The Spectrum: Politicians need to represent voters on school vouchers

With public opinion increasingly opposing universal vouchers, I'm having a hard time understanding their continued push in the face of defeat.

I thought that maybe it was because people wanted a chance to choose the morality taught in schools. Morality is a reflection of religious values. From ninth grade forward, students may be excused for one class period per day to study religion.

I thought that it might have to do with eliminating or reducing taxes. However, if the voucher initiative is passed, then Utahns can expect to pay an additional $429 million over the next thirteen years on top of what they are already paying for education.

I looked in the phone book and found only one private school for middle/high schoolers in St. George and with the state-wide average cost of Utah private schools at $8,000, I had a hard time imagining large Utah families jockeying for a chance to spend $5,000 per child to use a voucher.

Next, I considered student performance. Maybe a private school choice will mean higher test scores. Alex Molnar, in 1999, debunked that myth. He found that class size has a stronger correlation to higher test scores than any other factor. In 2005 and again in 2006, Utah schools ranked 3rd in the country in Advanced Placement test results. On the American College Test, for the school year 2007, Utah public schools scored at or above average on their benchmark score - the score necessary to have a 75 percent expectation of receiving a C on a corresponding credit-bearing college course. Additionally, Utah high schools have a graduation rate 10 percent higher than the average for the rest of the country.

Maybe people just don't have confidence in public education. Sorry! Nationwide, public schools have an approval rating (average or above average) of nearly 80 percent (Phi Delta Kappa International).

Interestingly, three news details from the Salt Lake Tribune may shed some light on the matter. First, professional solicitors from out-of-state are being employed to distribute pro-voucher literature. Secondly, an esoteric group of Utah politicians have been meeting with lobbyists from multiple manufacturing and retailing industries at the Utah Board of Realtors office in Salt Lake in an attempt to get their support for the referendum (Aug. 31.) Finally, in a move normally characteristic of those outside of the political process, several Utah lawmakers have broken rank from political objectivity and formed their own ad hoc partisan Political Action Committee to push for vouchers. The Informed Voter Project, most recently with $200,000 in hand, uses voter lists to mail and auto-dial targeted citizens to gather support. (Aug. 31; Oct. 4.)

If this information is true, then it would appear that many of the pro-voucher politicians are largely representing their own agenda, rather than that of their constituents.

Representing voters does not mean organizing and fighting against them!

Vouchers are a costly political gadfly! Vote NO on Referendum 1.

Glenn Mesa is a resident of St. George. He is a member of The Spectrum & Daily News Writers Group.