Taxpayers and voters are stakeholders too

From Rep. Mike Turner (D-Nashville) (hat tip AC Kleinheider at Nashville Post)

“I appreciate the [Obama, Alexander, Dean] input, but none of them have kids in public schools.”

A reminder that the public school system requires taxpayer dollars and citizen votes in order to be run. Until it doesn't need our money or our votes...mere voters and taxpayers have as much standing as any anyone in how the system is run. Ditto President Obama, Senator Alexander and Mayor Dean.

Is it unfair for them to bar reasonable educational choices when they've certainly had the opportunity to choose differently for their children? Certainly. But it doesn't bar them from expressing their opinion and working toward improving the system as they see necessary. No member of the legislature was elected by just parents of public school children, or TEA members. They have a responsibility to represent all the voters in their districts. They have a responsibility to put the children's needs ahead of adult politics.

Educational civil rights

Someone's smelling the morning coffee: This from South Carolina:

Today this black Democrat [Sen. Robert Ford] says the new civil-rights struggle is about the quality of instruction in public schools, and that to receive a decent education African-Americans need school choice. He wants the president's help. "We need choice like Obama has. He can send his kids to any school he wants."(WSJ)

And from Tennessee:

Bound by the unit rule, House Democrats killed the [charter schools] bill but Republicans are attempting to resurrect it.

"We have not changed our caucus position. We've asked everyone to hold our positions on that but I don't know if everybody will or not," said [Rep. Mike Turner (D-Nashville) ]. "If somebody breaks, there won't be any horse heads in the bed in the morning. There'll be some teeth gnashing, but there won't be any permanent damage." (Commercial Appeal)

I will, again, encourage the passage of the charter schools bill and would suggest that TEA (Tennessee Education Association) leaders buy dental night guards. Standing in the school house door and keeping children from an educational choice that works because the TEA will lose some members or cannot force charters to be just like the failing public schools they do control is evil. It's not about TEA membership. It's not about paying back campaign markers. It's about the children--remember? Don't make them wait another year to get the education they were promised long ago. They don't have the time to spare. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. A step forward is better than no movement at all. Seriously consider what you would want if these were your children. Vote for expanding charters.

If that wasn't bad

My state representative opines on the new Republican controlled Tennessee legislature:

"I think our friends across the aisle have some bad things in store for the people of Tennessee," said Old Hickory Rep. Mike Turner, who was elected [Democrat] caucus chairman.

• Like 600 billion 800 million dollars in illegal over the Copeland Cap spending?
  
• Like a 17 million dollar party bunker?
  
• Like Crutchfield, Ford, Ford, Bowers, Dixon, Briley & Cooper?
  
• Like stealing elections from fellow party member Kurita and making a mockery of the election process?
  
• Like propping up a Lt. Governor who pontificates to the point that, to paraphrase O. Ford, hasn't been hitting on nothing with most of us for some time?
  
• Like allowing junior high treatment of 'friends across the aisle' in committee meetings?
  
• Like using the Calendar and Rules Committee to kill legislation that did manage to get through the stacked against it committee system?
  
• Like refusing to require recorded votes in every committee to ensure cover for election time?
  
• Like creating a literal back room for deal making during recent renovations?
• Like ignoring a huge ethics issue with the Speaker and his lobbyist wife
• Like expending money for golf courses and college quads over classroom funding for K-12?
• Like letting Memphis legislators drive education policy for the whole state?
  

I'm sure others can quickly add to the list of abuses by the Democratically controlled legislature that were and have been bad for Tennesseans for some time. If the above weren't bad for Tennesseans---just what is?