Both sides making quiet voucher moves

"It is a fine (video), and if we can raise the money we may try to put that on cable TV," said Hughes. "But we can't compete with the millions of dollars the NEA is dumping into (commercial) TV ads now."

Hartley said he believes the UEA has sent people to some of his town-hall meetings to argue against vouchers. "It wouldn't be the first time that the UEA has infiltrated" GOP meetings. But Kuziak said while she wouldn't mind sending representatives to the pro-voucher meetings, she hasn't done so because she didn't know when and where they were.

Hughes points out that pro-voucher advocates have a real challenge this year, an off-election year. That's because only Utah's towns and cities have candidate elections. And with the very Democratic, and anti-voucher, Salt Lake City holding a mayor's race that will draw a big voter turnout, "the opposition has a built-in voting advantage," noted Hughes. "We're concentrating our (GOP leaders' town-hall meeting) efforts in Utah and Washington counties — which are very pro-voucher. We have to turn out the vote there" to defeat the referendum statewide, Hughes said.

Also of note, some state teachers' unions outside of Utah are also putting money into the anti-voucher fight. The Colorado Education Association donated $5,000, and the Wyoming Education Association donated $1,004.

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