Voucher schemes have been championed by right-wing forces out to destroy public education. A lesser-known role in their promotion has been played by figures who couch their support for vouchers in the language of "self-determination for the Black community."

In Wisconsin, these include Annette Polly Williams, a Democratic Party state Assembly member who moved the original voucher legislation in 1990; Mike Holt, editor of the Milwaukee Community Journal, a newspaper oriented to the Black community; and Howard Fuller, who was prominent in the Revolutionary Workers League and in the early 1980s led a movement against police brutality in Milwaukee that managed to remove our "police chief for life" Harold Breier.

David Altman
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 
 
Vouchers II
In regard to the article on the voucher decision, I feel that your correspondent has overlooked an important fact. He points out that [NAACP president] Kweisi Mfume states vouchers "mean fewer dollars for public schools..."

However most public schools receive between $6,000 and $9,000 per student per year. The voucher sum being offered by the Cleveland school system in the court decision was $2,250. The balance of the per-student allocation remains with the public school system! This important fact should not be lost in the polemics.

M.W.
Long Beach, California
 
 
Support for five Cubans
Over 60 people packed a meeting room at the offices of the local government trade union, UNISON, here to hear Paul McKenna, lawyer for Gerardo Hernández, one of the "Miami 5" Cubans imprisoned in the United States for the "crime" of combating terrorism against their country.

McKenna gave a detailed account of the Cuban patriots’ trial, and of the injustices in that trial. In particular, he gave a powerful explanation of why it was a travesty to hold the trial in Miami, where intimidation by right-wing Cuban exiles was bound to impact upon the jury. He also gave a moving account of how his involvement in the defense of Hernández and the other defendants had swayed his own views on Cuba, especially through his visits to that country, where he witnessed the deep commitment of the Cuban people to their revolution.

Father Geoff Bottoms, a Catholic priest from Blackpool, also spoke. He had just returned from Cuba, where he met with the wives and mothers of the Miami 5. He told of the movement in Cuba for their release, as well as the resolve of their families.

Helen Colley
Manchester, England
 
 
Keeping Marxism alive
Thank you for supporting workers in Latin America. Your reporting from Venezuela and Argentina are excellent.

More reports on Colombia would be helpful. Also, it is not easy to locate your newspaper here. The web page is great. Do you have a distributor in Central America?

Thank you for helping to keep Marxism alive in Latin America.

N.V.
La Antigua, Guatemala

 
The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people.

Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.  
 
 
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