>>TRUMP HAS NOMINATED A WOMAN BY THE NAME OF BETSY DEVOS IS
EDUCATION SECRETARY.
SHE IS NOT A POLITICIAN, NOT ANYONE WHO HAS
HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION, HOWEVER SHE IS A
CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST AND ALSO A BILLIONAIRE GOP DONOR.
TO GIVE
YOU A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT HER THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION,
SHE IS --
>>SO LET ME DELVE INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT AND GIVE YOU THE
DETAILS ON WHAT IT MEANS TO FUND FUTURE PROGRAMS.
THE WHOLE IDEA
BEHIND VOUCHERS IS YOU GIVE PEOPLE TAXPAYER MONEY IN THE
FORM OF THESE DOUBTERS THAT THEY CAN THEN USE FOR PRIVATE
SCHOOLS, ANY PRIVATE SCHOOL OF THEIR CHOICE.
IT SOUND LIKE A
GREAT IDEA EXCEPT IT FUNNELS PUBLIC MONEY THAT SHOULD BE
GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, MANY OF WHICH
ARE RELIGIOUS.
SO THAT KIND OF DOES SOMETHING IN TERMS OF
VIOLATING THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE BECAUSE IT IS
PUBLIC MONEY GOING TO RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, BUT IT ALSO GUTS,
PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHICH OF COURSE LEADS PUBLIC EDUCATION TO
FAIL AND OF COURSE THE GOP TURNS AROUND AND SAYS LOOK AT THESE
FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LET'S SHUT THEM DOWN.
ONCE YOU
PRIVATIZE PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN'T
AFFORD TO PAY FOR GRADE SCHOOL?
THEY WILL SNATCH THOSE VOTERS AWAY, I GUARANTEE.
>>THIS IS MULTILAYERED.
BETSY DEVOS IS INTERESTING, IT IS A
VIEW INTO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
SHE IS HARD-CORE ESTABLISHMENT
REPUBLICAN, IT'S INTERESTING THAT TRUMP WENT IN THIS
DIRECTION BECAUSE HE PICKED ON JEB BUSH AND ALL THE
ESTABLISHMENT GUYS, JEB BUSH LOVES BETSY DEVOS.
THERE ARE
SOME CONSERVATIVES ANGRY SHE WAS PICKED BECAUSE SHE IS A JEB BUSH
KIND OF PERSON.
THE DEVOS FAMILY SHE MARRIED INTO HAS AN OVER $5
BILLION FORTUNE FROM AMWAY -- BY THE WAY AMWAY HAD TO PAY A $25
MILLION FINE FOR FRAUD IN CANADA, ALONE EVERYTHING ELSE,
THE GUY WHO ORIGINALLY FOUNDED IT, HER FATHER-IN-LAW, FOUGHT
THE 1982 RECESSION WHICH WAS DEVASTATING WAS A GOOD CLEANSING
PROCESS, AND THOUGHT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB, EVEN IN THE
MIDST OF THAT RECESSION, IT IS YOUR FAULT BECAUSE YOU ARE A
BUM -- THESE ARE THESE GUYS.
AND SHE COMES FROM THE PRINCE OF
FAMILY, THEY HAVE ABOUT 1.35 BILLION, IN THAT BALLPARK, THEY
RAN AUTO PARTS IN MICHIGAN.
HER BROTHER IS ERIC PRINCE, WHO RAN
BLACKWATER.
WHAT DO THEY WANT, AND WHY DOES SHE GET THIS JOB?
HERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT THIS FAMILY IN PARTICULAR WANTS.
ONE,
LOWER TAXES.
IF I HAVE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, ANY CHANGE IN THE
TAX CODE IS WORTH MAYBE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO ME.
LOWER MY
TAXES 1%, AS A FAMILY, THE DEVOSES AND PRINCES WILL SAVE
TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
INCREASE THEM BY 2%, THEY'VE
LOST UNTOLD AMOUNTS OF MONEY.
"LOST," IN THEIR MIND.
SO FOR
THEM THEY CAN'T SPEND ENOUGH IN POLITICS BECAUSE ANY CHANGE IN
THE TAX CODE MAKES IT WORTHWHILE FOR THEM.
NUMBER TWO, THEY WANT
TO DESTROY THE UNIONS.
THIS SAME FAMILY HAS GIVEN MONEY TO THE
FIGHT AGAINST UNIONS IN WISCONSIN.
AND THEY HAVE TRIED
TO DESTROY UNIONS IN MICHIGAN AND OTHER INITIATIVES.
WHAT DOES
THAT HAVE TO DO WITH VOTERS, AND SHE IS SECRETARY OF EDUCATION?
THE MORE YOU TAKE AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE WEAKER THE
TEACHERS UNION IS.
IT IS A TWOFER.
YOU HIT UNIONS, WHICH
YOU DON'T WANT TO AFFECT YOUR BUSINESSES IN OTHER PARTS OF
YOUR EMPIRE, AND NUMBER TWO, UNIONS GIVE MONEY TO DEMOCRATS,
AND IF YOU ELIMINATE THAT THEN THE REPUBLICANS GET STRONGER AND
YOU GET LOWER TAXES, LESS REGULATION, ETC.
AND NUMBER
THREE IS, SHE IS QUITE RELIGIOUS.
TO TAKE WHATEVER
MONEY YOU CAN GET FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS, GET OTHER THINGS
ACCOMPLISHED, PLUS FUNNEL THAT MONEY TO YOUR FAVORITE RELIGIOUS
SCHOOLS WHERE THEY BRAINWASH PEOPLE INTO NOT THE AMERICAN
WAY, WHERE WE SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE, BUT THE UN-AMERICAN
THING OF, NO, RELIGION SHOULD RULE US ALL AND IT SHOULD BE ONE
RELIGION.
NOT JUDAISM OR ISLAM OR BUDDHISM OR ANY OF THAT --
CHRISTIANITY NEEDS TO RULE US ALL, LET'S FUNNEL MILLIONS INTO
THAT DIRECTION.
BOOM, BOOM.
THEY CHECK ALL THOSE BOXES WITH
THE VOUCHER PROGRAM.
SO WHY DID TRUMP GO IN AND ESTABLISHMENT
DIRECTION?
APPARENTLY JERRY FALWELL, JR.
CLAIMS HE OFFERED
IT TO HIM, LET ME GIVE IT TO A RELIGIOUS NUT JOB, THAT DIDN'T
WORK, BUT LET ME GIVE IT TO A PERSON WHO IS SUPER RELIGIOUS
AND WILL GUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THEY GIVE A LOT OF MONEY TO
REPUBLICANS, THAT'S WHY HE DID IT.
HE IS NOT DRAINING THE SWAMP, HE IS THE SWAMP.
>>SHE AND HER FAMILY HAVE DONATED A TON OF MONEY TO
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS, A TON OF MONEY DURING THIS PAST ELECTION
CYCLE, 2.7 MILLION.
THE WAY YOU LAID IT OUT IS PERFECT, IT'S AN
ATTEMPT TO LOWER TAXES SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR PUBLIC
EDUCATION ANYMORE, AND ATTEMPT TO GET RID OF THE UNIONS, NOW
SHE HAS ALL THIS INFLUENCE AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS
FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN CHILDREN, BECAUSE PUBLIC
EDUCATION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE WAY TO EQUALIZE EVERYONE
REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, BUT IF YOU COME FROM A
POOR FAMILY HOW WILL YOU AFFORD GRADE SCHOOL FOR YOUR KIDS?
ALSO
THINK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH COLLEGE EDUCATION IN THE
COUNTRY, WE ARE 1.3 TRILLION IN DEBT BECAUSE THERE ARE KNOW
PRICE CAPS OR REGULATION IN TERMS OF LOWERING TUITION AND
MAKING SURE KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE EDUCATION.
SO YOU ADD
GRADE SCHOOL TO THAT MESS AND MAKE PEOPLE PAY FOR IT, IT WILL
BE A DISASTER.
LET'S GET TO THE NUMBERS, HOW MUCH MONEY THE
DEVOS FAMILY HAS SPENT LOBBYING AGAINST PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND
INFLUENCING ELECTIONS --
>>AS A RESULT OF THAT, DEVOS WAS THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE
MICHIGAN GOP FROM 1996 TO 2000, SIMPLY FROM DONATING A TON OF
MONEY.
THAT MAKES HER POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL.
AND --
>>I DO DECLARE, THEY ALSO GIVE TO THE ARTS.
>>ONE OF THE CORPORATIONS DOES INVEST HEAVILY IN RENEWABLE
ENERGY.
I WANT TO MENTION THAT, FULL DISCLOSURE, NOT EVERYTHING
IS TERRIBLE, THAT'S ONE GOOD THING, BUT OVERALL THEY ARE
TRYING TO DESTROY PUBLIC EDUCATION, THERE IS a ABOUT IT.
ALSO --
>>RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK, IN THE UNITED STATES THERE ARE
ABOUT 400,000 CHILDREN IN 29 STATES GOING TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS
WITH THE HELP OF PUBLIC DOLLARS.
AGAIN, THIS IS PUBLIC MONEY THAT
GOES TOWARD SCHOOLS THAT IN MANY CASES ARE RELIGIOUS, AND THE
BIGGEST ISSUE IS THERE IS A LACK OF OVERSIGHT AND A LACK OF
REGULATION.
REPUBLICANS HATE REGULATION, A LOT OF PUBLIC
SCHOOLS -- ACTUALLY EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL -- HAS TO FOLLOW
REGULATIONS WHETHER IT IS ESTATE OR PUBLIC, AND THEY CAN'T STAND
IT.
IF THERE IS LACK OF OVERSIGHT YOU HAVE TEACHERS THAT
CAN TEACH WHATEVER THEY WANT, NON-SCIENCE-BASED GARBAGE.
>>FINAL BIT OF FACTS FOR YOU GUYS, THE AMERICAN FEDERATION
FOR CHILDREN, THAT SOUNDED SO GOOD.
YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE THEY'VE
GIVEN MONEY TO?
GIVEN MONEY TO WISCONSIN REPUBLICANS TO BUST
UNIONS.
WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH CHILDREN?
NOT THE TEACHERS UNION, MEMBER THE PUBLIC UNIONS IN WISCONSIN
AND THAT WHOLE FIGHT AND THE RECALL ELECTIONS?
ALL OF A
SUDDEN PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT CHILDREN ARE HELPING REPUBLICANS
BUST PUBLIC UNIONS IN WISCONSIN.
HMM.
PERHAPS IT ISN'T ABOUT THE
CHILDREN AT ALL.
ON ANOTHER ISSUE THEY SPENT MONEY IN
MICHIGAN, WHAT THEY DID ORIGINALLY WAS THEY PUT IT UP AS
BALLOT MEASURES AND THEY FOUND OUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T
LIKE THEM.
IN MICHIGAN THEY WOULD LOSE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO THEY ARE LIKE, BALLOT MEASURES, BAD IDEA.
WE TRIED TO
BUY OFF THE ELECTION AND IT DIDN'T WORK, BETTER IDEA, LET'S
BUY OFF THE POLITICIANS.
>>WE HAVE A GRAPHIC FOR IT, THEY --
>>LET ME EXPLAIN THAT.
WHAT DID THEY SPEND $25,000 A DAY TO
BRIBE MICHIGAN OFFICIALS FOR?
THEY DIDN'T WANT THE CHARTER
SCHOOLS REGULATED.
DON'T YOU WANT THE CHARTER SCHOOLS TO BE
GREAT?
NO, THEY DON'T.
BECAUSE THAT IS PRIVATE BUSINESS.
SO
HOWEVER THEY WANT TO RUN THAT SCAM IS FINE, IT TURNS OUT WHEN
YOU LOOK INTO IT, CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MICHIGAN PERFORM
WORSE THAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
LET ME REPEAT THAT -- CHARTER
SCHOOLS PERFORM WORSE IN MICHIGAN AFTER ALL THAT THAN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO.
>>LET'S GO LOOK AT THE DATA --
>>LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS GRAPH FROM STANFORD UNIVERSITY,
THEY DID THEIR OWN RESEARCH INTO THE PRIVATIZATION OF SCHOOLS IN
MICHIGAN AND ALSO CHARTER SCHOOLS, THEY FOUND THAT THEY
ARE NOT PERFORMING VERY WELL.
WHEN IT COMES TO READING AND
MATH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPH IN THE MIDDLE, 18% DO NOT SHOW
POSITIVE GROWTH, 28% DO NOT SHOW POSITIVE GROWTH --
>>18% IN READING, 28% IN MATH.
THEY ARE UNDERPERFORMING PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE DATA YOURSELF, IF YOU GOT A
CHARTER SCHOOL EDUCATION YOU WILL PROBABLY STRUGGLE WITH IT.
BUT MICHIGAN, BECAUSE OF THE DEVOSES ALONE, HAVE DONE THE
MOST EXPERIMENTATION WITH CHARTER SCHOOLS.
THEY'VE GIVEN
IT MANY CHANCES, THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT ALLOWED TO REGULATE IT,
THEY GOT EVERYTHING THEY WANTED AND IT STILL SUCKS.
IT ISN'T
ABOUT A BETTER EDUCATION, IT'S ABOUT ALL THOSE OTHER
PRIORITIES.
>>ONE OTHER THING I HAVE TO ADD -- RIGHT NOW MICHIGAN TAXPAYERS
ARE SPENDING $1 BILLION ON THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHICH AS YOU
CAN SEE FROM THE DATA HAVE BEEN FAILING THEIR STUDENTS.
[BUFFERING]
>>SCHOOLS CAN DO WHAT THEY WISH WITH THE MONEY, SO RESEARCH INTO
THAT HAS FOUND A LOT OF WRONGDOING --
>>THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS THAT COME ALONG WITH
PRIVATIZING EDUCATION.
NOT ONLY DOES IT MAKE IT UNOBTAINABLE FOR
THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT, IT ALSO LEADS TO A
LESS EFFECTIVE EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS A DISASTER
AND I GUESS WE WILL SEE
WHAT HAPPENS.
>>ONE LESS THING.
BETSY DEVOS, BACK IN 1997, WHEN ASKED ABOUT
ALL THE MONEY THEY GIVE TO REPUBLICANS, EVEN BACK THEN,
THAT WAS PRE-CITIZENS UNITED, THEY WERE SHOVELING MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS INTO REPUBLICAN COFFERS, SHE SAID --
>>SO LIMITED GOVERNMENT MEANS LOWER TAXES, TRADITIONAL
AMERICAN VALUES IS A CODE WORD FOR RELIGION.
SO YES, I GIVE YOU
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, YOU GIVE ME LOWER TAXES, LESS REGULATION,
AND MORE CHRISTIANITY SHOVED DOWN EVERYONE ELSE'S THROAT.
I
EXPECT A RETURN ON MY INVESTMENT, AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
THANKS TO DONALD J. TRUMP, SHE JUST GOT IT.
SHE IS SECRETARY OF
EDUCATION, IN CHARGE OF EDUCATION FOR ALL OF
YOUR KIDS.