Tuesday, January 15, 2008

OWN’s Double Standards… Again

Pat highlights yet another double standard by OWN.

There are a couple of bills proposed. One is from state Rep. Brett Davis (R-Oregon), who’s been a backer of virtual schooling for quite some while. He proposed legislation last session that would have made virtual schools fit under law in a way no court could cavil about.

No good deed goes unpunished, of course, so One Wisconsin Now, a lefty pressure group, is denouncing Davis as the pawn of those who administer virtual schools for a living: Among those donating to Davis were Ronald Packard and Bryan Flood, executives with K12 Inc., a for-profit company that provide curriculum and texts for the Wisconsin Virtual Academy and is the Northern Ozaukee School District’s partner in operating it. The two men gave, in total, $500

Well, gee, if that’s the criterion… The author of the competing approach is state Sen. John Lehman (D-Racine), who has proposed a bill that starts by chopping the state reimbursement for virtual schools in half. As you might imagine, this puts the future of virtual schools in some doubt—as the lobbying group of families who use such schools says, “The Lehman proposal does not save these schools. In fact, it would close them.”

Anyway, Lehman, too, has gotten campaign help from someone with an interest in the matter. No, not $500 from a couple of executives who run a company that serves families using virtual schools. He got $1,500 from a couple of teachers unions. He also, says the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, benefited from $142,500 spent on advertising in his race by the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state’s biggest teachers union, a backer of Lehman.

(7) Comments
Posted by Owen at 2324 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. I love dicks

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 16, 2008 at 0509 hrs


  2. I can see your point if you just compare money from 2 different groups/pacs.

    But i’m more concerned that the K12 group is not even from Wisconsin??

    Can we at least agree we should ban outsiders from buying our elections??

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 16, 2008 at 0807 hrs


  3. Shouldn’t we ban anyone from buying an election?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 16, 2008 at 0852 hrs


  4. Can we at least agree we should ban outsiders from buying our elections??

    Are you serious?  Why, because out of state special interests are some how worse than in-state special interests?  Hey, here’s an idea; How about addressing the double standard, instead of dodging?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 16, 2008 at 1020 hrs


  5. So what Widder is saying is that it is fine for an in state interest to spend 285 times more than an out of state interst?

    You have got to be kidding me.

    Posted by Fred on January 16, 2008 at 1022 hrs


  6. I don’t get it.  Owen (among others) accuses Doyle and Dems of being bought by WEAC and labor all the time.  Many on the left accuse Repubs of being pawns of WMC and Realtors daily.  What is so different about what OWN is doing here?  Isn’t this the norm?  Why pick out this one instance, or try to pretend it is anymore devious than what is on here on a regular basis?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 16, 2008 at 1101 hrs


  7. Why pick out this one instance, or try to pretend it is anymore devious than what is on here on a regular basis?

    I’m upset about this because it’s my ox being gored.  We all have our issues.

    The proposed legislation is rare for government - it would allow a government-run operation to continue offering a lower-cost quality service.  The stereotyped norm is for pork-barrel politics to

    Posted by Brian on January 16, 2008 at 1200 hrs


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