Posted on 02/08/2006 2:38:03 PM PST by jamesissmall218
BOSTON - Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey on Wednesday announced her bid to become the state's first elected woman governor, pledging to fight for lower taxes and education reform.
In a speech to supporters, the Republican pledged to "stand up to the tax-and-spend attitude of the Democratic Legislature." She also said she would push to raise the legal age a young person can leave high school from 16 to 18.
"To allow 16-year-olds to end their education is to sentence them to a life of disappointment, poverty or even jail," she said.
Healey, 45, is looking to take over from Mitt Romney, who announced late last year that he would not run for re-election, in part to mull a possible presidential run in 2008.
Democrats in the race include Attorney General Thomas Reilly and Deval Patrick, chief of civil rights for the Justice Department during the Clinton administration.
One possible GOP challenger for Healey is former Massachusetts Turnpike Board member Christy Mihos, who has not yet decided whether to run as a Republican or an independent.
Healey would be the second woman to hold the office. Jane Swift, lieutenant governor at the time, took over for Paul Cellucci in 2001 but decided against running to make way for Romney.
Recall, Ms. Healey, the old adage: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
Forcing someone who doesn't want to be there to attend school for two more years -- especially a gummint school -- seems of highly dubious benefit to the students and taxpayers. Is this what passes for conservatism in Massachusetts?
Great! Then all the kids who want to be in school can be beaten and robbed by the kids who wanted to drop out two years ago. After having seen academic oriented seniors, they are so sick of public school by the end, they would drop out if it did not mercifully conclude.
I loved Newt's idea of releasing all the kids at 16 to go on to junior college or tech. school. That was one of his best ideas.
Liberal government of Ontario is attempt the same thing.
They are tieing school attendance to the granting of a drivers license
and using US states as a model...
"Such a policy would be consistent with many American states that have imposed driving restrictions and/or sanctions on youth not registered in an approved learning environment. Currently, nine American states require attendance at school to receive a driver's license (Alabama, Rhode Island, Georgia, South Carolina, Idaho, Texas, Indiana, West Virginia and North Carolina), and five additional states have attendance and performance standards (Illinois, Tennessee, Mississippi, Virginia and Oklahoma). Ten states suspend licenses for truancy and/or academic problems (Arkansas, Louisiana, California, New Mexico, Delaware, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky and Wisconsin)."
link
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