To the Editor:
Why would we need a federal government program to distribute “privately donated funds?'
A question on our primary ballot about whether Illinois should opt into a new federal voucher program, starts: 'Should Illinois opt into a federal program that would provide public K-12, private school, and homeschool students with privately donated funds for academic needs…' This is misleading. There are no 'privately donated funds,' instead there are tax credits that divert public tax money indirectly to private schools.
Here’s how it works: A taxpayer donates up to $1,700 to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) then their income taxes are reduced by the same amount via a tax credit. The “donation” is entirely repaid from part of the taxes the taxpayer normally pays. It costs the taxpayer nothing so it is not a “donation” and it comes out of public tax payments so it is not “private” either.
Understand that the taxpayer does NOT get a “scholarship” for their own kid, rather the SGO decides who gets this money, most of which will go to private, religious schools (minus the high overhead for the privately-run SGO).
Public schools must educate everyone, even those with special needs. Private schools don’t. Tax money should not be used for private schools.
I urge you to vote NO.
Martha Klems Macomb IL
