I saw it again today in a front page article in the Wisconsin State Journal: State paid $139 million to schools terminated from voucher program since 2004
The galloping privatization of K-12 education in Wisconsin is a sin and a shame, and gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke knows it. Here was her comment for the article:
In an interview, Burke said the spending data on terminated schools illustrates the need to scale back the program, which she has said repeatedly she would do if elected.
“I’m shocked that the program has continued to be expanded without the type of accountability that really needs to be there,” said Burke.
So how about our current governor, Scott Walker, who has aided and abetted voucher expansion whenever possible?
A Walker campaign spokeswoman declined to make the governor available for an interview and did not respond to emailed questions.
THERE IT IS AGAIN.
Over and over this campaign season, the GOP in Wisconsin has been openly refusing to talk about what they stand for.
I almost wrote about it earlier this week when I saw this in the Capital Times: Mary Burke: Roll back vouchers, give rural schools more aid, wherein Ms. Burke accepted the paper's invitation and submitted a thoughtful column on her education priorities. And right next to the column was this note:
Scott Walker did not submit column
Republican Gov. Scott Walker was invited to submit a column on his education priorities, but did not.
Also on the education front, there's been post after post from the grassroots parents group "
Stop Special Needs Vouchers Wisconsin" highlighting candidate responses to their survey on special needs vouchers earlier this year. Day after day, the Facebook page has featured thoughtful survey responses from Democratic candidates for state Assembly and Senate. And day after day, the text next to the Republic candidate's name reads: "Did not answer the Stop Special Needs Vouchers candidate survey."
What's going on here? As it turns out... {orange squiggle jump}
Governor Scott Walker's office actually has a stated policy this election year on not answering candidate surveys, even those he has answered before!
One instance was the conservative-leaning Wisconsin Association of School Boards, who recently published the results of their education questionnaire:
In keeping with our past practice, we posed a series of questions to the candidates on a range of education issues. Governor Walker's response to the survey request stated: "our campaign will not be completing any interest group surveys or interviews." Mary Burke's responses follow.
Walker's campaign is SO unwilling to answer anything from groups he might disagree with, he's not going to talk to anyone -- even if it costs him an endorsement (apparently he's making do with endorsements from last time around):
Scott Walker's campaign site touts Pro-Life Wisconsin endorsement he didn't receive this year
"Scott Walker did not complete our 2014 candidate survey and therefore is ineligible for an endorsement," wrote Matt Sande, director of the Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund PAC, in an email. "His campaign manager stated in a letter that 'our campaign will not be completing any interest group surveys or interviews.'"
But you wouldn't know it from Walker's campaign website, where he touts endorsements from both groups.
When did it become OK for a candidate to turn up his nose at organizations who WANT to help get the word out on what he thinks?
Maybe, just maybe, it's because he doesn't want people to know what he thinks?
Meanwhile, we have a similar thing going on with far-right-wing Glenn Grothman, Congressional candidate (WI-06) and also "contender for craziest Republican in Congress." He's never been shy before, even with the most wild-eyed ranting -- but suddenly he's been dodging debates and press coverage:
Congressional candidate Mark Harris says Glenn Grothman is 'trying to stay out of sight'
Staying out of the spotlight is an unusual approach for Grothman, who's known for making bold, often polarizing statements. But in addition to declining debates, he's also been unusually unavailable to media.
"Grothman has largely gone quiet, taking a low-key approach to campaigning and avoiding making any eyebrow-raising statements," wrote Amanda Terkel for the Huffington Post.
We can't stand candidates who can't tell us what they stand for...
Stand up with a donation to support Mary Burke and defeat Scott Walker!
Stand up with a donation to support Mark Harris and defeat Glenn Grothman!