The Koch Brothers have bankrolled an effort to derail a referendum on voucher expansion this November. It lost in the courts, and their next ploy was to have the legislature repeal the law that was under challenge, then re-enact it under a new name, wearing down the opposition.
But last night, the Arizona legislature failed to get the votes necessary to repeal the voucher expansion law and force opponents to start over.
This is a huge victory for the #RedForEd Movement. Now the voters get to decide whether to continue the Koch brothers’ Plan to privatize public education.
Congratulations to SOS Arizona and the 50,000 teachers who showed up in red T-shirts to speak up for their students, their profession, and public education.
Democracy wins!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Awesome news!! Congratulations to Arizona teachers!
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Go SOS AZ and AZ Public School Teachers.
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Welcome news. And of course we congratulate Arizona teachers. But we also are glad that teachers in so many states are finally coming out in groups to ask for more fund. While they might not have been successful on the matter of more funding, the fact that they have asked brings it nearer to national attention and discourse.
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I sometimes think: What if the state of Arkansas had decided (in 1957)to hold a referendum, on whether Central High School in Little Rock should be integrated. I believe that the referendum would have been defeated. The referendum on expanding school choice (ESAs) in Arizona, will probably make it to the ballot. There may be some additional legal challenges, but the voters will get their say.
If past history holds true, then about 50% of (eligible)Arizona voters will not go to the polls in November. That means that if 25% plus one, votes down the proposal, then the small number of Arizona families who would utilize the program, will be denied. This is a perversion of representative government.
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Charles, you have previously expressed your disdain for democracy. No need to reiterate.
Shall we just let those with the most money who have purchased the most politicians make all the decisions?
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I certainly have contempt for mob rule and pure democracy. The framers of our republic held equal terror for the mob. That is why we have a Senate and an Electoral College. That is why there is no provision for referendum in the federal constitution. That is why there is a Supreme Court.
What I cannot understand, is your contempt for the men and women who have been chosen by the electorate. These people are not perfect. Nevertheless, they are not a bunch of whores, who are for sale to wealthy contributors. There are many honest people who hold public office. One advantage of electing wealthy people to public office, is that they are already rich, and cannot be bought.
Until we have publicly-financed campaigns(never going to happen), we must have campaigns financed by donations. Politicians must face the electorate, and get a majority of the 50% who get up off their butts and vote.
Someone once said, that we get the government that we deserve. I agree somewhat with this . We get the government, that the 50% who choose to participate, select for us.
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Voting is not mob rule.
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“What if the state of Arkansas had decided (in 1957)to hold a referendum, on whether Central High School in Little Rock should be integrated. I believe that the referendum would have been defeated. ”
Of course it would have been defeated! Even the black community was divided on whether the attempt to integrate should have proceeded. They feared the violent backlash by whites. They had learned to live their lives without poking the bear. Your point is?
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The point that I am making, is that the majority is not always right. Our form of constitutional republican government, recognizes majority rule, AND minority rights. Our government is not (thank God) a pure democracy. In a pure democracy, you have a situation where 51% of the people can legally stomp all over the rights of the other 49%.
With majority rule, we would never have had civil rights for black people. We would certainly not have rights for LGBT people. Legal marriage for same-gender people? FAHGEDDABOUTIT! Protection for native Americans? Gender equality? Free legal representation for indigent defendants in criminal cases? (See Gideon v. Wainwright). and on and on.
Government by referendum and majority is tyranny. Legally elected tyranny, but tyranny, nevertheless.
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And purchasing the government for the rule of the 1% is what?
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It is a little more complicated than that. It took brave people to stand up to injustice before the federal government finally acknowledged, however grudgingly, the blacks right to equal educational opportunities among other things. You are right, though, that all the checks and balances included in our constitution serve to help “keep us honest.” Without active public engagement, though, it seems like it can be frighteningly easy for a few to push their own agenda.
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Charles,
Tyranny of the masses has always worked in France. Join the rest of the world. The majority should rule.
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Q Tyranny of the masses has always worked in France. Join the rest of the world. The majority should rule. END Q
France is on their fifth republic (so far). In 1789, France went to government by majority rule. The result was the guillotine and the Reign of Terror.
The USA has trimmed the dictatorship of the majority, with the Constitution, the Senate, The Supreme Court, and other “checks” on government power.
The US government is like driving a car with one foot on the accelerator, and one foot on the brake.
Many of the rights that we take for granted: Reproductive rights, LGBT rights, civil rights for racial minorities, firearms rights, the right to educate your children out of the public system (at your own expense), etc. could never have been achieved under a majority rule system.
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“Nevertheless, they are not a bunch of whores, who are for sale to wealthy contributors.”
Yes they are.
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Kick the Koch bros to the streets where they belong. These guys really do not stand for anything but rather driving our country and our teachers looney. Is all they want to privatize our public schools? Well then, how much more can the human brain want and we need to redefine the word greed.
The Koch bros. are the scum of the earth and the sooner we rid ourselves from them the better.
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There is so much about fighting back against vouchers and charters in these strikes, but almost no mention of it in the national press. The nation is told is that the teachers and schools need more money, which is true, but there is very little in-depth interest in exposing the testing/privatizing reasons WHY public schools are now facing such a mess across the nation.
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Last summer, they said there was no way we (AZ and SOS) would be able to collect the 75,000 valid signatures needed to let the voters have a say on voucher expansion (or no expansion). SOS and all its volunteers collected over 100,000, during summer, in the heat of the summer, with many people in and out of town. They said that we would never get anybody to show up or care about public school and teachers that wanted to teach but just could not live on the wages or deal with horrible conditions in most public schools. Well, we did show up, and kept showing up. Teachers, parents, kids, and citizens that are done being pushed around by the 1%. So, we will see if they show up in November. I have lived her for 16 years, and I have never felt the rumbling I have felt this past year. I truly believe we in AZ will #rememberinnovember . Thanks for your continued support and coverage of our fight!
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You write:”The Koch Brothers… next ploy was to have the legislature repeal the law that was under challenge, then re-enact it under a new name, wearing down the opposition.”
The GOP’s idea of democracy here in NH is to wear down the opposition. Three days ago SB 193– a bill to create ESAs that has not only the support of the GOP governor but also the explicit support of the Catholic Bishop who oversees NH churches— was defeated in a vote in the House. A motion to revive it was defeated the next day… but, like Freddy Kreuger— it keeps coming back! The Senate has now added it to an unrelated bill, a stealthy action that is keeping the bill on life support through the end of the session and taken the issue off the front pages of newspapers. Are the Koch brothers funding this? I’m not sure… but it IS evident that parochial schools and the “anti-government school” faction of the GOP are in full support of any action that can keep ESA’s alive in NH. Here’s hoping the 17 GOP legislators who sided with the Democrats in the House will stay in the opposition column. Otherwise, the future of public education in NH will be in peril. i offer this comment in hopes that fellow NH readers will write to their legislator to make certain their opposition to SB 193 remains firm in the face of the GOP’s persistence.
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