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That Nagging Democracy Fiddle-Faddle

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Daniel Ruth

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 6, 2008

It would seem since he left office that former Gov. Jeb Bush has been on a parallel universe tour rivaling Marlon Brando's Col. Kurtz in "Apocalypse Now."

Writing in these esteemed pages a few days ago, the Little Lord Fauntleroy of Florida whined over the prospect of a constitutional amendment that would return the office of state education commissioner from an appointed post to an elected Cabinet position.

No surprise there. Bush has always had a problem with prickly, irritating things like, oh, democracy leaps to mind. It's a genetic thing.

The former junta leader argued against allowing the citizenry to decide for itself who should oversee the state's educational system, noting: "Instead of career professionals with real experience administrating schools, the powerful position would attract applicants who can pay the campaign filing fees.

"Once again, many of the candidates would be products of special-interest groups and teachers unions that eschew innovation."

A Politician!!!!

Isn't that precious?

A pol who was more bought and paid for than a Dale Mabry hooker by all manner of powerful corporate special interests - banking, real estate development, cement companies - is fretting the job of an elected education commissioner might actually be filled by (Egad!) a politician!

Indeed, former education commissioners, including Betty Castor, the late Doug Jamerson and Charlie Crist were astute politicians, who also oversaw the state's education system.

By Bush's reckoning, if we're going get all weak-kneed at the prospect of an elected official running a state office, the governor then alone would appoint the attorney general, the chief financial officer and the agriculture commissioner.

Levers Of Power

Does anybody really want that? Does anybody really want a Jeb Bush, who governed the state as if it were an extension of Skull & Bones, regarding open records laws as if they had cooties, deciding alone who should have their hands on the levers of power?

During the Bush reign, the governor used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test as a weapon against schools.

And he ham-handedly attempted to impose a school voucher system, until it was deemed to be unconstitutional.

But nothing demonstrated the former governor was more delusional than Rudolph Hess parachuting into Scotland than his continued insistence: "We have dramatically improved education in Florida. Why jeopardize our progress and risk returning to the dismal results of the past?"

Bush left behind a public school system ranked between 48th and 50th in graduation rates. Only 55 percent of high school students earned their diplomas on time.

Even his brother's Department of Education noted 72 percent of Florida's students failed to meet national academic standards. Gee, Jeb, that appointed educational commissioner did a bang-up job.

Yet Jeb Bush persists in hyping himself as an expert on education. Either this guy is more insane than Ezra Pound, or he's the Elmer Gantry of the Three R's.

Or both.

Keyword: Book of Ruth to read and comment on Daniel Ruth's blog.

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