Democracy for Montgomery County: Call and email Thursday, April 1 STOP Backdoor Vouchers aka "Boast"

Call and email Thursday, April 1 Oppose House Bill #946 Backdoor
Vouchers aka "Boast"

Why it's important: My friends in education tell me H.B. 946 is a real
threat to public education. Incredibly, this bill is likely to pass into
law this session--despite the fiscal crisis. As a matter of practicality
and principle, we have to support our public schools as much as
possible. Money for vouchers does nothing to help public schools or
public school students. This fosters a sense of "no confidence."

Please forward this to all your contacts in Maryland. My apologies if
you've seen this before, but we've been writing for the past few weeks
about this bill which is coming up for a vote most likely Thursday April
1--no April Fools! We have to act TODAY so please call and email now
(email and phone info. below).

Contact as many of the delegates you can, but at least contact your own
delegate if he or she is on the Committee. (there are 5 articles, a
section on writing letters to the editor, some talking points, all
offered to help and suggests points to make in your communication. It
looks like a lot of information, but many of you have seen some or most
it before. Do as much as you can to help. If you can cc. your
communications to the press, that could have an impact as well. (See
contact info. for local papers below).

We've been calling and emailing State Delegates and the Governor, and we
need to increase the number of calls and emails.

Your job is to tell the delegates your views on these important issues.
The delegates' job is to listen to you, and if they respond well to your
advocacy, they should vote the way you ask them to on this HB 946.

It's not hard to get your point across effectively. Please use your own
words, and freely adapt the information below. Pick the 3 points of 4
ideas that most closely represent your own views, don't try to
communicate all the points in one email.Here's an example (use other
points listed below as you think best, the key is a thoughtful, strongly
held commitment to principle and pragmatism:

If you're a constituent, make sure the Delegate or Staffer knows that.
Emphasize your concerns about vouchers undermining public schools in
your district (mention the schools you know best by name, indicate if
you, a sibling, child or other relative attended that school or taught
at that school), specifically ask why this school is not deserving of
more funding--for music, sports, art, other popular or necessary
programs if the Boast Bill gives away public money to private schools
which they use for religious instruction.

Remind the delegate that Marylanders strongly oppose this proposed use
of public funds for non-public schools. Studies prove vouchers are not a
solution to any problems in schools. Again, use your own
words--especially when emailing. Repetitive emails get less attention.
Please do not just forward this email to them. Explain why you oppose
HB946 (Boast) for your own reasons, but feel free to use some of the
points below.

--------------------

H.B. 946 is a real threat to public schools. It's already passed the
Maryland State Senate, and is moving toward passage in the House of
Delegates.

Please call and write Governor O'Malley and the key delegates (see below
for their contact information and specifics about this pending
legislation).

As a matter of principle, public money should not support teaching
religious doctrine. Thanks to the many who called and sent emails. It's
time to do that again. Why? We're hearing from people involved they're
facing pressure from the pro-religious school activists. The callers for
HB946 are matching or even surpassing our own! We have to make one more
concerted effort. Stand up for Maryland's "best in the nations schools,"
so we can build on the successes we've had. We must and oppose any Bill
that undermines our educational strength and success just as a matter of
rewarding success and helping public schools meet their needs.

--------------------

Candidate for Maryland Delegate Dana Beyer (D-18) writes:
This is a follow-up on the BOAST bill, HB946, the tax credit voucher
plan for private and parochial schools with the $50M price tag which the
Governor seems to want this election year. My contacts in the House tell
me that pressure would be most effective going to the Governor.

Please contact the Governor: http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/ for
email access, or call 410.974.3901.
They're hearing a lot more from the supporters, with pressure building
every year.

Thanks,

Dana

------------------------------

ADDITIONAL Points and Ideas below the contact information.

------------------------------

Please contact your own delegates, and the Ways and Means Committee
members you know personally. Email them ASAP, and also please make a
personal phone call. Find the links to get their phone numbers, a list
of their email addresses, points to make--everything you need--provided
below.

If you see one of your delegates listed below, please mention you're a
constituent when you register your opinion.

Here are the email addresses:
sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us, annmarie.doory@house.state.md.us,
joseph.bartlett@house.state.md.us, kumar.barve@house.state.md.us,
joseph.boteler@house.state.md.us, jon.cardin@house.state.md.us,
page.elmore@house.state.md.us, bill.frick@house.state.md.us,
ron.george@house.state.md.us, jim.gilchrist@house.state.md.us,
carolyn.howard@house.state.md.us, jolene.ivey@house.state.md.us,
anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us, peter.murphy@house.state.md.us,
leroy.myers@house.state.md.us, john.olszewski@house.state.md.us,
craig.rice@house.state.md.us, justin.ross@house.state.md.us,
christopher.shank@house.state.md.us, melvin.stukes@house.state.md.us,
frank.turner@house.state.md.us, jay.walker@house.state.md.us

Please contact these key delegates (on the) and urge them to vote
against HB 946 (The "Boast" Bill):
Anne Kaiser (D-14) Burtonsville, MD anne.Kaiser@house.state.md.us
Jim Gilcrist (D-17) Mont. Cty jim.gilchrist@house.state.md.us
Jolene Ivey (D-47) PG Cty jolene.ivey@house.state.md.us
Craig Rice (D-15) Mont. Cty craig.rice@house.state.md.us
John Olszewski (D-6) Balt. Cty john.olszewski@house.state.md.us
LeRoy Myers (D-1) Hagerstown leroy.myers@house.state.md.us

Thank you,

Mike Hersh

--------------------

From the League of Women Voters of Maryland:
Call Your Delegates Now on the BOAST Bill: A Private School Voucher Bill
in Disguise

This BOAST bill is a private school voucher bill in disguise to be voted
on in the House Committee this week. Tell your House Delegates to VOTE
NO on HB 946.

Oppose HB 946 - Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers
(BOAST) in Maryland Tax Credit. This bill would entitle certain students
to tuition scholarships (vouchers) to attend nonpublic schools in
Maryland and would provide tax credits to organizations that provide the
scholarships. In a stressed economy, it is irresponsible for Maryland to
create a tax credit that diminishes our state resources for our public
schools and other vital services. If the program is funded at a level
similar to programs in other states, expenditures could increase by $50
million each year.

FYI - The BOAST legislation has been introduced several times in the
recent past. I t has passed the Senate several times, including this
morning. The House bill has been heard in the Ways and Means Committee
today . In the past, Chairman Sheila Hixson has held the bill back from
a vote, but this year with half of her committee as bill sponsors, we
believe she will bring it to a committee vote. The outlook is
frightening so it is IMPERATIVE that you immediately contact your
county's delegates on the ways and Means Committee.

-------------------

From Edd Doerr, President, Americans for Religious Liberty:
As an honors graduate of a Catholic high school I am strongly opposed to
the bill in the Maryland legislature (H.B.946) that would divert millions of
dollars annually in public support to faith-based private schools.

This bill is unconscionable in view of the financial plight of our
state's public schools and colleges. Maryland voters defeated similar
measures at the polls twice in the 1970s, and given oft-repeated similar
referendum defeats for measures like this across the country, there is no
reason to believe our state's voters have changed their minds.

This proposed legislation would subsidize the division of our youth
along creedal lines by aiding private schools that commonly practice forms
of discrimination and indoctrination that would be intolerable in public
schools.

Edd Doerr, President
Americans for Religious Liberty
P.O. Box 6656
Silver Spring, MD 20916
301-260-2988
arlinc@verizon.net

-------------------

From Jon A. Gerson, UniServ Director and Director of Community
Outreach, Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA):

• This tax credit scheme is a backdoor approach to providing vouchers to
parents of kids in nonpublic schools by subsidizing tuition at private
and religious schools with public tax dollars through the tax credit.

• MSTA opposes any and all programs that move public tax dollars to
non-public schools, which this legislation accomplishes through tax credits.

• The research in Arizona, Illinois, and Pennsylvania shows that the
greatest beneficiaries of tax credit programs are wealthier tax payers
and schools in middle and upper income neighborhoods.

• As with vouchers, tuition tax credits provide funds to nonpublic
schools without regard to the schools' entrance policies. Some private
schools do and would continue to deny entrance to certain students.

• Tuition tax credit programs inappropriately transfer to corporations
the authority to decide where public tax dollars will be allocated. It
is the job of the elected General Assembly to target valuable State
resources to proven, researched programs to improve student achievement.

• Patterns on the usage of tuition tax credits in other states show that
the beneficiaries of these credits are most often existing private
school students. A study by the non-partisan RAND Corp. concluded that
tuition tax subsidies rarely benefit poor children.

• These programs are not a strategy for improving public schools, do
little for public school students, and divert revenue that otherwise
could be available to invest in public schools.

• Nonpublic schools that would benefit from a tuition tax credit program
are not accountable to the public in the way that public schools are by
having to disclose data on student achievement, attendance, graduation
and dropout rates, and other relevant basic information. Additionally,
it is legitimate to assume that corporations could abuse the tax credits
to benefit themselves or their "favorite" private schools.

• The proposal recently put forth in Maryland has inappropriately
established MSDE as the administrator of tax credits, a function not
currently within its purview. It is a major policy shift for the state
to allow MSDE to make tax eligibility determinations. Personal and
corporate tax liability should remain within the purview of
Comptroller's office.

• Despite cuts to Federal, State and Local public school funding,
schools must still meet the rigid unfunded mandates of the Federal No
Child Left Behind Act and, beginning with this year's graduating
seniors, students must pass Maryland's High School Assessments to graduate.

• While Maryland continues to face a budget deficit, it cannot
responsibly afford to lose revenue through a tuition tax credit that
subsidize private school tuition.

-------------------

From Mike Tabor (Progressive Working Group:
Subject: The position of the Archbishop on the BOAST bill

It seems to be this: Just give us the money and be quiet. I was at the
hearing and heard stronger language from him than mentioned in the Sun
article with regard to any change in the bill that would prohibit
beneficiaries from discriminating on the basis of sexual preference.
Committee members Jolene Ivey (a cosponsor of the bill) of Prince
George's and Craig Rice (not a cosponsor) of Montgomery asked him about
this. Another committee cosponsor (Justin Ross of Prince George's) asked
another proponent essentially the same question and got brushed aside.
Maybe Ivey and Ross can be persuaded to oppose the bill in committee
because of this:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/legislature/bal-tax-credit-scholarships0317,0,6144607.story

By the way, despite what he says, the Archbishop's schools (which are
the biggest beneficiaries of the BOAST bill) obviously turn out people
who don't like same sex marriage: http://www.mdcathcon.org

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Call and email Thursday, April 1 STOP Backdoor Vouchers aka "Boast"

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