So, too, do politicians who pander to special interest groups at the expense of the general public and publicly-funded systems.
John Tory joined their ranks yesterday when he nailed down another plank in his election platform, one that pretty much guarantees him the votes of newcomers to Canada.
Tory, in a blatant vote-soliciting move, promised to establish a commission to find a way to bring religious schools into the public system.
Can Tory spell oxymoron?
He-who-would-be-Premier apparently hasn't been told the Ontario education system is already groaning under the weight of deficit-edging budgets.
Where will the money come from to support another tier of education? How many cuts will be made to existing programs to finance religious education? Is he willing to further eviscerate an already ailing system?
Can Tory spell bankrupt?
Under Tory's 'cultural mosaic' approach to education, many students will be separated from their peers, based on their religious beliefs, in the mainstream education community.
Surely, assimilation, while it might not provide the glut of votes Tory needs, is more likely to enhance the lives of new Canadians than being educated in isolation. Ironically, while many continue to lobby for integration and equal access, he is recommending just the opposite.
Can Tory spell segregation?
In a scathing response to Tory's scheme, Ontario Liberal Education Minister Kathleen Wynne hit the nail on the head.
"(Ontarians) do not want to see our society divided. They do not want to see kids segregated from one another," Wynne said. "We need an inclusive system in this province that allows kids to learn together, be together and understand each other."
The move would also rip $500 million in funding out of the existing public system, threatening the 95 per cent of Ontario students enrolled in the public system, she said.
What Tory is suggesting amounts to little more than an expensive, divisive method of acquiring votes. It's an idiotic idea that could cost taxpayers a lot more than money.
