The former head of the Utah GOP would do well to read his paper before writing an editorial

This morning the Deseret Morning News published an editorial titled ”After the vote, now what?” Pretty good question. It holds up nicely even 30 years after Robert Redford asked Peter Boyle to answer it at the end of "The Candidate."

The editorial included this comment: “Voucher opponents would do well to contemplate new reforms for the public school system. If vouchers aren't the answer to public school reform, what do they propose?”

If Joe Cannon, editor of the Morning News and former head of the Utah Republican Party, had read a report published Oct. 18 in his own newspaper, he would have known the answer.

But it was easy to miss. Cannon's journalists buried the information at the very bottom of an 18-paragraph report devoted to Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman's non-endorsement endorsement of vouchers.

This is what the report said in its entirety of Democratic efforts:

“But Utah Democrats who oppose vouchers said at another Capitol Hill press conference that instead drawing public funding away from public schools for the voucher program, the state should increase support in public schools for things like class size reduction, salary increases for teachers, technology and support for certification and licensing costs for highly qualified teachers.

“ ‘It is unconscionable that when so much still needs to be done to shore up our school system, and Utah continues to be last in per-pupil spending, that we are even considering bringing vouchers into play,’ said House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake.”

So much for impartial and comprehensive reporting.

Having spent a fair amount of time on Capitol Hill, Cannon no doubt is aware of the efforts of Democratic lawmakers to improve Utah schools and of Republican efforts to stymie meaningful reform.

Ralph Becker, who won Tuesday’s election for Salt Lake City mayor, and other Democrats have been constant champions of Utah’s public schools and a quality education for every child.

“Time and time again, we have fought against the establishment of educational vouchers and tax credits,” Becker said at the press conference Utah media dismissed in their search for more drama. “And, time and time again, we have relentlessly fought for proactive support of our public schools.”

Democratic caucus members called for increased support for public school needs instead of drawing public funding away from public schools - which vouchers would have done. Democratic legislators have consistently worked toward passage of the following:

• Appropriations that would fund K-12 class size reduction
• Salary increases for teachers
• Expenditures for augmented technology and textbook needs
• Expanding options for Extended-Day Kindergarten
• Additional funds for capital and operational needs
• Ensuring nonpartisan election of school board members
• Support for teacher certification and licensing costs for highly qualified teachers

I am hopeful Cannon's uninformed editorial and superficial reportage were not products of politically motivated bias.