Rep. Andrew Brenner calls public education "Socialism"

[theHandpuppet]

And people actually voted for this whackjob?

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/03/19/legislators-school-views-rankle-some.html
Powell legislator stirs controversy over views on public schools
By Jim Siegel The Columbus Dispatch • Wednesday March 19, 2014 7:43 AM

Two weeks after calling public education “socialism” and saying it should be privatized, state Rep. Andrew Brenner said of those criticizing him with vulgarities: “I’m guessing those people had a public education.”

The Powell Republican and vice chairman of the House Education Committee wrote another column this week on his wife’s website, Brenner Brief News, criticizing those who took issue with his previous column.

“Many of the comments I cannot repeat due to the crude language involved, and many of those comments were deleted due to vulgarity,” he wrote on Monday. “I’m guessing those people had a public education — common core may have even been involved.”

That comment drew a rebuke yesterday from House Speaker William G. Batchelder, R-Medina, who was hoping that Brenner incorrectly phrased his remark.... MORE

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Just because idiots on the right think 'socialism' is a dirty word

doesn't actually make it one.

Government should run endeavours that are meant to benefit the public. You can't have two 'main' masters, and private companies exist primarily to benefit individuals, aka shareholders. But the education of our children is meant to be a public good, and falls under 'the General Welfare'. Not only should schools not be privatized, there shouldn't exist 'for-profit' prisons, that incentivize legislation to lock up ever greater numbers of citizens. Republicans always want to privatize everything, even when it creates dangers for the public, such as occur when they try to privatize fire companies, and only respond to fires on the properties of 'subscribers'.

Like bullets fired from guns, fires have a tendency to keep going after they've left one property, and do damage on other properties.

[madinmaryland]

2. madinmaryland calls Andrew Brenner a "total asshole".

[shenmue]

3. I second the motion!

[daybranch]

4. Please oh please , keep talking

Republicans have criticized democrats for being elitists and to often they were true. But nothing compares to the arrogant elitism of republicans spouting I am better than you and that is good. They will be hit hard for their arrogance. While we recognize their arrogance is to salve their egos for the guilt of betraying the citizens of Ohio, with Gerrymandering, unfair tax burdens, and lack of compassion for the sick and the poor, we will not forget and chief among these is the stealing of the power of our votes. Right now they try to turn our attentions towards myriad battles they construct to deplete our strength but we do not forget that their power in Ohio can be changed by a referendum on Gerrymandering.
I really do not care whether one calls himself a Republican or Democrat, I believe that anyone who supports taking away the peoples right to representational democracy through Gerrymandering is trying to subvert our US Constitution. Today we have 12 Republicans in the US House of Representatives and only 4 Democrats even though our voters voted for each of those parties in about the same number. This what Gerrymandering can achieve.
But even more shocking than what it can achieve in terms of the number of Representatives is what behaviors it enabled. When elections are Gerrymandered , officials are no longer accountable to the voters. They are thus free to take bribes, gifts, donations , as they wish without effective interference from the voters. This corruption is the essential reason for Gerrymandering. Any that say different are ignorant or lying.
In Ohio we are fighting back. A first step in doing this is identifying those who stand with the people and pledge to work against Gerrymandering. Please take a step to bring Democracy back to Ohio by pledging effort on our MoveOn petition. Remember where ever you serve Democracy , you serve it everywhere. The link is http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/gerrymandering-in-ohio?source=c.fwd&r_by=99591
Anyone can help, no matter their age, their locations or their circumstances. Please pledge to help us. We urgently need you to do this.

[Springslips]

5. Brenner received a bad education.

I am tired of hearing the concept of socialism misued.

Just because something is public, government run, does not mean it is socialist. For something to be socialist it has to be a government sponsor monopoly. The US Post Office and public schools are not socialist because there are private parcel companies and private schools that are allowed and do exist.

The private school he went to ripped him off.