Gregg Abbott is in his third term as Governor of Texas. But only this year did he become a passionate advocate for vouchers. He failed in the regular session, then called four special sessions and failed again and again despite a supermajority of Republicans in both houses.
What happened?
Simple!
Jeff Yass, the rightwing billionaire, the richest person in Pennsylvania, gave $6 million to Governor Abbott in December. It’s the largest political contribution in the history of the state!
The Texas Tribune reported:
Gov. Greg Abbott received a $6 million campaign contribution last month, which his campaign is calling the “largest single donation in Texas history.”
The check came from Jeff Yass, a national Republican megadonor whose priority issues include school vouchers. Abbott spent 2023 unsuccessfully pushing for a voucher program and is now targeting state House Republicans in the March primary who thwarted his agenda.
Abbott accepted the $6 million donation — dated Dec. 18 — in a little-used account, suggesting he was setting it aside from funds raised for his reelection campaign.
Yass is a billionaire from Pennsylvania who is co-founder and managing director of the Philadelphia-based investment firm Susquehanna International Group. He is also a top proponent of “school choice,” or programs that allow parents to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize private school costs…
Yass has been called the richest man in Pennsylvania, with an estimated net worth of nearly $29 billion, according to Forbes. His firm was an early investor in TikTok, the social media platform that Abbott banned on state phones and computersin 2022.
When it comes to politics, Yass has also been a multimillion-dollar donor to the Club for Growth, the national anti-tax group that has boosted Texas Republicans like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin.
ProPublica ——wrote about Jeff Yass, and so did I. He funds candidates who oppose abortion and “critical race theory.” He funds charters and vouchers. He is a graduate of the New York City public schools, and a very ungrateful one.
Vouchers failed because 21 Republicans from rural districts stood strong against them. They know their public schools, and they don’t want to defund them. They know their teachers ad principals. They don’t want to turn off the Friday night lights. Abbott has promised to run pro-voucher Republicans against them.
Abbott has six million reasons to push vouchers.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
In other news, here’s Trump on the stump a few days ago:
But we’re also going to place strong protections to stop banks and regulators from trying to de-bank you. From your— you know, your political beliefs, what they do. They want to de-bank you, and we’re going to de-bank— think of this. They want to take away your rights. They want to take away your country. The things they’re doing, all-electric cars. Give me a break.
Dementia. Clearly.
De-bank? What’s that, the plural of Covfefe?
AND Abbott has the blood of immigrant children on his hands. What an utter creep.
VOUCHERS are BAD, plain and simple. A-BUTT is greedy, sick, selfish, UNDemocratic, and totally ridiculous, is funded by the ultra wealthy who don’t give a hoot about decency and democracy, but instead want a “banana republic.”
If we had a better system of collecting tax dollars, we wouldn’t have so many billionaires that attack our democracy with so much wealth that they can afford to buy public officials to advance their personal agendas. Money in the hands of a few corrupts democracy. Tax the rich!
yes
“They don’t want to turn off the Friday night lights. “
Sports is so very important to rural areas. It grants the community something to gather over besides the issues of life.
Just another high-priced prostitician with a heart of gold …
and a brain of guano …
When are people from Texaas going to wake up and demand term limits? Right now Abbott is a Fascist leaning dictator with low morals and ethics.
How is it possible to corrupt a “democracy”,
that doesn’t exist?
What part of
“those who have the money, make the rules”,
spells democracy?
I have to ask: why should a rich person from Pennsylvania be allowed to affect Texas politics? In fact, why should anybody outside of Texas be allowed to affect Texas politics? I have argued many times that political contributions of money would only be allowed from people under the jurisdiction of the politician. So, only Texans should be allowed to contribute to the Governor’s campaigns. And only members of each of their congressional districts be allowed to donate to the campaigns of their congressmen, etc.
Why are we legalizing influence peddling????
If someone wants to travel to Texas, rent a hall, and give a speech, well the Constitution allows for that, but giving money or hiring people to do tasks in the state should not be allowed.
With dark money freely flowing thanks to Citizens United, the wealthy can spread their cash around to influence other elections, even school board races. Money can come from foreign nationals as well. I think open funding can potentially compromise national security.