Tails California
What to know: California’s economy is “on the edge” after decades of bad fiscal policies and crushing taxation. Still, Gov. Gavin Newsom is planning a presidential run to bring his state’s policies to the nation.
The TPPF take: Newsom’s political future could be clouded by the dismal state of his state—as shown by how many people are leaving it for good.
“With all that tax money California collects, you’d think its residents would enjoy great roads and a strong public education system—but California’s thoroughfares rank the nation’s fourth worst due to a big backlog of deferred maintenance while their K-12 public school results are barely better, ranking 40th of 50,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “For hundreds of thousands of Californians moving out of the state every year now, Newsom’s whiny blamecasting may be the last thing they hear as they cross the border heading east.”
For more on California, click here.
Empowering Parents, Not Systems
What to know: One of the most common arguments against parent empowerment is that it will send “public money” to private Christian schools.
The TPPF take: This goes back to a flawed “separation of church and state” take—and it’s long been debunked.
“The truth is that public funds often find their way into religious arenas,” notes TPPF’s Mandy Drogin. “Pell Grants are used at religious universities—including, for example, Harvard University, which was founded to train ministers of the Gospel. Head Start funding can be used at church-based preschools, and Medicaid and Medicare enrollees often receive care at religious hospitals.”
For more on empowering parents, click here.