Republican Bill Fine is Fine with the Billionaire Crowd

by Doug Martin at Hoosier School Heist TV

When word broke recently that Indiana Republican state representative Bill Fine’s daughter–a Mitch Daniels-pick and Mike Pence-reinstated state board of ed. member–may become the new co-chair of the state board to share powers with supt. of public instruction Glenda Ritz, many were outraged.  Bill Fine had, in fact, “backed the bill to create the position of vice chairwoman” to the state board of education, and his daughter seldom agrees with Ritz.

As I expose in my book Hoosier School Heist, the whole so-called school reform movement in Indiana (and elsewhere) is a billionaire’s playground to buy legislators to privatize public schools.   And crony capitalism and conflicts of interest are the rule and NOT the exception.

And Bill Fine has money from those involved in the takeover of Indiana public education.

In October 2012, Fine received $5,000 from the Hoosiers for Economic Growth PAC detailed in Hoosier School Heist (see page 5 in this PDF).  For years, this PAC has been backed by Walmart, Amway, hedge fund managers, and several wealthy Indiana businesspeople, among others in and out of Indiana.

Since the PAC changed its name to Hoosiers for Quality Education recently, it has given over $400,000 to Indiana Republican candidates and committees since 2014.  One of these is the Indiana House Republican Campaign Committee, Fine’s chief funder.

AN INTERESTING TIMELINE:

Out of the $275,000 the Walmart-Amway front-group American Federation for Children handed the Hoosiers for Quality Education PAC in 2014, $50,000 came on October 10 and $100,000 in September (see page 4).

On October 22, 2014, the Hoosiers for Quality Education PAC gave the Indiana House Republican Campaign Committee $25,000 and another $25,000 on October 24, 2014.

The Indiana House Republican Campaign Committee handed Fine $7,100 on October 24, 2014 and $13,500 on October 17, 2014.

Yes, it is obvious, Bill Fine is doing his best to do what the extremely wealthy want so that he can open up that campaign chest and sing.

BIO

Doug Martin is the author of Hoosier School Heist : How Corporations and Theocrats Stole Democracy From Public Education, a book being read in over 130 cities and towns and 78 Indiana counties, 23 states, and the District of Columbia.  A regular guest on national and Indiana radio talk shows such as Justin Oakley’s Just Let Me Teach and Amos Brown’s Afternoons with Amos, Dr. Martin’s research has been or will soon be featured in the Washington Post Answer Sheet , ABC’s Nightline, and the Associated Press

 

 

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Dear Public School Supporter-

     In well over 150 cities and towns and 80 Indiana counties, 25 states, and the District of Columbia, Doug Martin’s book Hoosier School Heist : How Corporations and Theocrats Stole Democracy From Public Education is exposing the billionaires, theocrats, corporations, scandals, corruption, and money behind so-called school reform in Indiana.

In Hoosier School Heist , Dr. Martin shockingly ties school vouchers to torture, shows people breaking Open Door Laws, describes felons, plagiarists, crony banksters, Wall Street Democrats, Walmart/Amway Republicans, people who did time in prison (and many more who should have), liars, hypocrites, dictators, and even child abusers.

Presented with a “Supporting Public Education” award from the North Central Indiana School Study Council and honorary membership in the Montgomery County League of Women Voters, Dr. Doug Martin has spoken at union events, libraries, universities, and on national and state radio shows like Just Let Me Teach , the Rick Smith Show, the National Council on Educating Black Children’s program, and Amos Brown’s Afternoons with Amos .  Martin’s work even has been or will soon be featured in the Washington Post Answer Sheet , ABC’s Nightline, and the Associated Press .  It also is being used by a private detective from Illinois and the FBI .

PRAISE FOR HOOSIER SCHOOL HEIST:

  In her blurb to the book, Diane Ravitch, a New York University research professor of education, best-selling author, and former US Assistant Secretary of Education, says that Doug Martin’s Hoosier School Heist is “one of the most frightening works I have read about the corporate reform takeover of public education” ever. 

“If you’re on blood pressure medicine, take it before you read this book!”  Heidi Miller, ISTA UniServ director in North Central Indiana

A documented exposé in the tradition of Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis. A great guy in the same mold toiling sometimes thankless to identify embarrassing, alarming, and corrupt cancers in government, private enterprise, and their nexus in education. If Doug Martin runs for governor we should make sure the political-capitalist structure doesn’t make allies with “liberals” to avoid the reckoning, the way they did when Upton Sinclair ran for governor of California in the 1930’s.” Michael Kendall, former Indiana state senator

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Praise from media people for Hoosier School Heist

(some of these links below take you to radio interviews with the author, too)

“Folks on Facebook & the community have been telling me about this book Hoosier School Heist for months. When I finally read it a few weeks ago, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a scathing, blistering blast at the big money and powerful forces, on the conservative and liberal sides, driving school reform in Indiana. In his first major Indy media interview, I interviewed the author Dr. Doug Martin on his book that the school reform crowd doesn’t want to you read.” Amos Brown, radio host of Afternoons with Amos, member of Indiana’s Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award Finalist

“Mr. Martin’s book is alarming and damn good.” Mark Small, Civil Discourse Now radio show

“Martin is Indiana’s loudest and most knowledgeable critic of for-profit charter schools and school vouchers.”  Steve Kash, Tribune Star

“I can say Dr. Martin has spent a very long time researching this absolutely horrendous information about what is happening to Indiana public schools … and how much money many people are making from this theft and it goes practically unnoticed because of the power of the politicians who back this.” Ron Mott, legendary radio show host for WAXI 104.9 True Oldies and columnist for Tribune Star

“Doug Martin has a picture perfect cautionary tale that mimics another Titanic!  It felt like I had just read a murder cover-up and was following the blood trail of corporate $$$$.  A must-read for all involved in education in Indiana and across the globe.”  Justin Oakley, AFT Indiana and host of Just Let Me Teach radio show

“Doug Martin is the Eugene V. Debs of public education.” Patrick Hill, IU-Kokomo labor studies professor, Anderson school board member,  and co-host of The Workers Voice radio show

“Doug Martin has had enough.”  Dan Bimrose, Liberal Fix radio

Maybe it’s the legacy of Eugene V. Debs or the memory of coal-field union wars, but Western Indiana progressives say what they think. Martin’s give-‘em-hell approach reminds me of United Mine Workers members I met while writing about coal strikes 30 years ago. Steve Hinnefeld, School Matters

“Doug Martin offers readers facts rather than just more opinions from one particular “side of the aisle,” he follows the money, and he names names: from the Indy Pharm giant Eli Lilly, to politicians like Mitch “Daniels and Tony Bennett, to the out in the open oligarchs at the Walton and Gates Foundations, and finally he names the lower level soldiers these groups plant on school boards and grant funding organizations and who write op-eds in local newspapers under the banner of independent ‘Policy Reviews.’ That is, Martin relentlessly exposes every evil practice and every evil act whether performed by politician or business person.” Douglas Storm, WFHB Interchange radio show, Bloomington

“Doug Martin has written an excellent book called Hoosier School Heist which is available to purchase and read. You won’t find reviews about it in most Hoosier newspapers, and you need to ask, “Why Not?” Why are our ‘newspapers’ refusing to educate Hoosiers about the truth?”  Todd Smekens, Muncie Voice