Congress Urged To End Voucher Experiment

AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org                          



CONGRESS SHOULD NOT RENEW CONTROVERSIAL

       WASHINGTON, DC VOUCHER EXPERIMENT

An Atheist public policy group said today that a  Washington, DC voucher
program established under the last Bush administration for a five-year
experimental period should be ended.

Hailed as a major step forward in improving educational opportunities
for students, the program must now be renewed by Congress or allowed to
expire.  Critics have charged that the voucher scheme drained money from
the public school system, produced mediocre results, and in many cases
benefitted religious institutions.

Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists, urged lawmakers to stop
the voucher experiment, saying "No taxpayer money should be used to
support religion in Washington, DC  or anywhere else," said Buckner.
"This is America, and Catholics shouldn't be forced to support Jewish
education, nor Muslims be compelled to fund Protestant schools.
Atheists and other nonbelievers should not have to subsidize religious
schools of any kind," added Buckner.

Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists said that
funding private and religious  schools through vouchers hurts the public
education system.

"For generations, our public schools have provided educational
opportunities for tens of millions of youngsters.  The Washington, DC
experiment and voucher programs in other cities have not lived up to the
claims of supporters.  It's time to stop this public subsidy for
religious schools, and re-invest in our public education system."

AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for
Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and
addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.

American Atheists, Inc.
PO BOX 158
Cranford, NJ 07016
Tel.: (908) 276-7300
Fax: (908) 276-7402