Putting politics and teachers unions ahead of poor and disadvantaged students, Ted (“Walking Humbly With God”) Strickland gave the first indications of how far to the left he will try to lead the State of Ohio. We’ve now seen early payback to teachers’ unions which control education in Ohio and we have seen how Ted intends to take choice away from poor parents and students of this state. Here’s the warm-up:
But we must be open to new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking. The strategies and ideologies of the 20th Century will not make us strong in the 21st Century. As a writer once observed, “The things that got us here will not get us there.”
Here’s the translation: “I intend to dismantle anything which does not move us toward a socialistic society beholden to special liberal interest groups.”
He goes on:
Consequently, I’m proposing that the Department of Job and Family Services develop a grant program to encourage job training and job creation for young people in low income communities.
Participating employers will receive funds to support the training and wages of a young employee.
Here’s the translation: “I intend to expand government and make job creation a function of the state. I intend to funnel millions to those industries, unions and special interest groups which have a liberal ideology and support me politically.”
And yet more:
So as we ask for sacrifice, we must demonstrate responsibility. Wastefulness and giveaways can no longer be tolerated.
That’s why my budget eliminates the Ed Choice voucher program.
It limits the Student Choice Grant for students attending private colleges to those with a financial need.
It eliminates financial aid for students in proprietary for-profit schools not in the Board of Regents system.
I’ll translate again: “I will not permit impoverished families with children to escape a system which destines them for failure and lifetime poverty. Allowing these families to escape the public school system will weaken the union’s grip on funding and ideology and this will not be permitted. We must all make sacrifices for the union and the state and I intend not only to soak the rich, but also to screw the poor. ‘Choice’ has to do with unlimited abortion (which I as a Methodist minister support wholeheartedly) and not with education for the poor.”
And it goes on and on to expand the scope and power of the state so as to make the recipients of all these handouts dependent on those in power. This could be a long governorship.
