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| buckeye... |
 Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:22 am |
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You can view an HTML version of this email at the following address:
http://www.au.org/site/R?i=pJFEeaUqP77dFeLhheP6pA..
October 7, 2008
Americans United Blasts Bush Administration For Report Urging More Tax Aid
To Religious Schools
Keep Emphasis On Public Education, Says Church-State Watchdog Group
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today criticized the
White House for issuing a report calling for massive new forms of tax
funding of religious schools.
The 164-page report, "Preserving a Critical National Asset: America's
Disadvantaged Students and the Crisis in Faith-based Urban Schools," was
produced by the White House Domestic Policy Council. It calls for a
sweeping plan of public subsidy of religious education through vouchers,
tax credits and other forms of tax aid at both the federal and state
levels.
Report link: http://www.au.org/site/R?i=_pyCyjPG8kLXu2kDBjaNbw..
"Government officials should focus on improving public schools, not
subsidizing religious education," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive
director of Americans United. "The American people want programs that boost
public schools, not a bailout for private schools that are unaccountable to
the public."
The report calls for more voucher plans, blithely ignoring the fact that
there is little public support for them and that objective research shows
that existing voucher plans do not boost student performance.
Going further, the report also calls for "faith-based" charter schools that
would advance religion. It offhandedly notes that such schools "would
likely require a number of changes in Federal and State law" but fails to
point out that rewriting the First Amendment would be among them.
"This report is the last gasp of an administration stubbornly convinced
there is a 'faith-based' solution to every problem," Lynn remarked. "Given
the state the Bush administration is in, I expect the report to be quickly
forgotten and that's for the best."
Lynn pointed out that 90 percent of American schoolchildren attend public
schools. He said the next administration should stop obsessing over private
education and return the focus to public education.
http://www.au.org/site/R?i=Jp0kvgV1LBrM6IzF4oV0xA..
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Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington,
D.C.
Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance
of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
************************************************************
Americans United Press Contacts:
Joe Conn, Rob Boston, Sandhya Bathija
www.au.org/press
Update your AU profile and adjust your email settings:
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************************************************************
The First Freedom First Campaign is a joint project of
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation
If you haven't signed the petition yet, visit www.firstfreedomfirst.org.
http://www.au.org/site/R?i=OHNX2BhcDcfqYHxuIuiCjA..
************************************************************
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
518 C Street NE,
Washington, DC 20002
auactivist at (no spam) au.org
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