Thursday, December 20, 2012

On CSCOPE, School Choice, and Joe Straus


As regular readers know, Cahnman's Musings has devoted considerable attention to the growing CSCOPE Scandal.  However the details shake out, one pattern is obvious: large sums of money laundered through obscure quasi-governmental agencies is the core problem.  The solution is to keep that money in the hands of parents.

K-12 spending is the single largest item in the state budget.  That makes prudent stewardship of the education dollars we already allocate an economic issue.  Texas Businessowners  Consumers, and Homeowners deserve transparency.

The simplest way to foster transparency in school finance is to shift decision-making power from obscure bureaucrats to parents.  The 83rd Texas Senate, led by education committee chairman Dan Patrick, proposes to do just that.  Given that Lt. Governor David Dewhurst supports school choice, legislation that strengthens parents and defunds bureaucrats can realistically pass the Texas Senate.

The obstacle, unfortunately, is the Texas House of Representatives.  Just like the Texas Budget Compact, current House Speaker Joe Straus doesn't support School Choice.  In other words, the public statements of the current leadership of the Texas House of Representatives indicates that they'd rather protect the unaccountable bureaucrats dumbing-down Texas' kids than act as prudent stewards of the people's money.

The 83rd Texas Legislature has a unique opportunity to strengthen parents, defund bureaucrats, and lay the foundation for the next generation of prosperity.  The Texas Senate is poised to act.  Will the Texas House of Representatives follow?!?

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