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Saturday, June 9, 2012

On Jeffries and Charter Schools: One Foot in, One Foot out - Bed-Stuy, NY Patch

On Jeffries and Charter Schools: One Foot in, One Foot out - Bed-Stuy, NY Patch:


On Jeffries and Charter Schools: One Foot in, One Foot out

Will his decision to turn away charter school-backed money impact the direction of your vote?
Earlier this week, campaign handlers for Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries announced that Jeffries would not be accepting fundraised money from StudentsFirstNY, an "independent expenditures" campaign – or in other words, a political action committee (PAC) – in support of the assemblyman’s run for U.S. Congress, stating that "unregulated money has no place in the political discourse."
Although this is not the first time a candidate for a political office has turned away PAC money, it does raise a few eyebrows for those watching the race. Because StudentsFirstNY backs the charter schools movement, and Jeffries also supports the growth of charter schools.
“The aspirations of parents such as yourself, who just want to find a vehicle to provide young children with the opportunity to get the best possible education … is one that I will always support, notwithstanding the consequences from those who may want to defend the status quo,” Jeffr