Candidate Tea Party Forum

We have just finished the video from the TEA party candidate forum and I thought you might like to see it. I have tried through a set of videos on my campaign site and on “YouTube”, to allow voters to see and hear for themselves my commitment to be the independent voice for the people in our state senate. In this candidate forum, we had all three candidates for the open senate seat participate but the opposing candidates have not approved having their responding answers on video released or aired, we will make it available if approved and technically possible (that is why only my portion is shown), two of them refused to have their responses posted for viewing. Here is the video:

In the forum, I explained my belief that we need to return to the Constitution and to the Founders’ intentions for government. I also explained how the special interests have bought and paid for both Republican and Democrat seats in our state government. I detailed how the MEA offers money, campaign workers, and even campaign management to Republican candidates who will support public school funding only. It is a very tempting offer but one I will continue to refuse because it makes it impossible to support cutting taxes in any meaningful way and it keeps children in failing schools, enslaved to a life without opportunity and prosperity.

I intend, with your help and your vote, to be the independent voice of the Republican Party for the people of Michigan. I am fighting to see our state placed back on the tracks to economic recovery. To see this become reality it will require, from all of us, hard work, sacrifice, and clear leadership that is not looking to the next election cycle, but to the long term health of our state. Please join me in this vision.

Todd A Courser
Candidate for State Senate 2010
www.votetoddnow.com

Responses

Mr. Courser,

Why such strong objections to funding of public schools? I am not a Teacher, but an employee and have been for the last 14 years. This puts my employ and my retirement and those of my co-workers in jeopardy.   Wendy

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Dear Wendy:

I have not said I am against the idea of public schools.  I think that is the way to hear it if you are wanting to believe that public schools can be all things to all people.  I am however for parents having the choice and the option of attending where they want.  This position is against the public school unions interests and so I will be labeled in some way as anti public school.  This is not true, many public schools do a great job.  Here is the deal.  We as a state contribute a very large portion of our budget to education and we routinely are the last in the nation at getting dollars to the teachers in the classrooms.  It all get eaten by administration.  We can cut the costs overall in education by allowing parents to choose.  I am in favor of good public schools, vouchers, school choice, and expanding charter schools.  These avenues will give parents, not teachers or unions the charge over the children’s educations.  This free market will kill bad schools and give rise to better options for parents, students, and even teachers. There will not be less teaching spots but more.  In private schools they actually have less students per teacher so they actually increase the number of teaching options if allowed to take part of the student population.

We spend between 7 and 14k per child in our state. If we can offer a 3k voucher to get kids to leave that are better suited to their education style, we will, as a state save from 4 to 11k per student that leave for another option. This funding can be placed back to work in the public schools that are doing a great job.  Or you can simply believe the union and the idea that what is wrong with education is a lack of funding, even when we have some of the best funding in the nation. The union will say it is never enough even when they refuse to get it to the classroom.

Please take a look at my website votetoddnow.com and there is my story in education and the attempts to label me as a slow learner early on.

God bless you and thanks for taking the time to think about the position.  There are some great people doing God’s work in the public schools.  Both of my sisters and my mother taught in the public schools so I know they have a heavy load. We were all educated in the public schools. Now I have 3 who are being homeschooled and we love it.  Some families don’t do a good job but all of mine are well above in their academics.  My kindergartener is able to read many books and can do his multiplication in his head thru 5 times 5.  The objectors will always point to the bad cases.  In each type of education there are those, but if you put parents in charge then most of the time you will get a better education for the child.

Thanks – the campaign in the teachers union will be strong against me and these ideas. The union recommendation will be to the candidate in my primary that is willing to go with them and never touch the idea of the MEA having to be in competition with others for students minds.

Just remember as the union has controlled both political parties they have been willing to destroy the economy and the jobs that go with it to make sure that they are funded better than most any state in the union.  This has driven out much of our business all by itself, they passed the worst business tax in the country, the MBT is a job killer! The union backed and forced the passing of the worst business tax in the country and they used both parties to get it done and this crushed our economy. We need new direction.

Todd