You Can Do Better, Mr. Pepper

by: deciminyan

Sun Dec 18, 2011 at 08:39:33 PM EST

"We Can Do Better New Jersey" is a shadow organization that promotes school vouchers. Its web site gives no information about who funds it, nor does it list any of its principals. It refers to its founders as "various educational and philanthropic groups and individuals."

There's little doubt that the dollars behind this group come from those for-profit businesses that will benefit from the passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Act and the funneling of taxpayer money to their coffers.

Like many advocacy groups, "We Can Do Better New Jersey" also has a Facebook page. It appears to be run by one Dominic Pepper. But it is clear that he is not interested in any debate on vouchers based on factual discussions.

Recently, I posted my opinion on WCDBNJ's Facebook page (see below). Within minutes, my post was removed and I was permanently banned from the group. Several other pro-education advocates posted similar messages and were also banned within minutes.

deciminyan :: You Can Do Better, Mr. Pepper

I have to say that Mr. Pepper is very efficient. My posts on Governor Christie's page (also fact-based and not disparaging) usually stay there for several hours before they are removed, and (so far), I've not been banned from the Governor's taxpayer-funded on-line presence.

And while I've been banned from his Facebook page, Mr. Pepper is welcome to post on mine (and has).

WCDBNJ has every right to run its Facebook page as it pleases. But the fact that the organization is not interested in civil discourse about vouchers is troubling. Perhaps it is worried that those pesky facts will get in the way.

When asked about the impact on those school districts which must send voucher money out of their systems, Mr. Pepper cited a report from the Office of Legislative Services stating that the OSA would not impact the districts financially. My request to Mr. Pepper for a copy of the OLS report went unanswered, but other pro-education advocates posted a link on my Facebook page that showed Mr. Pepper's assertion to be absolutely false.

It's a shame that Mr. Pepper and his organization are afraid to debate the issue. I am sending a link to this post to Mr. Pepper, and challenge him to refute the facts about charter schools and vouchers that were meticulously researched and documented by Jersey Jazzman here. If there's no response, I will assume that Mr. Pepper simply cannot debunk the myths that organizations like his are promulgating.

Debates are based on factual arguments. Mr. Pepper is afraid to engage in debate simply because facts are not on his side. New Jersey should follow the lead of Pennsylvania and we should maintain and improve our public education by rejecting OSA and vouchers. And Mr. Pepper should not ban pro-education advocates from the discussion.

Cross-Posted from deciminyan.org

Tags: We Can Do Better New Jersey, OSA, Opportunity Scholarship Act, featured, Jersey Jazzman, Deciminyan, Vouchers, charter schools, Dominic Pepper, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

You Can Do Better, Mr. Pepper | 4 comments

Whois Information (4.00 / 1)

It might shed some light to know that the domain is registered to the following:

Domain ID:D161009708-LROR
Domain Name:WECANDOBETTERNEWJERSEY.ORG
Created On:21-Dec-2010 14:58:17 UTC
Last Updated On:20-Feb-2011 03:51:11 UTC
Expiration Date:21-Dec-2012 14:58:17 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:eNom, Inc. (R39-LROR)
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:57046a490ad
Registrant Name:Christine Healey
Registrant Organization:Healey Philanthropic
Registrant Street1:573 Eayrestown Rd
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Lumberton
Registrant State/Province:NJ
Registrant Postal Code:08048
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone: +1.6092674104
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:Domains@healeyphilanthropic.org

Who is Christine Healey? The Executive Director of the Catholic Schools Development Program. See http://www.csdp.us/about-us/our-expertise/bios/christine-l-healey

Jeffrey Doshna

by: Jeff Doshna @ Mon Dec 19, 2011 at 02:28:48 AM UTC

Healey's Interest (0.00 / 0)

This Biography shed even more light on Ms. Healey:

Christine Healey is executive director of the Healey Philanthropic Group, which represents the entrepreneurial charitable interests of its founder, Robert T. Healey, CEO and chairman of Viking Yacht Company. Since 2001, Ms. Healey has served as executive director of one of the group's nonprofits, the International Education Foundation, which provides scholarships for children to Catholic schools in the United States and India. In response to the crisis in Catholic parochial school education, Ms. Healey led the foundation to explore sustainable solutions in Catholic education and in support of her father's vision created the Catholic School Development Program. She serves as board chair of the Catholic Partnership Schools of Camden, New Jersey, established in 2004 and representing a dynamic model of urban Catholic elementary education.

From: http://www.philanthropyroundta...

by: Momotombo @ Mon Dec 19, 2011 at 02:57:08 AM UTC

We can all do our part to expose the truth (4.00 / 1)

Google "We Can Do Better New Jersey" and click on Deciminyan's post. Help it move to the top of the Google ranks.

Blog: Pick's Place

by: jeffpickens @ Mon Dec 19, 2011 at 11:14:07 AM UTC

Mr. Pepper not doing too well (0.00 / 0)

The last action on this bill was about nine months ago when Republicans and some Democrats approved the bill in two different Senate committees, but leadership never brought it to the Senate floor for a vote. In the Assembly, both Democrats and Republicans approved the bill in one committee but referred it to the Budget Committee which has taken no action. There is only one scheduled voting session left on January 9 for the current lame duck session, and it would have to be reported out of the Ass. Budget Committee first. Proponents can reintroduce the bill in the new session, but for the current session Mr. Pepper seems to have lost his punch.

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." - Sen. Ted Kennedy

by: Bill Orr @ Mon Dec 19, 2011 at 15:42:16 PM UTC