dave-larson
Municipal Judge David Larson

Gates is so blinded by his desire to have charter schools in our state that he doesn’t seem to be concerned with the qualifications of an individual who will potentially participate in setting policy affecting education in in his home state.

The Washington State Supreme Court made the decision that charter schools are unconstitutional in Washington State but Mr. Gates and others are determined to privatize the state’s public school system by any means.

Supreme Court Judge Charles Wiggins is one of the judges who decided in favor of the plaintiffs who challenged the constitutionality of charter schools in Washington State.

Bill Gates, Paul Allen along with Steve and Connie Ballmer, all major contributors to the charter school campaign, Initiative 1240, have contributed over $500,000 as of last week to the Political Action Committee (PAC) called Citizens for Working Courts Enterprise Washington to defeat Judge Wiggins.

Michael Davis, president of Enterprise Washington, the pro-business group behind the PAC, thinks that the court has “become too activist in their decisions”.

Supreme Court Justice Wiggins is being outspent at about 20:1.

The Seattle Times endorsed Larson but what else would you expect? Bill Gates paid for the Seattle Times Education Lab section and they have become Gates’ mouthpiece.

So who is Municipal Judge David Larson?

According to the Seattle Times, Larson is very concerned with education so much so that he ran for school board in Federal Way.

While on the school board he made a decision that impacted the school district, and not in a good way.

Here are the details.

From the Seattle PI article Federal Way schools restrict Gore film: ‘Inconvenient Truth’ called too controversial:

After a parent who supports the teaching of creationism and opposes sex education complained about the film (An Inconvenient Truth), the Federal Way School Board on Tuesday placed what it labeled a moratorium on showing the film. The movie consists largely of a computer presentation by former Vice President Al Gore recounting scientists’ findings.

“Condoms don’t belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He’s not a schoolteacher,” said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. “The information that’s being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. … The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn’t in the DVD.”

And who got the ball rolling on the school board’s decision?

Hardison’s e-mail to the School Board prompted board member David Larson to propose the moratorium Tuesday night.

In Orwellian doublespeak, when asked why he would prevent the movie from being shown Larson stated:

“Somebody could say you’re killing free speech, and my retort to them would be we’re encouraging free speech,” said Larson, a lawyer. “The beauty of our society is we allow debate.”

So much for science.

And the “compromise”?:

School Board members adopted a three-point policy that says teachers who want to show the movie must ensure that a “credible, legitimate opposing view will be presented,” that they must get the OK of the principal and the superintendent, and that any teachers who have shown the film must now present an “opposing view.”

I’d love to hear the scientific reasoning represented as the opposing viewpoint to climate change.

Is Gates really this desperate?

Dora Taylor

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