READERS RESPOND TO VOUCHERS WHILE JUNIOR FINISHES HIS ANALYSIS

What, you may ask, am I going to say this week about the primary elections? The answer: Nothing.

I am going to let the political pundits natter and prattle, first. (Political pundits love to natter and prattle.) Once they have squeezed all the blood out of the election turnip and given us serious eye-glaze, I will provide you the most comprehensive analysis of the results, courtesy of Junior E. Lee, general manager of the Yarbrough Worldwide Media and Pest Control Company, located above a pool hall in Greater Garfield, Georgia.

Junior doesn’t have time to do much analyzing this week, anyway. He is tied up trying to get rid of termites at Arveen Ridley’s place. Arveen doesn’t give a rat’s bottom about the race for labor commissioner. He just wants the termites gone from his tool shed.

So, while I wait for Junior to get finished and then wash the imidachloprid off his hands, I thought I might revisit the matter of school vouchers.

My column last week on my strong opposition to school vouchers brought mail from one end of the state to the other. Many readers support my view. Many don’t.

Most comments were very articulate. Some were, well, different.

A reader in Stone Mountain said, “I feel comfortable calling u a jack ass as u are obviously a lib, demo, pie in the sky, fool.” If he knows any liberal weenies, he might want to ask them for a second opinion. For sure, they would both agree on the “fool” part. U betcha.

Another school voucher proponent wrote to say, “I rarely write responses to articles in newspapers as most newspaper writers aren’t smart enough to know they have done a poor job researching their article.” However, luck was with me. I think he deemed me smart enough because he proceeded to tell me I had done a poor job researching the article. I was feeling pretty proud of myself when I noticed he had addressed his comments to “Mr. Williams.” That confused me. Either I look like Ted Williams or Sherwin Williams or he wrote the wrong person about poor research. Well, it’s the thought that counts.

A lawyer in Middle Georgia disagreed with my views and opined, “If you truly want educational improvement, I believe you should be more open to the market idea. Unless, of course, you are a leftist, in which case you could never agree that government control is bad.” I try not to argue with lawyers because they tend to quote a lot of Latin that I don’t understand and most of them have the sense of humor of a dill pickle. But, I am not a leftist. I am a lib, demo, pie in the sky, fool. Even a lawyer ought to be able to understand that.

As my mail showed, the matter of school vouchers elicits strong opinions — pro and con — and will probably find its way into the next legislative session after our public servants decide who is going to dinner with what lobbyist. However, I will continue to oppose school vouchers. Vouchers appeal to those who aren’t willing to put the time or effort into improving their local schools. Their solution is to dismantle the public school system, cannibalize or underfund public education. (Voucher proponents didn’t mention the draconian budget cuts made by the Legislature to the education budget last year.) However, if you disagree with me or think I haven’t done due diligence in my assessment of the subject, please get in touch with me. You can write me at: “Mr.Williams@libdemopieintheskyfool.com.”

Good news. I just got a call from Junior E. Lee, telling me that he has about stomped out the last termite in Arveen Ridley’s tool shed and that Arveen seems pleased with the job. Junior is headed back to the pool hall to wash off the smell and then will crank up the Yarbrough Worldwide Media and Pest Control Enterprises computers and tell us for whom the bells tolled politically and why.

If Junior’s political analysis is as good as his termite work, we are in for a treat. Stay tuned.

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