Welfare Mommies

Conjures a potent image, eh? Makes you think of some pregnant ne'er do well surrounded by four other kids including a pregnant teenage daughter. A woman with no visible means of support 'cepting Unca Sam yet sporting the kind of manicure that make you wonder how she can even use that smart phone.

Now imagine how pissed you'd be to learn that only those who receive this welfare are afforded the opportunity to vote on matters concerning the operation of the program from which they benefit. In effect you only pay the bills but you don't actually get a vote. Pretty pissed you betcha.

When you consider that public education costs around $10K per student per year then that family of five or six down the block is as much on the dole as your imaginary welfare queen. And the bit about disenfranchising mere payers into the system? Well, that's happening. Right here in DeKalb.

Recently a group of parents came together to vote in favour of establishing a charter cluster. Several things made this interesting including the fifty percent plus one majority required to go forward. But that was just counting votes.

What is more interesting is how votes were apportioned. As this vote was structured the parents were merely "trustees" of their children's vote. And only for those children who could attend a school in the cluster even if they are not currently attending. So, a parent with four children eligible to attend get's four votes. Those with children in college, under age or simply blessed with bareness get no vote. Notta.

Some are calling this a "Mommie Brigade". We'll just call it the largest entitlement program in America.