A Republican state senator wants Georgia to become the first state in the nation to offer vouchers to all school children.

Eric Johnson of Savannah introduced legislation on Monday that would allow parents to use roughly $5,000 in state tax dollars to send their child to any public or private school in the state willing to accept the student.

I can agree with the sentiment that in this time of so much economic belt tightening that this may not be the best time to propose such a massive piece of legislation, but the other side of me wants to watch the liberals impale themselves on the gate of the state capitol fighting this measure.

It has always struck me as hypocritical those on the right who always proclaim to all who will listen that they are for the little people, but when something like comes down the road, which challenges one of their biggest special interest groups, the teachers union, they howl at the top of their lungs.

The truth for liberals is this isn't about children getting a better education, or at least the chance at a better education, it is all about teachers keeping the power they wield. 

In Georgia they wield a lot of power too. The teachers union is the reason we got our first Republican governor since Reconstruction. The governor at the time, Roy Barnes, had dared to take on the teachers and was crafting legislation to make them accountable and to make it easier to get rid of under performing teachers. They effectively ruined his reelection bid.

This is the real reason government school teachers oppose school vouchers.

In Milwaukee, which has the oldest voucher programs in the country, more than 20,000 students are now using vouchers to attend private schools, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction said. The shift has helped contribute to plummeting enrollment and school officials have been forced to close some buildings and seek new ways of attracting students.

In regards to Milwaukee that is not the worst part of the story. Tucked away inside the Porkulus bill in congress is a portion to give them $204 million for the school system. Money they don't need!

The construction money is part of $19.4 million in total additional aid for the district over the next two years. It's the second highest total amount of aid among all districts in the state, but is a paltry sum compared to the Milwaukee Public School System's $204 million, including $88.6 million for new construction.

The Journal-Sentinel reports MPS would get 28 percent of the stimulus dollars set aside for education in Wisconsin, despite having no plans for new construction and 15 vacant school buildings.

Anyway back to Georgia. I applaud Sen Johnson's efforts, and I look forward to the debate.