A claim of support for SB1, the pending school choice bill in the Pennsylvania Senate, is causing consternation among some Tea Party activists.
The Facebook page of Ana Luiza Lannes Puig, who is a prominent Bucks County Tea Partyist, says that “18 local Tea Party groups came together in Pittsburgh to support SB1” at Tuesday’s Freedom Works event.
A screenshot of the page is being circulated among other prominent Tea Partyists, with other emails saying that SB1 was not the focus of the event and that many of the groups have yet to decide where they stand on it.
The Tea Partyists who are objecting to SB1 generally want a much more comprehensive bill with the state aid following all students, not just those below a certain level of income or in particularly bad school districts.
For those who want to bandy about the word “racism”, please note that those who fall below a certain level of income or are in particularly bad school districts would not be left out by the changes these Tea Partyists seek.
Before a teaparty activist can support a bill, it must first be in line with our principles. This bill in the current for is not. One problem I have with the bill is that is allows only children 130% of poverty to go to the school of their choice and gives them up to 8,000. Where does that leave the parents, some working very hard to get our of their situation and create a better life for their kids.They are left in the same schools with no way out. The so called EITC scholarship program is not going to help them because it only provides approx. 1,200 a year if the donations are available. Shame on Commonwealth Foundation, Freedomworks and Pat Toomey for lowering their standards and supporting this bill in it’s current form