Sunday, August 13, 2006

Romney's Leadership Still Lacking on Education

Governor Romney has been such a disappointment, failing to provide leadership on education issues and parents' rights. Romney vetoed legislation last week that would have funded statewide pre-Kindergarten programs beginning at age 2. But his reason was purely fiscal. He refuses to confront head-on the other huge problem this legislation exemplified: that our public schools are essentially becoming leftist/GLBT indoctrination centers, and those in charge want access to our children beginning at the earliest ages. John Haskins, Associate Director of the Parents' Rights Coalition, comments:

Statewide pre-kindergarten programs? Is there any mystery what this is all about? Obviously Massachusetts pre-schoolers are in danger of learning their parents' moral and religious values. Something has to be done about that, and the solution is just what Mao, Lenin and Stalin prescribed: indoctrination beginning at age three. That should take care of those intolerant religious folks and their morality!

When will our side get it? This is no badminton match. This is total war. War for everything. There is no stopping point. The fanatical sexual revolutionaries, homofascists, and their enablers want all or nothing. "All" includes your children and your grandchildren and their civilization. Many pre-schools are already indoctrinating children without the knowledge of their parents. I know of specific examples. How long will it be before such programs are mandatory?

Unfortunately, vetoing such a bill is not nearly enough. Seizing the issue and warning parents and voters about what their legislators have in mind is what Romney would do if he were a conservative, or a man -- or even a real Mormon.

See the State House News Service report ("Democrats criticize Romney's veto of pre-K," 8/10/06):

Top lawmakers lashed out Monday at Gov. Mitt Romney's veto of a pre-kindergarten education bill, as Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey's gubernatorial campaign defended what a top Romney adviser conceded was a politically difficult position.

The co-chairs of the Legislature's Committee on Education [Sen. Antonioni and Rep. Haddad -- both favoring the Planned Parenthood/GLBT agenda for our schools] said they hoped the House and Senate return later this year in formal sessions to try to override the veto of a Department of Early Education and Care bill, although both conceded they were unaware of any such plans.

"I don't think he really understands what this legislation was meant to do. [We agree!] It's the next step in refining that department," said House Education Committee chair Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset), who called the bill a guidebook for a state effort to furnish universal access to pre-kindergarten education.

Romney vetoed the bill Friday, after lawmakers had rejected his plan to change the bill by cutting out the language to expand state commitments for pre-K education. Rather than commit immediately to what he said could be a $1 billion-plus per year hit to taxpayers, Romney encouraged waiting for the results, due next February, of a $4.6 million pilot program provided for in this year's budget....

The legislation avoided both pinning a cost on the program and identifying a revenue source - in part, Haddad said, because the bill instructed the department to conceive of a five-year plan, with subsequent details to be worked out based on that blueprint. "We can't talk about a revenue source until we know what the actual cost is going to be," Haddad said....

A spokesman for House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said in an e-mailed statement that Romney's veto meant Romney had "flipped his position" since 2004, when he signed the law creating the [early education] department.