CORE member's Letter to the Editor appears in Lima News

From RH Jones, March 31, 2007
Subject: CORE member's Letter to the Editor appears in Lima News

Ann Hanning, Dir., Don Bright, Pres., Tom Seamon Editor & ORTA members:

It would certainly help ORTA to increase membership if the editor of the Quarterly, Tom Seamon, would print constructive articles such as the attached editorial by Bruce Hodges from Lima. This, rather than so much social news no member wants to hear about or cares about, would help let the membership know facts that concern their financial survival in retirement.

Robert Hudson Jones, a CORE ORTA Life Mem.

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From John Curry, March 31, 2007
Subject: CORE member's Letter to the Editor appears in Lima News
Strickland plan right for schools
Letter to the Editor - 03.29.2007
BRUCE HODGES
Lima

I knew that when Gov. Ted Strickland proposed a ban on for-profit private schools, some parents would feel alarmed about choices in schooling for their kids. Republican politicians have pushed vouchers in this state linking them with choice, to the point where voters believe vouchers and choice are the same thing. They are not.

Parents have the right to choose the option of open enrollment to a neighboring public school. You may always choose any private school you want. But now you will have to pay for that choice without expecting me and other taxpayers to pay for your choice. As a taxpayer, I am expected to support only the choice of public schooling. You should pay for your choice of a private school.

When vouchers channel my school tax dollars away from public schools, I end up paying twice. I must still support the public schools with my tax dollars while some unregulated private school is making a profit off of my tax dollar. I have no control over how private schools spend my money. The public cannot even evaluate the quality of education the private schools say they are providing. Yet they are able to channel funds to political campaigns to keep the state vouchers coming their way.

Strickland understands that we, the taxpayers, cannot afford to keep passing school levies for public schools while our state tax money goes to questionable private schools. It is simple. If you are against more tax money for schools, you should be against vouchers for private schools. Follow the money and you will be amazed at how many private schools are in the business of pay to play with our Republican-dominated Legislature. They play while we, the taxpayers, pay.