School Choice

In his Capitol Journal column (Dec. 14) Dan Morain erroneously states that the “(education) choice initiative had its genesis at the Reason Foundation.”

This statement is false on its face, and is highly misleading in its implications. The Reason Foundation conducted a series of educational seminars on a variety of school-choice issues during 1991, culminating in our annual banquet featuring Wisconsin Rep. Polly Williams, author of a pioneering voucher measure. At that dinner, we presented our annual “Free Minds and Free Markets” award to Joseph Alibrandi, to honor his many years of effort in the cause of educational reform.

The strong positive response to our seminars and the banquet helped to convince Alibrandi to launch a group to put a school-choice measure on the California ballot. The Reason Foundation had nothing to do with brainstorming or drafting the ballot measure.

The Reason Foundation may not--and does not--participate in political activities such as lobbying, campaigning, or drafting legislation. We seek to clarify many of the complex issues facing our cities, our state, and the nation today--not by means of political activity but by producing analytical, fact-based research studies.

ROBERT W. POOLE JR.

President, Reason Foundation

Los Angeles