Democratic disrespect
By: Meghan Cox Gurdon
Examiner Columnist
March 19, 2009
For days I’ve tried to figure out why so many voters in the District remain loyal to the Democratic Party, when its leaders consistently and publicly disrespect them.
Before I proceed, let’s be clear: This column isn’t a Republican recruitment tool. The Republican Party may be in a temporary state of chaos and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele may be suffering a severe case of foot-in-mouth disease. But, conservatives don’t need my help.
My befuddlement emanates from Democratic congressional leaders’ slamming shut of the schoolhouse door on 1,700 low-income children in the District.
Fifty-eight Democratic senators recently voted against funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides grants of up to $7,500 for low-income children to attend a private or parochial school. Now, those District youth will be forced to leave schools where they have developed satisfying, productive academic and social lives.
Democrats don’t care. Their children or grandchildren aren’t affected.
Truth told, Democratic leaders speak out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to public education. On the one hand, they talk about reforming the system. But they don’t want to increase and enforce strict academic standards. They claim they want to improve the teaching corps. But they won’t peg pay to students’ performance, ensuring the public’s money isn’t wasted on instructors who can’t fulfill their prime mission: educating children.
Democrats are more concerned about maintaining favor with their union allies. So, adults and politics take precedence over children and their futures.
Vouchers and charter schools may be distasteful to some Democrats. But the template for public education in the 21st century can’t be what it was in the 19th century. The model must change if Americans are to compete aggressively and successfully in the world.
If citizens are allowed to choose among an array of telephone and cable providers, if the government can provide $40 or $50 coupons to ensure that everyone makes the transition to digital television, what can be so harmful about a low-income child receiving a voucher to attend a decent school?
District Democratic leaders get all excited over Republicans supporting legislation that could nullify the city’s gun-control law; they forget Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also voted in favor of that amendment to the voting rights bill. And over in the House,
Speaker Nancy Pelosi can’t corral her members to ensure that nearly 600,000 citizens — most of whom are Democrats — have voting representation in Congress.
While there is much indignation over guns, mum is the word when it comes to the travesty of stripping low-income children of education options.
Maybe I’m being unfair. Maybe there are Democrats in the city who don’t like, one bit, how the Democratic-controlled Congress treats the District. If that’s the case, those folks could show their dissatisfaction by switching party affiliation.
Who will be first in line at the Board of Elections and Ethics?
