I swore I would not get into these kinds of arguments, but ...

It is not hyperbole to claim that our tradition of public education made our
country the world power it is today. In any society that expects to flourish
and move forward, it is the responsibility of one generation to educate the
following generation. I have no children, yet have been paying for the K
through 12 public schools directly through my property taxes for 25 years.
Yes, I want accountability. Yes, I want to know that my money is being
wisely spent. No, I do not happen to think that the property tax is the best
way to support public education. Yes, I think our public schools have, on
the average, slipped.

But, I do not begrudge one dime I've contributed to public education and
fully expect to continue supporting public education because it is our
shared responsibility in this great country to do so.

John Burke

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Bixby [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 1:46 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] OT: rotating blackouts ordered for Northern
> California
>
>
> Wayne Brown wrote:
> >
> > On the contrary, I think vouchers stand for the notion that
> people who don't use
> > the public educational system shouldn't have to pay for it.
>  If I send my
> > children to private school, then I pay their tuition PLUS
> paying for everyone
> > else's kids (with my taxes).  Rather than vouchers, I'd
> prefer that families who
> > don't make use of public schools simply be exempted from
> paying whatever
> > percentage of their taxes goes to fund education.
>
> Even if your children don't attend public schools, most other
> children still
> do, and they will grow up to be your neighbors, your
> co-workers, and your
> politicians.  Unless you're living on some exclusive island
> enclave, the
> quality of public education WILL have an impact on your own life!
> --
> [log in to unmask]
> Remainder of .sig suppressed to conserve scarce California
> electrons...
>
>