California's Prop. 174 was the most ambitious school voucher plan to date. It was carefully planned well in advance, led by a veteran campaign manager, boosted by a nationwide propaganda effort of conservatives and libertarians, and tried out in a state where it is widely recognized that the public school system has failed abysmally. And yet, on the November 2 ballot, Prop. 174 was clobbered by the voters, losing in every county, and going down to defeat by 70-30 percent.
Proponents blame an overwhelming money advantage for the opposition, fueled by the teachers' unions.
But public school teacher opposition was inevitable and discounted in advance. On the contrary, the lack of money in this case only reflected the lack of support at the polls. The school voucher advocates, like the feminist forces who tried to push through the ERA, met their defeat with bluster, and vowed to keep trying forever. But the feminists, despite their protestations, dropped their proposal like a hot potato once they realized that it was a loser. For the big problem was the voucher scheme itself.