Nov 2007 Election in the US

[awip2062]

So did those of you able to vote vote?

[Walkinghairball]

We did.....................OLS and I. I don't think Todd voted.

[ElfDude]

I did indeed. There wasn't a lot on the ballot in my city. Though we did have a school voucher referendum (sp?) that has been drawing national attention. It'll be interesting to see how that turns out.

[Big Blue Owl]

My little "I voted" sticker looks good on my lapel
I was worried that I wasn't still registered, but I was. Whew.

God bless America, land that I love.

[Walkinghairball]

We vote by mail here.

[ElfDude]

Darn it, we lost.

Utah voters on Tuesday killed the nation's first statewide school voucher program

[awip2062]

We vote by mail, too, and we also have the option of dropping our ballot off at the courthouse. I pulled up to drop off my ballot yesterday and one of my friends who works in the election department was heading out to pick the ballots up out of the drop box. I jokingly asked if I could get an "I voted" sticker and she said I would have to go inside to get one. lol I didn't, but I think they are a cool reminder to people to vote.

So you were for the school voucher program, Elf? Tell me about the program as your state tried to pass it and why you were for it.

[ElfDude]

We vote by mail, too, and we also have the option of dropping our ballot off at the courthouse. I pulled up to drop off my ballot yesterday and one of my friends who works in the election department was heading out to pick the ballots up out of the drop box. I jokingly asked if I could get an "I voted" sticker and she said I would have to go inside to get one. lol I didn't, but I think they are a cool reminder to people to vote.

So you were for the school voucher program, Elf? Tell me about the program as your state tried to pass it and why you were for it.

Well, the program would allow taxpayers who wanted to put their kid in a private school to get a little bit of their tax money back to help with it. Anywhere from $500 to $3000, depending on their income. Since this state gives the schools about $7500 a year per student, they would still get anywhere between $4500 to $7000 for a student that wasn't there. I saw it as a win win situation for everybody. Less kids in classrooms, competition being introduced into the system so that the public schools could try to win students back through merit/improvement, etc.

The NEA didn't see it that way. Millions of $ came from Washington to fight this program through advertising. It worked. One little voctory for the bad guys.

[awip2062]

I have been against such measures myself when they've come up here for one reason: government control. When they give money, the expect control and I am not about to give up some of my freedom in exchange for having to pay fewer taxes. I want my government to stay out of the private schools. It isn't as if the private schools need the government oversight anyway. They've proven they can do the job well without it. But you know without doubt, that money will come with strings!

[ElfDude]

I have been against such measures myself when they've come up here for one reason: government control. When they give money, the expect control and I am not about to give up some of my freedom in exchange for having to pay fewer taxes. I want my government to stay out of the private schools. It isn't as if the private schools need the government oversight anyway. They've proven they can do the job well without it. But you know without doubt, that money will come with strings!

I understand. And that caused me to think hard about this, along with one or two other points. But in the end, I believed I was voting against government control and giving freedom to a lot of people who wanted to break their kid out of the government monopoly on schools.

I shouldn't have made that "bad guys" comment. I was only referring to the NEA. But it probably sounded like I was including folks like you too.

[awip2062]

I didn't think you were referring to me, although I have been against these type measures. I knew you referred to the NEA, and I have problems with them too. They have too much control and, sadly, although they claim to be all about the children, well...reality doesn't bear that out.