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Jeb! aims to expand holy welfare

As a Florida Supreme Court fight over the constitutionality of throwing state money at private religious schools looms, Jeb! aims to expand his controversial voucher program. His ultimate goal is the destruction of the public school system, because educating poor people without simultaneously indoctrinating them into a hateful and violent religious creed is not an efficient use of taxpayer money.

Students who fail the state's reading test three years in a row would be offered vouchers for private school under a sweeping new education bill Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to unveil today.

The proposal also would change the way teachers are paid, taking into account working conditions such as low-performing schools, high-crime areas and teacher shortages.
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Bush was leading a trade mission to Bogota, Colombia, on Tuesday. His office would not discuss the proposal before today's announcement.

The proposal is almost certain to face strong opposition from Democrats, many of whom have questioned the constitutionality of vouchers.

"I think we ought to focus our efforts on improving our public schools," said Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton. "The future of Florida's children, the future of Florida's economy, depends on good, quality public schools."

Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, said money would be better spent on provisions such as reading coaches. "We need to solve the reading problem within the school system that's supposed to teach them to read," he said.

The bill, which was still being drafted Tuesday, would be a major expansion of the state's voucher program at a time when its legal future is uncertain.

In a November decision, the 1st District Court of Appeal ruled that the state's original voucher program is unconstitutional because it allows tax dollars to be spent on religious schools. It was the third such court ruling since the voucher law was passed in 1999. The Florida Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments on the issue this spring.