Public not buying what Rep. Robin Vos is Selling; Transit good, but paying salaries and benefits bad. What a jobs program.

Maybe Speaker Robin Vos should get out more? He held his first district listening session, and only 25 people showed up. Vos jumped right in and touted the wonders of choice and vouchers:

Mt. Pleasant Patch: But Vos' former high school teacher, Tim Mocarski, challenged

The No Answer Man.

Vos by telling him private school has traditionally been a choice for families who understand the costs involved. "I went to private school as a kid, and my family understood it was a choice they were willing to pay for," he said. "I don't see how you can support public money for private schools. If that's a parents' choice, then let them pay for it."

Oh god that was a good question, from a teacher Vos learned little from. Vos' answer also tipped his hand, revealing the real intentions of privatization…oops:

Vos countered that he cares more about results than how the road to get there. "As conservatives, we want people responsible for themselves and to not rely on government," he said.  

Rely on government? Our constitution guarantees a public education…so yeah, we do rely on it for a reason. Another thing that gets lost in all this; as a former real estate agent, I found it was the kind of school district couples were looking for in their home search that mattered. That drives home values up, and that’s a good thing for home owners. As Republicans dismantle districts, homes will lose their value.

Vos had no comeback when asked about the recent low voucher test scores, which by the way, wasn't the first time. But Sup. Tony Evers managed to get that message out during his reelection.

There was also talk about whether or not voucher schools are really better than public schools as evidenced by the recent test scores released by the state Department of Public Instruction.

On jobs and transportation? Well, it looks like Vos isn’t making any new friends by failing on that front too.

When it comes to public transportation, City of Racine Parking and Transit Systems Manager Al Stanek said if state leaders are serious about getting people back to work, they'll restore funding for mass transit. "I'm appalled at the $1 billion in borrowing for roads when levy limits and reduced road aids have such a serious negative impact on jobs, the unemployed and the underemployed," he said. 

The 10 percent reduction in service, Stanek added, means some Racine residents have lost their jobs because they can't get to work. "If the focus is jobs, then we need the transit," he continued.

Vos let the real ideological reason slip in his response:

Vos said he was fine with putting more money into transit as long as that money was used only for increasing service and not paying for the salaries and benefits of employees.