Dear Editor,
I’m gratified that this nation has begun to reject Trump. Yet, there are still stubborn voters expecting Trump any minute to get Mexico to pay for the wall and for Hillary to be “locked up” (things MAGA Trump supporters LOVED to chant at his rallies). It’s too late for “prices to go down on day one” as Trump promised, yet supporters offer excuse after excuse. Propaganda works on the weakest of minds.
Which brings us to our local perpetrator of Republican nonsense on the Letters page, who cannot define “woke” but uses it as a sort of curse word, and who calls “BULL” on factual points he cannot rebut: Mr. El Sellers.
Example 1: I said Trump and his Administration are determined to end public education.
FACT: Trump signed an executive order for the “closure of the U.S. Department of Education.” FACT: Trump’s “Big Bill” sets up a national voucher program.
FACT: Texas will be implementing ‘universal vouchers’ next year, and Republican Gov. Abbot and his Republican Legislature have capped the cost at $1 Billion for the first two years (over $54 Billion is currently spent on schools). Experts estimate that the amount will soon be over $6 Billion to fulfill the promises of the voucher legislation. $50 million initially will go to a New York based “administrator” named “Odyssey.” Expect administrative costs to explode as well.
FACT: The State of Texas will NOT monitor the effectiveness of voucher schools as they NOW do with public schools. Are voucher schools failing? We won’t know.
FACT: The amount of a voucher will initially be 15% lower than the cost of public schools in an area. When public schools shut down, how will Texas legislators set the amount for a voucher? Rich folks won’t notice, but will we miss football?
FACT: Vouchers are for tuition only, and will not include other expenses parents will have to cover like books, uniforms and transportation.
FACT: Arizona implemented vouchers, and legislators there grossly underestimated the cost of those vouchers by a factor of TEN!! They projected a cost of $65 million in ’23, but the actual cost was $708 million. Arizona now faces a state budget crisis.
FACT: Local property taxes currently fund public schools. Vouchers cannot use those funds; the state has to find OTHER means of funding voucher education. For example, to make up this shortfall, the state Sales Tax would have to go from currently 6.25% up to over 22% at the checkout counter. Or, a state income tax. Or, simply cut/eliminate funding for education.
FACT: Voucher schools discriminate, and do not “take on all comers,” as public schools are required to do. Schools taking vouchers and Charter Schools “cherry pick” to exclude students they find “undesirable,” and one would think this would lead to things like higher test scores for them. Study after study shows, they do NOT; voucher states like Ohio, Louisiana, and Indiana have LOWER test scores since vouchers were introduced.
FACT: Trump cut $12 Billion from federal funding of schools in 2026.
FACT: Vouchers do not help parents in rural areas where no private alternatives exist, or indeed small towns like Fairfield. How long a commute can parents endure twice a day? Carpooling! That’s the ticket. Twice a day to Dallas!
FACT: Using tax money to fund religious parochial schools is a violation of the First Amendment, the state establishing direct taxpayer funding for specific religious teachings. Republicans don’t care about the Constitution or “rights.”
FACT: In America, where we (used to) value FREEDOM, it’s not exactly apples-to-apples to compare test scores with countries that force education thru tyranny.
FACT: It IS fair to compare America’s economy, productivity, inventiveness, and quality of life (up to now) with ANY other nation; we’re the best. And we did it with over 200 YEARS of public education for our citizens! (the same public schools Republicans now seek to destroy).
FACT: Project 2025 has the goal of eliminating ANY federal funding for education, saying “revenue-raising responsibility would be restored to states.” “Restored” is code for states will have to tax more. A LOT more. Or, stop funding education.
FACT: Despite cutting funding for schools, the Trump federal government is exerting federal pressure on schools and universities by banning books, banning free speech, banning the teaching of history they find “offensive” (like the actual history of slavery), banning the teaching of such things as Critical Race Theory (which is only taught in Law Schools and NOT public schools), and radically attacking DEI without even being able to show what impact it may have had. Trump embodies the perfectly awful manager, who desires ALL the power but NONE of the responsibility. We’ve all known managers like that.
In the next few weeks, I will offer FACTS to contradict the ramblings of the “Anti-Woke-but-can’t-tell-you-what-it-is” letter writer on the other topics he has addressed: Health Care, Women’s Rights, and his irrational attacks on Trans citizens.
In conclusion, I am CORRECT: Republicans DO want rid of public schools.
Courage, Heart, and Intelligence!
Jeff Harrison
Buffalo TX
