Has he created a defacto "multi-member" district? Or something like Fascist Italy's "Chamber of Corporations"?

Are they going to name the house gallery for him? "The James Leininger Owner's Box"?

We're going to take up a collection and send you to a Photoshop class.

But I didn't know until this day that it was Barzini all along

By the way, PD... that's probably the best looking pic of him I've ever seen, relatively speaking. Did you get it from his house, or did Tina send you a copy?

how exactly does he profit from this?

To find out specifically would take some digging if you're referring to earned profits. For instance, we'd have to see all his financial records.

I suspect it wouldn't be hard for an enterprising soul. He makes pretty good money selling hospital beds and milk. I wonder how many schools buy milk from his dairy?

There are also intangibles like offsetting the cost of private schools with vouchers for more affluent homeowners, making sure that tuitions go up at certain institutions to keep the 'wrong people' out , heavy emphasis on parochial schools, in some cases (especially when the public school systems fail completely) just a step above madrasas.

I'll tell you what... force private schools to operate under the same requirements and restrictions as public schools and we'll see how many of them still want vouchers.

Except one of the benefits I see of sending my kid to private school is that she won't be subjected to the TASS test - or whatever the hell it is.

Or maybe she will? I dunno, I'm just assuming.

(I know. Ass. You. Me.) PD, mind out of the potty, please.

I think we should make him Speaker of the House and be done with it.

If you want to make private schools as bad as public schools that would be a good route to take.

Keepign thw "wrong people" out? Let's ask our friends in the Eanes ISD.

Unless someone uncovers a direct way that he profits from his political activities he is somewhat inspirational. He is a citizen putting his money where his beliefs are. He may be promoting vouchers because, as a successful capitalist, he is convinced that education would be improved by giving money to students rather than institutions.
Do Democrats have a problem with the large amont of money George Soros puts into what he believes?

It's also an inspiration how he makes nursing home beds so cheap that they injure the elderly. Real inspiring stuff.

Paul - Well, that's all speculation though I suspect much like Soros, it's enlightened self interest. The difference between the two is that I don't see Soros working so ardently, even IN the capital, to dismantle institutions that are at the foundation of our society.

Snrub- while the vouchers value will remain constant, the tuition need not. It's an easy way to segregate.

"It's also an inspiration how he makes nursing home beds so cheap that they injure the elderly."
This seems to me a cheap shot. Anyone and any business can be demonized if that is way you want to rationalize your opposition.
Are the Hospitals forced to buy his beds?
Is he the only supplier?
Gee Whiz if vouchers are so ineffective then let's do a fair test in a few districts and get some empirical data. Then we can move on.

Paul - we have, in test scenarios where the test itself is designed to work. Guess what? It doesn't make much of a difference or any when you normalize the funding and bring the public school up to parity.

It's like Charter schools. Here in Texas they get all kinds of a lulu's to stay in business. But pull those away and they usually crumble under mismanagement.

Trey,
Can you direct me to links to these studies.
If Vouchers do not work under any conditions I would be happy to reconsider my opinion. Perhaps there are rebuttals I can read as well.
I have been deeply involved in the Smoking Ban controversy and the conventional wisdom does not hold up on close scrutiny of the facts.

That's the thing, Paul. They can work.The problem is when compared to a school just as well funded and maintained, the performance enhancement falls apart.

http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/teachers/VoucherTrackRecord2005.pdf

As for charter schools, just look at the track record in Texas. It isn't great.

The solution is to educate all our children.

Trey,
I read the report you recommended written by the Teachers Union and then I read a study by the RAND think tank. The first says predictably that Vouchers aren't worth it and the second says that the success of experiments varies depending on what criteria one uses. In particular parent satisfaction was much higher when their children attended a private school.
It seems to me that continuing to experiment with Vouchers and Charter schools should be part of any comprehensive educational strategy.
As a small Businessperson I have a lifetime of experience dealing with bureaucracies. And the educational establishment seems to spending a lot of resources to defend and perpetuate itself.
I understand why. I just don't agree that it is right or in the best interest of students.