By Antonio D. French
Filed Friday, April 14, 2006 at 3:35 PM
RightMissouri.com, a Republican blog, has praised the former chair and vice-chair of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus for their support of a bill that would trade tax credits for the funding private education. Labels: Black_Caucus, Republicans
"Huge kudos go out to State Reps. Ted 'Kick Their Butts' Hoskins and Rodney Hubbard -- both St. Louis Dems and the only Dems in Missouri with an ounce of principle and conviction," said the blog.
PUB DEF was the first to report yesterday that the Black Caucus, by a vote of 11-3, voted Hoskins out of its chairmanship. Hoskins, who sources say chose not to attend the meeting where the vote took place, was replaced by State Rep. John Bowman. Hubbard resigned his vice-chairmanship before a vote could be taken to remove him. He was replaced by State Rep. Connie Johnson.
The blog also quotes an article in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Hoskins commented only briefly Thursday, saying that he has decided to leave the caucus entirely. 'They don't do nothing, so I won't be missing anything,' he said."
Several members of the Black Caucus have told PUB DEF that the change in leadership is the best thing that could have happened for the group. They said that Hoskins' leadership style and questionable fundraising tactics had tarnished the group's reputation and steered them in a direction away from their primary mission.
6 Comments:
Ted Hoskins and Rodney Hubbard are heroes. It takes courage to stand up for what you believe. Every true civil rights leader knows that sometimes even your own people are the very ones holding back progress. Nearly all of the Black Caucus say that they support the children, yet none have proposed ANY legislation to assist parents with children in failing schools. It's African American Children that are suffering the most from these schools. I find it interesting that they can oppose this, yet offer nothing in return. They say they represent us, but how many have even asked their constituents about how they feel? Where was the town hall meeting they called on the problems with the schools and SOLUTIONS for parents? Parents should be on the school board and parents should be empowered with choices for their children. I find it also interesting that the ones that have children send theirs to private schools. The others don't have children but went to private schools themselves. That would include the two that are now chairs. Hmmm. It is ironic that they don't support any other parents having that choice.
Everyone knows that it is the unions that are keeping them from supporting the bill. The unions are afraid that if parents choose different schools, then their jobs may be on the line. The unions position is not for the children, but for their jobs. Further, over half of the union doesn't even live in the city, nor do they bring their own children to St. Louis Public Schools. The black caucus is afraid of losing support from the unions. They are too scared to stand up for our children.
Lastly, this is not about Republicans, it is about our children. It is about parents being given options in their child’s education. Education is our children’s key to future success. To force them to stay in a system that is currently failing them is equivalent to mental lynching. Guess who is holding the noose this time. Not white folks...it is our own.
4/14/2006 7:16 PM
Hoskins is one big undercover PUSSY who just got F--ked!
4/14/2006 7:28 PM
If the above comment is correct,It doesn't seem to be Hoskins that just got f__ked. It seems to be the children. Where are parents on this issue? What does the Black Caucus propose to address parents need for alternatives?
4/14/2006 8:15 PM
"anonymous" is very eloquet in her/his statement but fails to give credit where credit is due. There are currently 17 members of the Caucus and nearly all support public schools and have spent years working to create balance in funding for all spending for Pre-k thru 12 grade education in this state. This is for the benefit of all students - regardless of race, creed or national origin. If this legislation is so great why not have it apply to all districts? Ted didn't include those schools in his district. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander, but that is never the case for Republicans even those in Democrat(ic) sheeps clothing. Ted nd Rodney got what they deserved on this issue.
It is not the unions who elect State Representatives it is constituancies whithin their district and it is those folks who have told the other Caucus embers to stay the course and continue to fight for children not special interest.
The lynch mod that was organized by the Republicans and led by these two Democrats just goes to show that even on the Missouri Plantation there are still those who would do whatever Massa says to do in order to increase Massa's wealth and not to the benefit of their own community.
4/15/2006 1:58 AM
Lets take a second to look at the actual Bill for a change.
Basicaly the bill in question would give state tax credits to people that donate to private schools...
We already have a tax credit program at the federal level for giving to charitys.
Would this redundant tax credit spur any new giving to StL and KC schools, NO.
Most charitys spend 20 to 60 cents of every dollar donated to them on getting more donation. The government spends like 2-5 cents (depending on the state) on colecting taxes. This means that even less money would go to the class room.
If Hubbard and Hoskins can't see the facts from the fiction they earnd their loss of leadership positions!
4/15/2006 11:21 AM
I find it strange how in the times of my grandparents that education for blacks was higher than for whites. The Ville was the bastion of this better education with a concentrated community of people with various income levels and professions. Black doctors and lawyers lived near electricians and plumbers and all of their children attended some of the best schools in the midwest.
However, the age of my parents and today's college students has witnessed a disparity of education segregated into income groups. We buy education by where we live and by our socioeconomic backgrounds. This was not true with the 1940/1950s Ville neighborhood.
Some of the Black Caucus leaders according to the first anonymous person send their children to private schools. But where do they live? Where is the bastion of today's mixed income and mixed profession neighborhoods?
Racial divides have changed to income divides in this respect.
4/15/2006 2:48 PM
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