SPECIAL COMMENTARY

BUSH/CHENEY from page 39

GORE/LIEBERMAN on page 39

can expect the nation's public schools
to be reformed. States will be offered
freedom from federal regulations and
given local control, but as Bush
demanded in Texas, they will be held
accountable for results. Most impor-
tantly, parents will be empowered
with information and choices (includ-
ing vouchers) and performance will be
measured annually.
Today, there are 44-million Ameri-
cans without health insurance, eight
million more than in 1993. Gov.
Bush's plan will make health insurance
affordable for hard-workina low-
income families, by providing a
$2,000 refundable health credit to
allow those families to purchase their
own insurance. He will make it easier
for the small businesses of this coun-
try, which employ 60 percent of the
uninsured, to obtain lower cost insur-
ance through associations.
By putting the consumer, not the
government, in charge of health care
decisions, Gov. Bush will remove fed-
eral regulations that restrict state flexi-
bility in designing and implementing
programs for the uninsured.

that will continue America's economic
prosperity and expand it to those who
have not yet fully benefited. For exam-
ple, he will use the anticipated surplus
wisely to pay down the national debt,
and assist such priorities as education,
health care and Social Security. His tar-
geted tax cuts will aid Americans with-
out undermining our economic future.
Gore supports the separation of reli-
gion and state; specifically, he opposes
mandatory prayers in public schools. He
is an advocate of sensible gun control
measures, including banning assault
weapons, closing the gun show loop-
hole, mandatory child-safety locks, and
requiring photo-license-ID's and back-
ground checks for handgun purchasers.

In Defense

At every opportuniry, Gov. Bush has
said that a strong, capable and mod-
ern military is the foundation of the
peace we enjoy in the world today.
Our military must be better sup-
ported and respected. It must also be
challenged and transformed to
become the military of the future.
The bond of trust between the presi-
dent and the military must be
renewed as we create a military capa-
ble of meeting the challenges of the
21st Century.
Lastly, Gov. Bush believes Social
Security is a defining American
promise that must be kept. He will not
change benefits in any way for current
retirees or those near retirement. But to
save Social Security for the next gener-
ation, he will lead a bipartisan effort to
reform it by giving individuals the
option of voluntarily investing a por-
tion of their Social Security payroll
taxes in personal retirement accounts.
These accounts will earn higher rates
of return and generate wealth that can
be owned and passed on from parents
to their children.
We must look not only at the issues,
but determine which candidate can best
restore dignity and authority to the
presidency. The candidacy of George
W. Bush clearly holds the promise and
the best opportunity to take our nation
to the next level of greatness. ❑

11/3
2000

40

Women's Rights

Many voters feel comfortable that the
vice president supports a woman's
right to choose and the principles con-
tained in Roe v. Wade. But Gore's
work for women goes beyond this
issue. He was a major leader for the
Violence Against Women Act. He has
assisted women entrepreneurs and sup-
ported efforts to close the pay gap
between men and women.
Together with his wife, Tipper, he
worked to improve treatment for men-
tal illnesses and to remove the stigma
attached to these diseases. He has also
advocated additional funding for
breast cancer research.
Education is, and remains, one of
the major themes of his campaign with
an emphasis on improving our public
schools, linking all schools to the
Internet, providing adequate pre-
school opportunities and assisting peo-
ple to pay for higher education.
Gore has worked to enhance the
quality of life for senior citizens,
including expanding hospice care and
long-term care, and strengthening
Medicare and Social Security His pre-
scription-drug coverage plan fits with-
in this framework.
Unlike the governor of Texas, who
did not support a Hate Crimes Bill in
Texas even after the brutal murder of
James Byrd, Al Gore has fought for
such legislation on the federal level.
After the attack against the Jewish
community center in Los Angeles in
1999, Gore stated that "hate crimes
wound all Americans.
With three Supreme Court justices
over age 70, it is likely that the next
president will shape the Court and
federal benches across the country for
years to come. For many voters, this
alone is a sufficient reason to support
the Gore-Lieberman ticket. ❑

A Clearer View Of Vouchers

were available for all Jews with mini-
t is unfortunate that your publi-
mum tuition.
cation, which strives to be a
The school tax is a tax not only on
voice for the whole Jewish com-
parents, but also grandparents, single
munity, could take a position on
people and people without school-
schools that goes against the best
aged children. They are forced to pay
interests of our community.
for the public schools even though
The issue of vouchers for failing dis-
they may want and support
tricts (" 'No' On Vouchers,"
day schools.
Oct. 13, page 39) and teacher
For the parents of day-
testing as espoused by Propos-
school children, this is a
al 1 is a necessary correction
double and triple tax. They
for the children of our state.
pay the school tax in one
Indeed, the vast majority of
form or another and pay a
black parents in Detroit want
heavy tuition. This is taxa-
vouchers. Why do you take a
tion without representation.
position that says, in effect, "a
It is an evil system placed
poor mother must have the
upon the minority by people
RABBI CHAIM
choice to have an abortion,
who think they are the
while denying that poor
BERG STEIN
majority and deserve to be
mother the choice for her
Spec ial to
the only act in town.
child's education?"
the Jewi sh News
Since there are public
The argument that the
school who opt not to send
public schools will be
their children there, why
harmed is fallacious. No cuts
should parents be forced, by taxation,
will take place under Proposal 1 in the
to do what these teachers don't want
funding of public schools. The
for their children?
monopoly of the public schools taking
The National Education Association
taxes from all the community, even
wishes no competition from schools that
from those segments who don't want
have proven more efficient, more pro-
public schools and will never use
ductive, with better results in education.
them, is tyranny and theft. There is a
Shouldn't this be the American way? To
every-
great difference between taxing every-
reward the ones who do a better job? To
one for a road that benefits all, and
liberate the individual from paying taxes
taxing people for a system that does
for those institutions he/she wants noth-
not, and cannot, meet their needs.
ing from? To listen to the poor and
While Proposal 1 should be passed
helpless, and give their children a chance
because poor parents in great numbers
to succeed now?
want it, we in the Jewish community
Jews in America wake up! Proposal
should support it for our own preser-
1 is good for America, good for us
vation.
Jews, good for the underdog and right
for our children.

Melting Away

Jews officially came to this country in
1656. According to simple calcula-
tions of this country's population, the
number of Jews should be closer to
20-25 million than 5.5 million.
Why are Jews disappearing? Assimi-
lation! The whole purpose of public
schools is to melt away one's ethnicity.
For we Jews, it means that our chil-
dren and grandchildren will practice
another religion, not ours. Is this what
we really want?
I guarantee that if all Jewish chil-
dren went to day schools, the assimila-
tion-intermarriage rate would go
down to less than 10 percent from the
current 50 percent. There would be
20-million identifiable Jews today
with much greater political and mater-
ial clout in our affairs if day schools

Rabbi Chaim M. Bergstein is director
of Bais Menachem Academy in Oak
Park.

❑

Proposal I: A proposal to amend the
Michigan constitution would,

1. Eliminate ban on indirect support
of students attending nonpublic
schools through tuition vouchers,
credits, tax benefits, exemptions or
deductions, subsidies, grants or loans
of public monies or property.
2. Allow students to use tuition vouch-
ers to attend nonpublic schools in dis-
tricts with a graduation rate under two-
thirds in 1998-1999 and districts
approving tuition vouchers through
school board action or a public vote.
Each voucher would be limited to one-
half of the state average, per-pupil, pub-
lic-school revenue.
3. Require teacher testing on academ-
ic subjects in public schools and in
nonpublic schools accepting vouchers.
4. Adjust minimum per-pupil fimding
from 1994-1995 to 2000-2001 level.

