As the city of Chicago enters into an education crisis — with close to 50 schools preparing to shutter — the city’s top union boss has found the people to blame for the mess, the “rich white people.”
Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, made the accusation while giving a speech at the ritzy City Club of Chicago, the Daily Caller reported. Lewis told the crowd that racism and “rich white people” are the cause for Chicago Public Schools’ financial crux, which faces close to a $1 billion budget deficit.
“When will there be an honest conversation about the poverty, racism and inequality that hinders the delivery of a quality education product in our school system?” Lewis asked. “When will we address the fact that rich, white people think they know what’s in the best interest of children of African Americans and Latinos — no matter what the parent’s income or education level.”
Lewis, who collected upward of $340,000 between 2009 and 2011 according to the Chicago Tribune, said the district’s deficit should be lessened by imposing higher income taxes on the wealthy and new taxes on commuters.
But it was Lewis’ comments on “venture capitalists” who expressed a desire to improve education for poor ad minority students that stirred feelings of irony.
“There is something about these folks who love the kids but hate the parents,” she said. “There’s something about these folks who use little black and brown children as stage props at one press conference while announcing they want to fire, layoff or lock up their parents at another press conference.”
Lewis seemed to forget about proud Chicagoan President Obama — whose own net worth is estimated to be between $1.8 and $6.8 million — posing with Newtown victims in the Rose Garden after Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) and Joe Manchin’s (D-W.V.) gun control amendment failed in the Senate.
“I am a parent, I have three boys and I hate to see using people, I think, as props and politicizing people’s tragedy,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said of the gathering.
And while pushing for Obamacare, the president made sure to have a host of young Americans when discussing how the healthcare law would benefit everyone.
But, the president failed to note how the Affordable Care Act is detrimental to young people, who will see their premiums rise by as much as 189 percent. And while Lewis worries about the young children in Chicago, they’ll face an extreme expense when it comes to purchasing healthcare.
Lewis, a Dartmouth grad, went on to criticize Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a close friend and one-time advisor to the president, and said that the people running the school system are “members of the status quo” who “know what good education looks like because they have secured it for their own children in well-resourced public and private institutions.”
Irony indeed.
