tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post3456004883983093653..comments2024-01-03T18:02:21.058-05:00Comments on Barbecue & Politics: Voucher Week, pt. IV: 10% Inspiration, 99% Out of State Fund-ationRoss Shealyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04726261363939643083noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-2795981919060950542007-07-12T16:44:00.000-04:002007-07-12T16:44:00.000-04:00Jay:I'm a South Carolinian; I like a lot of what I...Jay:<BR/><BR/>I'm a South Carolinian; I like a lot of what I hear about vouchers.<BR/><BR/>If you accept Rex v. Floyd as a litmus test on vouchers, then EXACTLY one-half of the state supports it, and the other half does not.<BR/><BR/>Vouchers failed in the House this year by a margin of a handful of votes.<BR/><BR/>By any measure, it seems that this is a real close call. It seems absurd to suggest that, just because money is coming in from out of state, this must be an "us v. them" argument.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-1029342812031480882007-07-12T15:42:00.000-04:002007-07-12T15:42:00.000-04:00I'm on the edge of my seat for tomorrow, although ...I'm on the edge of my seat for tomorrow, although topping a campaign that raises zero dollars from anyone in the state other than the candidate will be difficult.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-81972491711275496232007-07-12T15:17:00.000-04:002007-07-12T15:17:00.000-04:00Swamp Fox, I thought that you were a South Carolin...Swamp Fox, I thought that you were a South Carolinian. All we SC-ers need to know is that someone hundreds of miles away is trying to tell us how to do things here. The last time that happened we started lobbing shells at Fort Sumter. If we want a voucher system in South Carolina, we residents of SC will put one in place ourselves rather than voting for Jim Rex.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-44025365264523229352007-07-12T14:36:00.000-04:002007-07-12T14:36:00.000-04:00jayI'm witg gkp.First we need substance to the arg...jay<BR/><BR/>I'm witg gkp.<BR/><BR/>First we need substance to the argument. As gkp said, we have to know that the votes of a legislator were changed by the money. But even more important, no one has made a credible argument that what Rich wants is even bad. Gervais is just huffing and puffing that Rich is from out of state. Could be he's from out of state and right. <BR/><BR/>Then, if we make the case that there really is a danger, then we can hire the lifeguards. Otherwise we're just yelling "Shark!" and making people get all dried off for nothing. And Gervais hasn't even cracked out the cold beer.Swamp Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857466003276398321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-46630601318519065122007-07-12T12:34:00.000-04:002007-07-12T12:34:00.000-04:00Here is my question: SO WHAT?Cain was going to vo...Here is my question: SO WHAT?<BR/><BR/>Cain was going to vote FOR vouchers, even without one penny of SCRG money; Whitmire was going to vote AGAINST vouchers, and no amount of SCRG money would have ever changed that.<BR/><BR/>Your research is solid, but it fails to make the critical last step: establishing a correlation between the campaign contributions and a CHANGE in the way somebody would have voted otherwise.<BR/><BR/>I say again (see yesterday's post): $50,000 (or here, $20,000) doesn't buy votes. IF IT DID, EVERYBODY WOULD PAY THE PRICE AND GET THE VOTE THEY WANTED.<BR/><BR/>The undercurrent here is that the Voucher Folks are buying votes, or buying politicians, and there is absolutely zero evidence of that. You want your readers to assume that, because the money comes from out of state, the cause MUST be tainted, but that is a fallacious argument. The merits (for or against) on vouchers must stand on their own --- and they aren't altered by where the money is coming from.<BR/><BR/>Again, good work...but where is the connection? Maybe Pt. V. will show us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-20729165002289066952007-07-12T10:05:00.000-04:002007-07-12T10:05:00.000-04:00Great reporting but how about a week offering solu...Great reporting but how about a week offering solutions to the problems in our public schools? For those of us actually stuck in a district with failing schools - what are our options while the politicians try and "fix" our public schools? It is easy to sit in a great/good school district and be against vouchers. For those of us who actually have our kids educational future in jeapodary it is a little harder. No Child Left behind helps but it won't be long before the failing schools learn how to work the system. Then I am stuck fighting the school board for a transfer or paying $8,000 - $13,000 a year for private schools - after I pay my taxes for public schools I can't use.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-42034153170969204602007-07-12T09:37:00.000-04:002007-07-12T09:37:00.000-04:00Gervais 4 SCRG Scalawags 0Looks like a shutout f...Gervais 4 SCRG Scalawags 0<BR/><BR/>Looks like a shutout for the good guys. The lead is getting wider. The scalawags are cheating by playing with corked bats, and they still can't get a hit. <BR/><BR/>Hey, Swamp Rat. Brace yourself.<BR/><BR/>There's one more day left in Voucher Week, and if we know Gervais like we think we know Gervais - well, the best is probably yet to come. <BR/><BR/>Maybe Gervais will continue it into Voucher Month. Looks like he's got plenty of "bought and paid" for politicians to expose.<BR/><BR/>Gervais, we're adding a double large order of skins to the case of Maurice's sauce that we owe you!<BR/><BR/>You're a great American hero.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-13895548484888805462007-07-12T09:03:00.000-04:002007-07-12T09:03:00.000-04:00Swamp Fox - To continue with the metaphor, I typic...Swamp Fox - To continue with the metaphor, I typically hope that the lifeguard lets me know when he sees a bunch of big fins in the water. He's not quite as effective if he waits until someone gets bitten to sound the alarm.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-41074970284786742902007-07-12T08:49:00.000-04:002007-07-12T08:49:00.000-04:00GervaisTwo more that Rich feller almost bagged. Ev...Gervais<BR/><BR/>Two more that Rich feller almost bagged. <BR/><BR/>Ever heard of the fable of the young boy that yelled "Shark!" too often. <BR/><BR/>"The age of chicken-bog, pancake-breakfast, people-driven politics." Now we're getting to the meat of the issue here. Don't worry Gervais, that Rich feller ain't going to take your chicken-bog. Why, where he's from, they don't even like chicken-bog.Swamp Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857466003276398321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325789.post-11753812892838688702007-07-12T07:14:00.000-04:002007-07-12T07:14:00.000-04:00Great reporting! The SCRG folks can't seem to acce...Great reporting! The SCRG folks can't seem to accept the fact that SC voters (and campaign donors, apparently) don't want vouchers. We want to fix the public school system and let the private school system do their own thing.<BR/><BR/>If the voucher crowd read their history, they'd know that the pre-public school laissez-faire private school system was an abject failure, at least in terms of educating the working class and the poor. The public school system didn't arise as a communist plot but because the SCRG's beloved business community needed workers who could read and count.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I heard about your Voucher Week over at NotVeryBright.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com