tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post1511458638009969457..comments2020-04-11T03:30:02.282-05:00Gary R. Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-40229331931526662632008-09-16T06:31:00.000-05:002008-09-16T06:31:00.000-05:00Thanks for the correction, Paul.Gary R. Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-55219681587624174192008-09-16T00:57:00.000-05:002008-09-16T00:57:00.000-05:00A minor point of clarification. I think Rooney briefly ran for guv in '96, not 2000. That was the year Witwer and Goldsmith ran. I remember his ads on TV and radio in late '95 or so, long before the primary. I was going to make a donation (my first, as I was still in high school) on the very day he dropped out.<BR/><BR/>I heard him speak in '98. It seemed like he had a couple educational initiatives on the CA ballot that fall.<BR/><BR/>Sadly, when people denigrate big business, they often are ignorant of philanthropists like JPR.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12806967747529139507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-58714021556220990422008-09-16T00:35:00.000-05:002008-09-16T00:35:00.000-05:00Gary,<BR/><BR/>Actually Rooney was running to win the Governor's Office in 1996, but dropped out in 1995 before getting to the primary.<BR/><BR/>I remember because I worked for Rex Early who was running for the nomination against Steve Goldsmith. <BR/><BR/>PaulPaul K. Ogdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137003328850866711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-28105355277149108472008-09-15T23:22:00.000-05:002008-09-15T23:22:00.000-05:00It has been people like Mr. Rooney and Milton and Rose Friedman who have led the charge to change public schooling in America. <BR/><BR/>Dr. Friedman and his wife Rose established the Friedman Foundation in 1996 to advocate for school choice, and a change in the way public education is thought of in the United States. Dr. Friedman died in November, 2006, but the Foundation still works at advancing choice for parents.<BR/><BR/>The loss now of both of these men is a loss to disadvantaged students.Shofarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10797039592108775302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-33627967491515709002008-09-15T21:15:00.000-05:002008-09-15T21:15:00.000-05:00For a long time, I've admired Rooney for his work on privately-funded educational vouchers. A lot of conservatives don't care all that much about the inner-city poor; a lot of liberals say they care, but are beholden to statism, elitism and the teachers unions. <BR/><BR/>Thank God for people like JPR who stepped outside those boxes.Eric Schansberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16147388189415035752noreply@blogger.com