California Assemblyman Ted Gaines claims he is a conservative.  We have already established that he is a liberal.  He accepts $35,000 a year of per diem because he claims it is a sacrifice to drive 20 miles down Interstate 80 to the state capital.  Those are our tax dollars Mr. Gaines is using because he claims he is making a sacrifice to serve as our California Assemblyman.  Maybe Mr. Gaines should drive those 20 miles on the highway out of Baghdad?  I forgot Mr. Gaines probably couldn’t even spell the word “sacrifice.”

Mr. Gaines claims he is a conservative when it comes to education.  Lets me set the record straight.  Ted Gaines is a liberal when it comes to educating your children.  Do not let him fool you.  If you speak with any conservative or moderate Republican, they will tell you that parents should have as many options as possible when deciding which school to send their children to.  I believe the Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) is the largest school district in Mr. Gaines district.  The district has approximately 9,000 students.  The Rocklin Academy is a public charter school that is housed in a RUSD elementary school campus.  Rocklin Academy has the highest test scores in Placer County and the 3 surrounding counties.  Their test scores are one of the highest in the entire state.  It is a well-known fact that the RUSD Board of Trustees opposes charter schools.  The school board has a majority of Republicans.  However, they are the ones most opposed to charter schools.  Ted Gaines made it possible for the Rocklin School Board to limit parent’s right to send their children to the Rocklin Academy. 

During the 2006 campaign Ted Gaines helped 3 Rocklin School Board candidates (2 are Republicans) in their campaign to limit school choice in Rocklin.  Mr. Gaines was proud to use approximately $15,000 in teacher union donations to get these 3 people elected.  With the help of Ted Gaines, the Rocklin Academy was forced to sign a 10-year agreement with RUSD that places limits on the number of Rocklin children able to attend the Rocklin Academy.  There are hundreds of families that are on a waiting list to get into the school.  There are hundreds more that have not put their name on the waiting list because they know they will not get into the school.  This agreement (made possible by the liberal Ted Gaines) mandates that 20% of the enrollment at Rocklin Academy must come from outside Rocklin.  That means over 100 children from outside Rocklin are sitting in classrooms, while Rocklin children are turned away and while Rocklin parents pay taxes that are used specifically to build elementary schools in Rocklin.  We have Ted Gaines to thank for making this agreement possible. 

Why is Ted Gaines not condemning the Rocklin School Board for this unfair agreement with the Rocklin Academy?  The reason is Ted Gaines wants to limit the choice of Rocklin parents to send their children to one of the best elementary schools in the state of California.  His is on the side of the teacher’s union.  The California Teacher’s Association does not support charter schools.  On election night, Ted and his chief of staff celebrated the election of the anti-charter school Republicans to the Rocklin School Board. 

There is another charter school that is trying to find a home in South Placer County.  The Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, a 7 – 12 public school of choice, thought Rocklin may be a good home.  The Rocklin School Board that Ted Gaines helped put into office said not in our town.  Why would anyone that is involved in educating children not provide another option for educating children?  The RUSD even has the space to house this school.  Liberals such as Ted Gaines and the majority of the Rocklin School Board hide under the Republican umbrella but are really liberals when it comes to educating your children.  Will Ted Gaines use his influence to stop this charter school from opening?  We hope not.  Maybe Ted Gaines pulls a John Kerry.  First I was against charter schools then I was for charter schools.  In this case it would be a good flip-flop. 

Remember, Ted only commits to issues when it is good for Ted Gaines.  Just like the per diem.  Ted supports the per diem because it goes straight into his wallet.  Remember, Ted will turn on his best friends if he thinks it makes himself look good.  Just ask Congressman Doolittle.

How can we even think of sending Ted Gaines to Washington?  I agree with Congressman Doolittle’s description of Ted Gaines.  He called him a weasel in the September 8^th edition of the Sacramento Bee.  We already saw what Ted Gaines did to the people of Rocklin when it comes to school choice.  He helped eliminate it.  Do we want him to make educational decisions for the entire country? 

Lets keep our liberal assemblyman, who calls himself a Republican, out of Washington.  Only 14 months until we can get rid of this “weasel.”