Sam Gibbons: “I do not recall precisely what I was doing July 21, but I do recall that I was not celebrating the passage of the…”

“I do not recall precisely what I was doing July 21, but I do recall that I was not celebrating the passage of the Education Savings Accounts, a middle-class and low-income initiative that would have given millions of parents hope, hope for their children's future that they do not now have. I did not celebrate because President Clinton vetoed that legislation on July 21. And the only people who were celebrating that day were here in Washington D.C. That is right, the Washington bureaucrats and the special interests who were responsible for the failed schools in the first place, who were responsible for the need for this legislation, they were celebrating already. They rejoiced in their ability to avoid real reform for one more year. Schools which are laden with education malpractice will continue to avoid accountability. Children who graduate from these schools lacking even a basic competency in math and reading will continue to hold back any nation that is leading the world in science, technology, and innovation. Yes, for the special interests and Washington bureaucrats, it was a time to celebrate. But for the children whose lives are clouded by the lack of hope, it is a sad day indeed.”