What it was for school choice in Georgia. A good start to be sure, but there is work to be done. Thursday, the House passed HB 881, a bill that would create a state-level alternate authorize for charter school, by an overwhelming 120-48 count. This was a bipartisan effort and the debate really underscored the desire of legislators to do the right thing on one hand, and some to fully entrench the power of school boards and educrats on the other.

Change is needed and that is the bottom line. I won’t bore you with statistics, but in Georgia, public education generally sucks. Even where schools do measure up to standards, the bar is so incredibly low that many high school grads cannot compete against other American kids, let alone those from abroad. Unfortunately, reform is 15 years from implementation by many accounts. Charter schools are a viable, proven alternative to traditional public schools. Critics call for more funding, better teachers, but at what cost and when? Why should we sacrifice a generation of children to the alter of the bureaucrat? Charter schools are an interim solution, one that can sustain us until we can get meaningful reforms. To reject them if qualified betrays not only the taxpayers that are supposedly represented, but it betrays our children who deserve better than to be educated based on where they live.

Choice is needed. Charter schools are public school choice. Isn’t it odd that the same liberals that call for us to come in line with the rest of the world on issues of defense, trade, and the global income redistribution scheme that is global warming but ignore the rest of the world on issues of education, healthcare and taxation?

Regarding healthcare, liberals the government to control access to plans and heavily regulate medicine, pharma, and insurance. However, the British, who have had a heavily socialized system of healthcare for half a century are beginning to seek privatization of services. The same goes for the Canadians, who routinely come to the US and pay out of pockets for life-saving services that may take weeks to be administered at their neighborhood hospital.

As for taxation, we are nearly the only Western nation left that has a graduated income tax and our liberal friends are calling for a steeper graduation. Obviously 1% of the population paying over 35% of taxes just isn’t enough. The most other nations have a flat tax that is truly equal. And by the way, a graduated income tax is tenant #2 of the Communist Manifesto.

Finally, we come to education. Go take a look at Sweden, my conformist liberal friends. The Swedes are in the early years of implementing a fully private education system. It is vouchers for everybody and their achievement, along with their neighbors the Fins, is among the highest in the industrialized world. Oh yeah, “free” public education, tenant # 10 of the Communist Manifesto. You won’t find that little fact at a campaign rally, will you?

Choice breeds excellence. Choice breeds innovation. Choice breeds achievement. Take a look at public schools before charter schools entering the market and after. Look at the postal service in the post-UPS world. Compare the USSR and US during the Cold War.

In Georgia, we have a chance to better the lives of our children and make this state a better place to live by giving parents more options in education. Don’t stop this progress. Be part of the solution, not the problem. For once, be anti-establishment on an issue. Support public school choice. Support HB 881.