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Voucher supporters try new method
By STEPHEN HEGARTY
© St. Petersburg Times, School choice advocates who have raised money to get disadvantaged children into private schools now are trying a different strategy: raising money to get like-minded candidates elected. They have formed a new political action committee called Citizens for Quality Education to contribute to candidates who support school choice -- vouchers and tuition tax credits. The group expects to have an influence nationally, but so far Florida politics is the clearest focus. In a letter signed by Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney, the group states its case. "We want you to join us at the beginning of a dynamic new approach to the school choice issue," the letter reads in part. "We realized that the most important players in the school choice debate are the men and women of the state legislatures. "Each dollar we raise will go toward putting pro-school choice candidates into office (or, in some cases, keeping them there)." They are trying to raise $250,000 to get the campaign started. The chairman of the group, Tampa businessman John Kirtley, said the effort is intended to be nonpartisan. "Whether Republican or Democrat, if you support school choice, we'll give you money," Kirtley said. Nevertheless, the prominent involvement of Feeney, one of the state's most powerful Republicans, caused Democrats and voucher opponents to brand the enterprise as blatantly partisan. "It sounds like a political charade going on," said Bob Poe, chairman of the Florida Democratic Party. "It's another way for them to get around the campaign spending limits." Kirtley deflected that criticism, pointing out that other organizations give a great deal of money to candidates who oppose vouchers and other school-choice initiatives. "The unions have basically been an ATM for the antichoice candidates," Kirtley said. "Really, we're just playing catch-up." Kirtley said he would love to send out a letter signed by a prominent Democrat, if only he could find one who supported vouchers. Feeney said his involvement in the political action committee is limited, though he supports the goals and was happy to have a letter go out under his name. When asked if he would be comfortable giving money to a Democrat in favor of school choice, Feeney said he doesn't expect to have influence over how the committee spends its money. Given the track record of voucher referendums nationally, the political action strategy could be the smartest and most effective way of promoting school choice initiatives. "This makes sense; I think this is the future for voucher advocates," said Tom Loveless, director of the Brookings Institution's Brown Center on Education Policy. Several well-funded statewide referendums on vouchers have failed, including ones in California and in Michigan last year. Voucher and tuition tax credit programs have been established in recent years through legislative action, not voter approval. "Choice advocates shouldn't put any more money into voter initiatives; that's a loser," said Terry Moe, a Stanford professor who has written extensively on school choice. "There has been a lot of success over the last 10 years through the legislative process, so this strategy is a good one." But Loveless warns that the movement faces an uphill battle. "Politics is still stacked against them," Loveless said. "That's what President Bush discovered." The president promoted school vouchers in his education package, but he backed off when it was clear he didn't have enough votes in Congress for that part of his plan. It's that lack of legislative support that Kirtley and the political action committee are trying to change. Kirtley, a venture capitalist, already has pledged to spend more than $1.5-million of his own money to pay for partial scholarships for low-income children in the Tampa Bay area. But Kirtley and other wealthy benefactors active in the school choice movement have recognized that their millions are only affecting a small number of children, while publicly funded programs could do much more.
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From the Times state desk Lucy Morgan
From the state wire
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