Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education and its Action Fund, writes:
I rarely agree with Fordham’s Mike Petrilli, but this week he nailed the Republican tax reform plan with these two tweets:
Every friend of public education must spring to action this week to oppose the House tax reform bill. That bill is a clever attempt to create a backdoor voucher, and at the same time undermine funding for public schools.
You cannot let this one pass. Act now. Send our NPE Action email to your House member. But that is not enough. Post the link on your Facebook page, send it by email,
pick up the phone and call your representative.
This bill is part of the master plan to destroy public education.
Use this link to send your email, and then share it.

Someone should tell Mr. Petrilli that most of the GOP and Democrats want everything to be privatized, as in a public-private partnership that so characterizes South American and Mexican politics.
Those in private sector give and get kickbacks monetarily and politically. It’s a two way street between the politicians and those owning the businesses that supply goods and services for the “benefit” of the public masses.
Trump is doing well! The ruling elite have taken the stinky, rotten smelling odors of their ignorant voters and are turning them into a delicious, delicate but fresh and invigorating perfume for themselves!
Sniff, sniff . . . . .
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About Mr. Petrilli: Even a stopped clock is right twice a day
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Yep…
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Petrilli is more like a clock that loses a second every year.
Right only about once every 43,00 years.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for his next correct proclamation.
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“You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I’ll tell you what his ‘pinions is.”
–Mark Twain, “Corn Pone Opinions”
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Yep.
Anyone who lives in a Republican district or a state with a Republican senator should be calling those offices now. I may be wrong, but I feel a sense of complacency over this tax reform bill, and it’s really worrying.
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Complacency?! Grinding teeth here in NJ. My congressman was one of those 5 Republican reps who came out against the bill the day it was announced, for this reason.
The loss of the state/ local inc tax ded & the capping of of the RE tax ded would cost us at least $6500 in addl taxes next year. Not sure what we glean from tax cuts, but it won’t put much of a dent in that.
I read in a comment thread somewhere that all 12 CA Repub reps will vote for this?! Maybe a bunch of Repub reps in coastal states will be losing their seats next year!
Figures: first major legislation by Repubs after 10 mos will be to soak the blue states, which already hump most of the fed load of red Trump states.
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Oh, please. Is this a Homer Simpson Doh! moment for Mike Petrilli?
Has it finally dawned on him that Republicans are inextricably tied to the oligarchs? That Republicans detest the core values and principles of democracy? That they are no fans of public schools?
Where has this guy been?
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No, no, no, no and on his way to the bank to deposit money gotten from the edudeformers.
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I wrote to my legislator in NH… but since she is a Democrat I doubt that she will have an opportunity to change the language. Until we get the democratic process back on track in Congress we are not living in a democracy. When one party writes the legislation promoted by billionaires behind closed doors and adopts procedures that preclude any debate by the other party we are living in a plutocracy.
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The tax plan is terrible for public school families.
Not that anyone in DC cares about the unfashionable public sector schools which apparently once again had NO effective advocates.
Hundreds of ed reform orgs, thousands of employees and think tankers and conventions, and public education gets hit every single year.
Are they not working for public schools or are they just lousy advocates? It’s one or the other.
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Mike Petrilli: BOO HOO! My Charter loving friends are jumping ship for the voucher scheme and I’m feeling kind of lonely….and now the new tax bill directly affects my family and I will have to shell out some BIG bucks for my kids to go to private school…BOO HOO! Whoa!….I have to watch out because I may be out of my cushy job along with having to pay for private school and live in my high mortgage, segregated district. SORRY, but MP only looks out for what is good for MP’s wallet….he can rot in Hell for all I care.
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I agreed with Mike Petrilli when he said charter schools are only for the well-behaved students, or words to that effect. He confirmed the cherry picking, right in The NY Times. But I sometimes wonder why he gets quoted in the first place.
I forget exactly which billionaire PACs fund the Fordham Institute, but does it really matter? It’s just astroturf.
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