Criminal Referral in Reading Program

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Criminal Referral in Reading Program

Friday April 20, 2007 8:16 PM

By JESSE J. HOLLAND

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal investigator looking into
allegations of conflict of interest and mismanagement in a
$1 billion-a-year Education Department reading program said
Friday he has made criminal referrals to the Justice
Department.

John Higgins, the Education Department's inspector general,
refused to specify for reporters what he has asked government
prosecutors to look at, but investigators have been highly
critical of the department's management of the Reading First
program.

Reading First, created by President Bush's signature No Child
Left Behind law, offers intensive reading help for low-income
children in the early grades. But investigators say that
federal officials intervened to influence state and local
decisions about what programs to use, a potential violation
of the law. Some of the people who were influencing those
decisions had a financial interest in the programs that were
being pushed, officials said.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6574458,00.html

[Nickster]

1. Hmmm, where's Neil Bush been lately? n/t

[displacedtexan]

2. I was going to ask the same question!

[Rose Siding]

10. Another clear conflict of interest. Here's the LAT investigation on Neil's involvement-

Bush Family Profits from 'No Child' Act
By Walter F. Roche, Jr.
LOS ANGELES TIMES

A company headed by President Bush's brother and partly owned by his parents is benefiting from Republican connections and federal dollars targeted for economically disadvantaged students under the No Child Left Behind Act.

With investments from his parents, George H.W. and Barbara Bush, and other backers, Neil Bush's company, Ignite! Learning, has placed its products in 40 U.S. school districts and now plans to market internationally.

At least 13 U.S. school districts have used federal funds available through the president's signature education reform, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to buy Ignite's portable learning centers at $3,800 apiece.

At least 13 U.S. school districts have used federal funds available through the president's signature education reform, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to buy Ignite's portable learning centers at $3,800 apiece....

But Ignite does not offer reading instruction, and its math program will not be available until next year.

http://www.elladvocates.org/media/NCLB/LAT22oct06.html

[rodeodance]

3. Lots of $$ to be made in selling textbooks/programs such as this.

[mopinko]

6. lots of money to be made thanks to no child left behind

lots and lots. that was the whole point of the law.

[ryanmuegge]

7. Yep. There was a profiteering motive, as well as an ideological one

Schools shown not to be making "adequate yearly progress" are subject to being taken over private management.

It's all about privatization.

[rodeodance]

4. Looky-A HOUSE committee is onto this also!

.....``I think we're very close to a criminal enterprise here,'' House Education and Labor Committee chairman George Miller, D-Calif., said at an investigative hearing Friday. ``Have you made any criminal referrals, Mr. Higgins?''

``We have made referrals to the Department of Justice,'' Higgins said.

Miller said his committee may also make criminal referrals. ``I think when we put the evidence together we may join you in those criminal referrals,'' Miller told Higgins.

[Vilis Veritas]

5. I hear Wolfowitz had his dog Wolfy given a job as Director of BS n/t

[MasonJar]

8. Wasn't charming Neil in the center of the Savings and Loan debacle

that we all paid for? Or was that another Bush brother? Let's see....we have W robbing everyone and not ever doing a lick of work he could avoid...and Jeb robbing and murdering through the Florida road building account...and Neil et all, including Daddy-O, cleaning up through robbery of the public treasury, overthrow of legitimate leaders of various countries, many elected democratically (once again W proved himself the incompetent Bush buffoon in not being able to complete his overthrow of Chavez...thank God!)and let's not omit the Nazi-era and the subsequent Bush Nazi-style banking eras, which while traceable at least back to Prescott are still on-going.

[tanyev]

11. You're right, that was Neilsie.

And had he not gotten busted for that, I suspect that he would have eventually become Governor of Colorado. With 3 Bush boys set up as governors in states with large concentrations of right wingers, it was almost inevitable that one of them would make it to the White House. Quite a strategery.

[bobthedrummer]

13. Moreover it was Judge Richard Matsch et al that got Neil Bush et al

the freedom to march on.

There are no coincidences.

We, the people are aware that there was a coup back in December 2000.

[Eugene]

9. Updated AP story with more details...

Criminal Referral in Reading Program

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6574809,00.html

[rodeodance]

12. Key Initiative Of 'No Child' Under Federal Investigation (p. AO1 WP)

Source: wpost




http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR2007042002284.html

Key Initiative Of 'No Child' Under Federal Investigation
Officials Profited From Reading First Program

By Amit R. Paley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 21, 2007; A01

The Justice Department is conducting a probe of a $6 billion reading initiative at the center of President Bush's No Child Left Behind law, another blow to a program besieged by allegations of financial conflicts of interest and cronyism, people familiar with the matter said yesterday.

The disclosure came as a congressional hearing revealed how people implementing the $1 billion-a-year Reading First program made at least $1 million off textbooks and tests toward which the federal government steered states.

"That sounds like a criminal enterprise to me," said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the House education committee, which held a five-hour investigative hearing. "You don't get to override the law," he angrily told a panel of Reading First officials. "But the fact of the matter is that you did."

The Education Department's inspector general, John P. Higgins Jr., said he has made several referrals to the Justice Department about the five-year-old program, which provides grants to improve reading for children in kindergarten through third grade.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR2007042002284.html

[bobthedrummer]

15. And proud Bushie Patriot Lurita Alexis Doan's GSA "approved" these contracts

just like former GSA loyal Bushie David Safavian did before he was prosecuted...

Lurita Alexis Doan thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x521785

All of these criminals will be held accountable.

NGU.

[goclark]

16. Oh happy day ~ finally!!!

[bobthedrummer]

14. "Neil Bush of Saudi Arabia" onlinejournal.com commentary by Bill Berkowitz

that was last updated March 30, 2007
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1904.shtml

fair use cited

[bobthedrummer]

17. kick