will go on. You keep voting back in the do nothing hand in the public trough political hacks and you get what you pay for. Inept gub’mentand a $16,000,000,000,000 + FISCAL CLIFF Fed debt built up over decades of wasteful and corrupt abuse.
Thomas Heyward Jr
January 30th, 2013
9:38 am
Paul
January 30th, 2013
9:25 am
Thomas H jr
” We will have to disagree on what is a “public fund”.”
Fine.
Now, would you oppose the state allowing parents to reduce their tax bill by up to $2500 by paying it to private schools for their kids to attend, which schools were authorized by the state and prohibited attendance by Christians or those who espoused heterosexual relationships?
—————————————————————————-
What is the difference in this deduction and a church charitble deduction?
There is no state oversight of churches.
Paul
January 30th, 2013
9:38 am
Brosephus
Thanks for the followup. When I clinked on the youtube link and it said ‘not available’ I figured it was that short vid entitled “A look into the minds of some bloggers”
DannyX
January 30th, 2013
9:40 am
“What is the difference in this deduction and a church charitble deduction?”
First of all the scholarship program is a tax credit, not a tax deduction. Big difference.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
January 30th, 2013
9:41 am
Off topic, but I love these girls…
http://www.upworthy.com/you-dont-need-an-evil-mustache-or-a-volcano-lair-to-piss-off-the-dixie-chicks?c=upw1
stands for decibels
January 30th, 2013
9:42 am
I even writ my local rep about it
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
RB from Gwinnett
January 30th, 2013
9:42 am
Jay, “schools are openly telling parents how to sidestep that requirement. ”
That’s the case with EVERY government program, Jay. Every last one. The only solution is for the government to get out of the “picking winners and losers” game and stop playing games with the tax structure to eliminate all the crap. You know that to be true, but you won’t support it. You just keep hoping the current system will work just because you want it too even though overwhelming evidence shows it’s not and your intuition tells you it never will.
Paul
January 30th, 2013
9:42 am
Thomas
It’s really amazing. Jay writes a piece, you way in without any equivocation. But when what you wrote is adapted to challenge what you wrote all you do is start digging rabbit holes.
I’d be happy to discuss the difference in this deduction and a church charitable deduction AFTER you answer
“would you oppose the state allowing parents to reduce their tax bill by up to $2500 by paying it to private schools for their kids to attend, which schools were authorized by the state and prohibited attendance by Christians or those who espoused heterosexual relationships?”
A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is all that’s needed. You understand that, don’t you? (Actually, I think you full well understand the implications of a yes or no answer, which is why you’re doing everything possible to not answer).
Rafe Hollister
January 30th, 2013
9:42 am
Well yes, the program should be reformed to show more accountability. So, should many other government programs, but where is the Left, we Conservatives point out fraud in other programs, like Medicaid, Medicare, Unemployment, Green Energy, foreign aid, etc.
The response we get from the Left is always, well, it is so little money involved, only a billion or two, wasted in Green Energy, we have more important problems/bigger fish to fry, just look at how much we are spending on defense, this is insignificant.
So now, 177 million or whatever, generates a column on waste, fraud, and abuse? Hypocrisy seems to be prevalent everywhere.
barking frog
January 30th, 2013
9:42 am
People who want their children in charter schools or
state sponsored scholarship to private schools are
not all wealthy enough to pay for private schools and
contribute to public school financing. Poverty should
not hinder education at any level since the State has
taxing power.
St Simons - aboriginal
January 30th, 2013
9:44 am
its ok in the long run, though.
When you have to sneak & connive your failed ideology into force
by fooling the people, you’re not really thinking long-term anyway.
The tides come in. The tides go out, mon. Word.
and these Ga Republicans smell like low tide, in August.
kayaker 71
January 30th, 2013
9:45 am
clem, 9:34,
The program already has a built in cap of total earnings of 85K/yr to participate. Most of those evil Republicans make way more than that.
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
9:47 am
barking frog
January 30th, 2013
9:42 am
People who want their children in charter schools or
state sponsored scholarship to private schools are
not all wealthy enough to pay for private schools and
contribute to public school financing. Poverty should
not hinder education at any level since the State has
taxing power.
==============================================================
TAKE YOUR LOGIC, COMMON SENSE AND COMPASSION SOMEPLACE ELSE
liberals don’t want to hear it
Jay
January 30th, 2013
9:47 am
kayaker, you impugn my credibility and professionalism by claiming, among other things, that “At present there only 29 private schools in GA that qualify for money from this program….. they are listed in the bill.”
How interesting, then, that GOAL — just one of the seven organizations set up to collect and distribute funds through this program, and by far the most transparent — lists 121 schools that it alone helps to finance scholarships.
Source: http://www.goalscholarship.org/participating_schools/
In other words, you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Christian Conservative
January 30th, 2013
9:48 am
Suck it up Jay. Georgia is a bright red state and what we want to do at the state is something you libs must deal with. We deal with far left policies on the national level such as the monstrosity of obamacare…
Joe Hussein Mama
January 30th, 2013
9:48 am
Peadawg — “I keep saying it over and over…
IF YOU WANT YOUR KID TO GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL THEN PAY FOR IT YOURSELF”
Peadawg and I don’t agree on much, but we agree a whole hell of a lot on this point.
barking frog
January 30th, 2013
9:48 am
stands
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
………………………………………………..
better than to Summer’s Eve…
DannyX
January 30th, 2013
9:48 am
“That’s the case with EVERY government program, Jay.”
So rb, you are ok with Christian schools playing the same game of con and deception?
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
9:49 am
Jay – If you say it’s so aren’t we supposed to believe it? I am still waiting for you to tell us ONE thing the Repubs running the state have done right. So far ever since the Repubs came in to power you have not given them credit for one single thing they have done that you agree with as far as I can remember. I am not a Repub or a Dem – I am a FISCAL conservative. A yearly Balanced Budget by law is what has kept the state of Georgia solvent since the voters keep hiring spineless politicians to throw away their tax dollars. We need a BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT to the Constitution for the FISCAL survival of the USA since all we have up there are PARTY LOYALISTS on both sides. Then maybe they will spend more time working than getting reelected.
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
9:50 am
all you MOOCHERS who use your mortgage interest deduction should be ashamed
there are poor and struggling familes who rent and could use THAT MONEY to send their kid to a CHARTER or PRIVATE school
Thomas Heyward Jr
January 30th, 2013
9:51 am
Paul
January 30th, 2013
9:42 am
Thomas
It’s really amazing. Jay writes a piece, you way in without any equivocation. But when what you wrote is adapted to challenge what you wrote all you do is start digging rabbit holes.
I’d be happy to discuss the difference in this deduction and a church charitable deduction AFTER you answer
“would you oppose the state allowing parents to reduce their tax bill by up to $2500 by paying it to private schools for their kids to attend, which schools were authorized by the state and prohibited attendance by Christians or those who espoused heterosexual relationships?”
——————————————————————————–
.
You have me…………but I am big enough to admit it.
Are you big enough to admit that tax money DOES pay for abortions?
.
It’s the same concept.
DannyX
January 30th, 2013
9:51 am
“Suck it up Jay. Georgia is a bright red state and what we want to do at the state is something you libs must deal with.”
You too Christian Consevative, you’re ok with Christian schools cheating and deceiving?
RB from Gwinnett
January 30th, 2013
9:52 am
DannyX, “So rb, you are ok with Christian schools playing the same game of con and deception?”
You mean like the AJC paying you to inflate their web site hits so Kroger will buy ad space from them thinking they’re reaching the general public? No, DannyX, I don’t think lying, cheating, and deception are right no matter who is doing it.
Lucas of Skywalker Ministries
January 30th, 2013
9:53 am
I am now authorized to receive millions of your tax dollars
for my new K-12 Jedi school.
Brosephus™
January 30th, 2013
9:53 am
Paul
No problem. Can’t view YouTube on this PC, so I wasn’t sure if it was still up or not. I figured that it had likely been yanked.
—————————
Jay: In other words, you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Well, he has an image to uphold, you know…
kayaker 71
January 30th, 2013
9:53 am
Bookman, 9:34,
Look closely at my post that addressed that question. I stated that GA state Bill 1133, in 2008 when the bill was passed. listed 29 participating schools. They are listed in the bill. I followed that statement with, “By now there may be more”. What difference does it make how many schools participate? With a household income cap of 85K as a condition of participating in the program, this considerably cuts out many of not most of those evil rich Republicans that are “scamming the system”. Tell the whole damned story for a change.
Thulsa Doom
January 30th, 2013
9:54 am
Jay,
I can only surmise that the VA. GOP read your column and ya scared em away. Who knew the confines of our friendly little blog had such a reach.
DannyX
January 30th, 2013
9:54 am
“No, DannyX, I don’t think lying, cheating, and deception are right no matter who is doing it.”
So why are you deflecting and not speaking out against the Christian corruption?
Erwin's cat
January 30th, 2013
9:55 am
The program already has a built in cap of total earnings of 85K/yr to participate. Most of those evil Republicans make way more than that.
Is that true?..I was gonna google the program but have no idea what it’s called
DannyX
January 30th, 2013
9:56 am
“Tell the whole damned story for a change.”
With all the secrecy written into the law “the whole damned story” can’t be told.
barking frog
January 30th, 2013
9:56 am
The reason for enrolling a child in public school to qualify for the program
seems to be so the public school can get funding on the student even
though the school is not providing the education which stops the
complaining from public educators.
alex
January 30th, 2013
9:56 am
If tax money is going to schools without accountability,that is wrong. Given Jay’s inherint bias against private schools and many things non-govermental (don’t deny it), I suspect there is more to the story. I know many of you believe it is some EVIL con conspiracy…..perhaps it s an oversight. > jay why do we need 7 organizations to review these issues, could each have their own agenda? Hmmm. Let’s all be cynical. Personally, I fork up the private school education for my kids and drive a jalopy– I would not “dream” of sending my kids to the local public school, given I have the means to do otherwise..Jay, you have been successful with your children, congrats…
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
January 30th, 2013
9:56 am
“Ga.’s back-door voucher program riddled with deception”
Obama’s back-door health insurance program riddled with deception.
Oh well ……………..
Simple Truths
January 30th, 2013
9:57 am
Off topic, but the next time gerrymandering comes up, I have a fix for it (dramatic foreshadowing).
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
9:57 am
Some on here are against private schools because they are “Christian”……. so start a school for atheists, Muslims, Hindus whatever…….. the objective will still be to get an education. Teachers today are making three times what they were payed 30 years ago. They were underpaid at one time but now some of them are overpaid based on their results. Like I said – get results at the public schools and there won’t be a problem. Time to get the politics and social engineering out of public schools. We don’t need Planned Parenthood brain washing our children.
Jay
January 30th, 2013
9:57 am
Morality, I’ve given the Georgia GOP credit here several times for not gerrymandering as badly as the Democrats did. I lauded Deal for backing the T-SPLOST vote, although the process itself was a poorly designed effort to avoid political accountability. I think the ethics proposal announced yesterday by Speaker Ralston is an important step forward, although I do have serious concerns with certain aspects of it. And in general, thanks in part to Ralston and Deal, Georgia Republicans have avoided at least some of the wack-doodle legislation popping up in other Deep Red states.
the cat
January 30th, 2013
9:59 am
All this free funding is how all these “christian” schools have expanded so quickly. Take a look at Killian Hill and Greater Atlanta, there is no way they could have all those new buildings without a deal with the devil. The devil in this scenario are all the “christians” that think this scam is just dandy.
mbtc
January 30th, 2013
9:59 am
Morality? :” Obama quit wasting time on your pet projects and FINALLY do something about the ever growing cancer known as the Fed debt.”
Conservative Heritage Foundation scholar, John Makin, comes out against austerity. Read about it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/john-makin_n_2573183.html
Seriously Folks
January 30th, 2013
9:59 am
Bro
Funny how all we hear is crickets after you posted that link…complete with video evidence…and quotes….
Could you imagine if there was video of Obama in the Oval Office saying, “Oh trust me, it will all be fine if the public THINKS Benghazi was all about a video”…Can you say, “DEFCON 3″ meltdown on here??
stands for decibels
January 30th, 2013
9:59 am
So now, 177 million or whatever
yes. in one (1) state, a state that constantly poor-mouths itself whenever it comes time to build anything that the public at large might actually use.
Contrast that to the Tardcon 5 status afforded Solyndra, which was a multiyear Federal project whose costs came to only about three times this amount. Which, by the accounts I read, was a reasonable risk for the Feds to have taken.
Solyndra practically became a household word in 2012 for all the whining. That said:
generates a column on waste, fraud, and abuse?
You really want to attack Jay on *his* lack of proportionality? Please proceed.
Steve-USA (I don't have all the answer's, I don't even know all the questions)
January 30th, 2013
10:00 am
Jay – “Two, under the law you can designate the school that will receive the scholarship, but it is illegal to designate the student. However, as the SEF report documents very well, schools are openly telling parents how to sidestep that requirement.”
I am afraid that I don’t follow that. What does that accomplish exactly for the student? Grade kickback?
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
10:00 am
The bigger big gub’ment gets the more inept it gets. It has gotten to big for it britches. Time to downsize the Fed gub’ment and return the state’s responsibilities to the states – one size does not fit all.
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
January 30th, 2013
10:00 am
We don’t need Planned Parenthood brain washing our children
Thats right. You are doing a good job of that on your own.
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
January 30th, 2013
10:01 am
BTW there is a reason why churches have Sunday school for kids.
Thats where the real brain washing starts.
the cat
January 30th, 2013
10:01 am
Morality seems to be stuck on abortion.
Liberal Nightmare
January 30th, 2013
10:02 am
“Tell the whole story Bookman. It gives you more credibility.”
Cookman only has credibility among the cooks who spend their day hating “jaysus” and “faux news”. The lib way is to pick and choose an argument and selectively respond to analytic analysis which refutes the argument. Then they say, “look how smart I am compared to those evil conservatives”.
My kids happen to attend private school (because grandparents saved for it) and I know several (18 to be exact) very deserving kids who are there because of this program. Of these, 4 are at the top of their respective classes. No, they are not caucasian males and I am willing to bet their parents didn’t vote for Mitt. Try researching a subject fully Cookman before writing your liberal drivel.
Thulsa Doom
January 30th, 2013
10:03 am
“that’s 170 million that could go towards a new dome with a retractable roof!”
EC,
The latest I’ve heard is that there is a not so thinly veiled threat that the franchise could move to LA. As much as I greatly respect the accomplishments and charitable work of Mr. Blank this is starting to feel like the typical billionaire blackmail that these owners use when they want a new stadium. And that’s bullsheet.
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
January 30th, 2013
10:04 am
Georgia is near the bottom in education ( As are most Red states oddly enough )
Thats what you get when the hillbillies are in charge.
Erwin's cat
January 30th, 2013
10:04 am
the cat – All this free funding is how all these “christian” schools have expanded so quickly. Take a look at Killian Hill and Greater Atlanta, there is no way they could have all those new buildings without a deal with the devil. The devil in this scenario are all the “christians” that think this scam is just dandy.
never pass up an opportunity to bash a Christian…….complain all you want nobody is doing anything illegal…don’t hate the player, hate the game…be an agent of change if you are passionate about changing it
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
10:05 am
SURVEY
what percentage of our Georgia State and County jail systems have inmates from our APS, DEKALB and other DEMOCRAT run schools systems?
what percentage of our Georgia State and County jail systems have inmates from private and charter schools like GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS?
or if you don’t prefer
substitute for inmates the number of graduates living below the poverty line!!!!!!!!!!!
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
10:05 am
mbtc – I am not talking about austerity – how about some common sense and some action on actually having a workable plan to reduce the deficit? Four years of Obama and NO results. When it comes to the Fed debt crisis we have a DO NOTHING Congress and a DO NOTHING Prez. Priorities have to be assigned and I would put the Fed Deb Crisis as PRIORITY #1.
Liberal Nightmare
January 30th, 2013
10:05 am
“Thats where the real brain washing starts.”
Aww poor thing, did you get picked on by the evil Christians as a kid?
stands for decibels
January 30th, 2013
10:06 am
My kids happen to attend private school (because grandparents saved for it)
ha ha ha.
Oh, thank you for sharing that useful bit of data, “Liberal Nightmare.”
Erwin's cat
January 30th, 2013
10:06 am
Thats (sic) what you get when the hillbillies are in charge.
bigot much?
the cat
January 30th, 2013
10:06 am
erwins’s cat-you are damned straight I blame the “christians”. they are the ones scamming us taxpayers. Own it.
UNCLE SAMANTHA
January 30th, 2013
10:06 am
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
January 30th, 2013
10:04 am
Georgia is near the bottom in education ( As are most Red states oddly enough )
Thats what you get when the hillbillies are in charge.
=============================================================
CAN’T BLAME REPUBLICANS………… THEY INHERITED THE MESS FROM ALL THOSE DEMOCRATS THAT RAN THE SOUTH FOR DECADES!!!!!!!!!!
JUST LIKE OBAMA INHERITED THE MESS
RB from Gwinnett
January 30th, 2013
10:06 am
DannyX, “So why are you deflecting and not speaking out against the Christian corruption?”
Oh Christian school I know nothing about and have no contact with. If the half of the story as told by Jay Bookman is true and you are in fact violating a law with your enrollment practices, you should be ashamed and should stop immediatly.
Are you happy, now DannyX???
Now it’s your turn to tell me if you think its ok for you to inflate the AJC’s web site hits from the AJC offices and feed the hit data to prospective advertisers as valid data. Whatcha got?
Kids from Blue States
January 30th, 2013
10:07 am
As long as you guys teach good Christian-based math and science I’m
happy. Of course that maybe because my family and friends have had
the good sense to settle above the Bible belt and our competition fer
jerbs down there will be doorknob lickers.
Paul
January 30th, 2013
10:08 am
Thomas Heyward Jr
“Are you big enough to admit that tax money DOES pay for abortions?”
Of course, as I never doubted they did. Last I looked at it, federal funds per Hyde Amendment prohibited use of tax dollars for abortions thru Medicaid, military, gov’t employeess, etc. but did (subsequently, I believe) permit for rape, incest or when mother’s life in danger.
So yes, tax dollars have been used for some time. And Hyde, author of the bill, was quite opposed to abortion.
But I’ve a doctor appointment in 23 minutes so I must run.
Thanks for the discussion.
the cat
January 30th, 2013
10:08 am
I confess, I also blog here to run up the hits for Bookman. So sue me.
hahhahahahahhahahahhahaha
kayaker 71
January 30th, 2013
10:10 am
Hell, lets take part of that 177M and built another railroad to the MLK memorial. It’s a cinch that the really civic minded King children wouldn’t mind spending all of the GA tax money that they can get their hands on.
Aquagirl
January 30th, 2013
10:11 am
Now it’s your turn to tell me if you think its ok for you to inflate the AJC’s web site hits from the AJC offices
Wait….you think the AJC is paying people to post on their own website so advertisers will pay more for ad space?
mbtc
January 30th, 2013
10:11 am
@Morality? What part of “reducing the deficit ” wouldn’t involve “austerity” during a time of extreme recession?
the cat
January 30th, 2013
10:11 am
Come on regular bloggers, time to fess up. We are all blogging here to run up the hits for Bookman. Feel better now RB?
Thulsa Doom
January 30th, 2013
10:11 am
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
January 30th, 2013
10:01 am
“BTW there is a reason why churches have Sunday school for kids.
Thats where the real brain washing starts.”
They do love they Christian bashing they do.
Liberal Nightmare
January 30th, 2013
10:12 am
“Georgia is near the bottom in education ( As are most Red states oddly enough )”
Hmmm, more hen picking of information. Why don’t you break down Georgia by voting district and then publish which areas have the lowest test scores and rates of graduation? Now lie and tell everyone those low scores and high dropout rates came from republican strongholds. Here I will get you started – Clayton County.
Paul
January 30th, 2013
10:12 am
Oh, and Thomas H jr
I think it’s okay to hold contradictory positions. It’s just part of life. Everything isn’t black and white. The key, I think, is to honestly acknowledge them.
Out -
Erwin's cat
January 30th, 2013
10:12 am
The latest I’ve heard is that there is a not so thinly veiled threat that the franchise could move to LA. As much as I greatly respect the accomplishments and charitable work of Mr. Blank this is starting to feel like the typical billionaire blackmail that these owners use when they want a new stadium. And that’s bullsheet.
That was the word according to Kasim Reed. AB and the falcons haven’t commented on it one way or the other and haven’t threatened to leave and I’m sure it’s true that LA is showing interest. The bigger threat is AB will finance and build it all on his own in the suburbs. That is Reed’s and the Atlanta’s real real threat and they know it.
DownInAlbany
January 30th, 2013
10:14 am
I’m not a fan of GOAL and have never participated. My kid goes to the local private school after 7 years in the failing public school (take a look at Dougherty Co system) and I pay full tuition. Deerfield-Windsor handles the money appropriately. They have used it to “rescue” students from the disasterous DOCO system. You cannot designate funds to specific students.
Is there abuse? Absolutely. But, there are success stories regarding GOAL, also.
And just for the record, tuition to DWS is less than what is spent per student in DOCO.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 30th, 2013
10:14 am
Well some nice antedotal
evidenceunsupported claims about what is going on from some posters. Unfortunately the state has prohibited anyone from verifying the effectiveness of the program. Many of the abuses have been documented in the report. If this program can reflect it’s “greatness” in the light of day, why does Georgia and the GOP not celebrate it and call attention to its success with actual facts and reports? I know many conned “knows what they knows” but really at some point you surely must come to realize your own buffoonery…..Thulsa Doom
January 30th, 2013
10:14 am
“Of course that maybe because my family and friends have had
the good sense to settle above the Bible belt and our competition fer
jerbs down there will be doorknob lickers.”
Nothing like a dash of bigotry to flavor up the Christian bashing.
Morality?
January 30th, 2013
10:15 am
Cheezy – Brain dead zombies for Obama don’t have a brain because it’s dead. Obama thinks for you… as he KNOWS the people that elected him need him to think for them. We do not need paid political lobbyists like Planned Parenthood in our schools. It’s the PARENTS job to raise their children and give them moral values and we don’t need the immoral Planned Parenthood in our schools. The millions paid to Planned Parenthood by our Fed gub’ment are kickbacks and payoffs for their support of the Dem Party. We need to rid our gub’ment of this corruption. TERM LIMITS for Congress.
Erwin's cat
January 30th, 2013
10:17 am
the cat – erwins’s cat-you are damned straight I blame the “christians”. they are the ones scamming us taxpayers. Own it.
how so…is it allowed and legal?…just because money is going to something that you don’t approve of doesn’t make it a scam…own it Christian hater