Reader comments
Foes of education bill defend planned battle

Anonymous | 6:02 a.m. May 3, 2008

All you have to do is look and see if the name of Bramble, Curtis or Stephenson is attached to something and you will find your answer...

Stop the Grandstanding | 6:57 a.m. May 3, 2008

Any lawsuit would be unfounded. It just sounds like folks who didn't get their way through the legislative process running to the courts to try to get their way.

I question Smith. From my perspective "You have individuals that says 'we don't care what the majority says. It's this anti-legislative, arrogant, we-know-better kind of attitude, and then manipulation through the courts to boot, that just shouldn't be."

If Smith has a problem, why doesn't he run for the legislature? Probably because he couldn't get elected.

Utah Teacher | 7:06 a.m. May 3, 2008

If the Utah Supreme Court decides to block this bill does that mean I won't get my pay increase again? Despite the legislature's intent, last year it was my school district and this year it could be the courts. I'd really like my pay increase. $4200 may not sound like much to some, but it would really help with the increased cost for food and gas.

SB2 doesn't look that bad. In fact I like 99% of it. In my book that makes it a pretty good bill.

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 7:08 a.m. May 3, 2008

Sounds like this is a personal issue for Smith. As they say, "when you don't have the facts on your side, pound the table." We are getting tired of whiners like Smith who do nothing but pound the table just because they didn't get their way. Grow up!

Unhappy Republican | 7:49 a.m. May 3, 2008

I am so fed up with the corrupt Republicans in this state that I'm planning on voting for Democrats for the first time in my life. Living in Utah is akin to living under a legislative dictatorship. I guess the political word for it is "oligarchy."

Educator | 9:49 a.m. May 3, 2008

I am all for a challenge. This particular omnibus resurrected several bills defeated or that would never have made it to the floor for full debate and thus circumvented the political process. Our legislative leadership was way out of line, and the Governor failed to use the power of the line item veto. If we let this type of political deviousness go on, next year could be worse, just like those who think ignoring bullying causes it to go away.

"Utah Teacher" yeah right | 11:31 a.m. May 3, 2008

"Utah Teacher" sounds eerily similar to one of the pro-voucher evangelists. You know who you are!

SRD | 12:58 p.m. May 3, 2008

Some people just don't get it. The legislature defeated at least two of the "bills" included in the
"omnibus" bill. The legislators are the ones that didn't get their way and devised a way around the process in order to pass legislation that would not have passed otherwise.

"Omnibus" bills are bad way to do business. In my opinion this is why this country waste billions of dollars every year. If this practice continues in Utah, I believe that the legislators will attach all sorts "bills" that would not have passed on their own merits to "omnibus" bills, thus wasting taxpayer's money.

This why this practice of using "omnibus" bills to pass legislation needs to be challenged and should not be allowed to continue.

Anonymous | 3:21 p.m. May 3, 2008

Upset with corrupt Republican so you are going to vote for corrupt Democrats? Whatever.

Utah Teacher | 3:23 p.m. May 3, 2008

Not every public school teacher opposed vouchers. Some of use supported it. Of course, we know that we can compete whereas some of our colleagues think all competition is bad.

Nice Try | 4:43 p.m. May 3, 2008

Keep it up "Utah Teacher". I don't believe you for even one moment. Go ahead and name one teacher who thinks competition is "bad". Also, if you're going to impersonate a teacher you at least could learn how to spell "us".

Steven Jarvis | 7:45 p.m. May 3, 2008

Vouchers would not have created competition because Private and Public systems are mutually exclusive. I am afraid that because the public chose to not subsidize many of these Private schools will soon be gone. Meridian has announced a funding shortfall just last week that puts its existence in question, and many other private schools have been in a self-mutilating cycle of reduction in enrollment followed by increased tuition to defray the costs among the remaining families.

Vouchers would have been a poor choice of subsidy, with the program lacking accountability for those dollars and little interaction between the Private schools and the communities they exist in.

There is one voucher program of great merit in this state, and one that should be expanded--The Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship. As a teacher, I found just that one Voucher worthy of praise because its targeted group, children with autism and similar learning disabilities, need smaller groups and better tailored instruction to meet their needs that aren't always meet in the traditional or Charter school environment.

I would dare say that few teachers would have supported Vouchers if they readily knew the impacts for cost that they would have caused.

Tired of Teacher's Union | 11:59 p.m. May 3, 2008

This has nothing to do with the will of the people. It's the will of a powerful special interest, anti-education group called the UEA, or teacher's union. You can't take the pro-education Republican legislators out at party conventions so you'll mud sling with an alternative strategy called a lawsuit. Is the NEA going to bankroll your fake citizen group again? The legislators filing with you are Rhinos funded by the union. As a citizen I thank the legislature for funding education this way. It is focused on helping the children. Remember them, teacher's union? Their the group we're supposed to be serving here. The union just doesn't like their power stripped away. Parents, don't let the UEA continue to destroy our educational system. I beieve those citizens who look at what the bill is funding will be pleased at where the money is going.

Steven Jarvis | 9:06 a.m. May 4, 2008

Tired,

I am sure the UEA monsters in your closet, under your bed and all around in the creepy darkened space will go away with the proper help. The rest of us here in reality tend to just ignore them because the real UEA wields about the power of an ant. Just close your eyes and tell those UEA boogey men to leave you alone or ask to be put in a safe place where they can't get at you. Your doctor could also give you some meds to help them disappear.

I have also never heard the Republican party as being pro-education in Utah because many of its leadership have actively sought to harm our educational system by cutting funding. Take this Omnibus bill as an example. There were two detrimental bills defeated that were added. The Preschool computer software is inappropriate developmentally and a loss of 3.5 million to the State. The sharing of property tax between Districts and Charters harms both because it is less money for the Charters than the State was kicking in at most schools. Those bills were defeated, but are laws thanks to unscrupulous use of the Omnibus.

teacher | 10:07 p.m. May 4, 2008

Tired: The UEA is comprised of TEACHERS, the people who are concerned enough about education to not only get an education, but to become educators, helping the next generation. Those of you who think the UEA is the "bad guy" need to move to Hildale or some other cloistered, paranoid environment. The Republican legislature has hurt public education here in Utah. UEA is trying to give kids in Utah what other American kids get - well-funded public schools. If you want your kids to grow up and work at Noni Juice or stick "For Sale" signs in grass, then, go ahead and support taking money from the poorest schools in the nation. As for me and my family, we will stand up for giving Utah children the same education levels that children in the rest of America enjoy. Vote Democrat or moderate Republican to give ALL Utah kids a fighting chance (not just the charter school "communal homeschool, we wish we were private" parents or the "wish we had made great choices for careers, but we didn't, so give us a voucher" losers.

OHH | 3:19 p.m. May 5, 2008

This is a clear attempt to ingnore the rights of voters. The bill can be held as a poster child of poor legislation all around.

Plaintiff | 7:15 p.m. May 6, 2008

This is not the first time an Omnibus bill has been used to pass education laws that are NOT about students at all. In the past, Stephenson, Curtis, and their chosen lapdogs of the session got away with it. This time they pushed it too far by putting in bills that actually failed along the way in the legislative process. They kept teacher "bonuses" hostage and tucked other needed education bills in their back pockets until they could make a nice bundle that included the failed bills they needed to pay off their political benefactors.
If this isn't sussesfully challenged this year, we will be getting ALL kinds of legislation tucked into a perfectly rounded Omnibus packages of dogfood so we can beg for it, get it tossed our way, then swallow it whole without knowing that we took just took poison pill. Yum, yum, another treat.
But, blame the UEA. Yeah, that helps. At least UEA fights back instead of rolling over to have it's tummy scratched.

Plaintiff | 7:17 p.m. May 6, 2008

Successfully.

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