Democrats use crazy logic on 'runaway spending' of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
The critics of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts keep claiming the program is too expensive. At the same time, they insist the state spend far, far more on education.
Which is it: Do Democrats want to spend more on education or cut it to the bone?
As Gov. Katie Hobbs well knows, an ESA student is only allowed 90% what that student would receive in a traditional public school. Leaning on the mathematic expertise I gained in sixth grade, 90% is lower than 100%. (If the governor likes, I can show the work.)
Spending less per student saves the state budget, it doesn’t bankrupt it, as the governor claims. A recent Common Sense Institute Arizona study proves that fact.
Hobbs forgets she OK'd the same ESA spending she's upset about
Nevertheless, Hobbs now feigns outrage. “The school voucher program in its current form is not sustainable, and Republican legislators need to explain why they are forcing this runaway spending on Arizona taxpayers,” Hobbs tweeted.
She forgot to explain why she approved ESA spending in the most recent budget. The buck stops with those perfidious Republican legislators, not the governor who signed it.
In addition to maintaining the ESA program, the budget poured additional money into public education. Democrats gloated over a $300 million one-time payment for K-12 schools, $342 million for school facilities and $88.6 million in new ongoing K-12 funding.
For some reason, Katie Hobbs isn’t worried about that “runaway funding.”
Democrats conveniently sidestep net savings vouchers produce
House Minority Leader Andrés Cano also took to Twitter to claim “Empowerment Scholarship Accounts will bankrupt our state & our public schools,” attaching a letter from the Arizona Department of Education. Well, part of that letter.
He cut off the bit that stated, “many of the students that are enrolling [in ESAs] are now coming from the public school system, which in the end saves the state money because the empowerment scholarship accounts are funded at a lower percentage than the state aid for a pupil in the public system.”
So much for bankrupting the state.
The left like education-spending choice for themselves, not parents
Complaining about the expense is obviously a smokescreen since Democrats would cheerfully spend triple the ESA total to fund their pet projects. It’s not the money that bothers them, but who the money is directed to.
They are galled to see education funding going directly to students and parents, instead of to bloated public school administrations and teachers’ unions. They are outraged Arizona families might decide a math tutor provides better instruction than the school that happens to be in their zip code.
Hobbs doesn’t want moms and dads to choose what’s best for their children. She thinks she knows better.
Her constant attacks on ESAs won’t hurt the wealthy, who have always enjoyed school choice. After all, her parents sent her to private school. Instead, Hobbs wants to prevent financially strapped families from accessing the education best for their children.
Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. On Twitter: @exjon.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: For Democrats, only 'runaway spending' in education are vouchers
