Dear friends,
As you are probably aware, a dedicated group of public school supporters known as Utahns for Public Schools has been working tirelessly to get Utah’s new voucher law on a referendum ballot, allowing voters to decide whether our tax dollars will fund the largest private school voucher experiment in the country. The referendum law sets an unbelievably high hurdle, requiring us to collect over 92,000 valid signatures in just over a month.
WE ARE IN THE FINAL DAYS OF THE PETITION EFFORT, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We need volunteers all over the state—and especially in the densely populated Wasatch Front—to volunteer a few hours of their time during our Citizen Days event this Friday and Saturday. On those two days, volunteers will work in three-hour shifts starting at 10 am and 2 pm. (There will also be some evening shifts from 6 to 9 for volunteers unable to help during the day.) We will provide training, materials, and a location. I know it’s a sacrifice to take time away from your regular lives for an event like this, and I know that many of you have already donated time gathering signatures in your own neighborhoods. Please consider dedicating one more morning or afternoon to these important causes: protecting the future of our public schools and ensuring that citizens have a voice in their government.
Polls show that 80% of Utahns want to vote on this issue. But if we can’t gather the signatures in time, we won’t get that chance.
To sign up to help, you may contact me at
lisa@metaserve.org or 801-495-1035.
You can also contact our volunteer coordinator directly at
lindsay@utahnsforpublicschools.org or at 801-268-2161.
Pass this information along to your friends, or bring your friends with you this weekend.
(You may also use the contact information above if you are interested in signing the petition.)
Sincerely,
Lisa JohnsonVouchers?
Let Utah voters decide!
In the session ending February 28, 2007, the Utah State Legislature passed a bill allowing tax dollars to subsidize private schools. This so-called “voucher” program is the widest-ranging, most poorly regulated law of its kind in the country.
Legislation establishing the voucher plan passed the Utah House by a single vote. It was then quickly passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor with little opportunity for public debate or input. The program is projected to cost taxpayers more than $425 million over the next thirteen years, according to legislative fiscal analysts.
Utahns for Public Schools believes voters should decide whether or not to move forward on the voucher proposal. Our petition will place the subject on the ballot in the form of a referendum.
Chairman Wayne Holland Jr. just made a great point about the voucher referendum petition while being interviewed by The Deseret News.
