[Twodees]

Enough with the food stamp argument. A voucher system designed and approved by politicians is so unlikely to be anything like what you're describing as to be laughable.

There is simply no way in hell that any politician is going to relinquish a dime he's extorted without gaining more control in return. Do you envision vouchers as a simple break in taxes in the amount paid by a parent in tuition? Do you envision it as a food stamp redeemable at any private school in the range of travel of a family?

What is almost a dead certainty is that politicians envision vouchers as a food stamp redeemable only where they say in advance. Politicians will see to it that any private school accepting vouchers as payment for tuition will be subject to every lunatic union regulation and court ruling that public schools are subject to.

Surely you don't think that politicians have all suddenly become saints, or even normal human beings, do you?

[Austin Willard Wright]

You are talking to someone who is an ally....though not 100 percent convinced. I am very suspicious of vouchers and am imclined to oppose them for the reasons you give.

Having said that, *all* of your arguments *at least in theory* would apply equally to foodstamps yet the logical conclusion you make (e.g. government will take control of producers) did not happen in that case. For this reason, this apparent pitfall in the anti-voucher argument deserves to be taken seriously. It also deserve an explanation by opponents of vouchers....especially since serious voucher advocates, such as Friedman, make this comparison and draw conclusions from it.