Hinckley: ‘Abolish Department of Education’

Barry Hinckley might think the polls predicting his political demise are flawed, but according to Occam’s Razor – the theory that the simplest reason is probably the correct one – no conspiracy theory or professional blunder needs to have occurred in order to explain his poor performance among likely voters.

The simplest theory as to why poll respondents didn’t give Hinckley very high marks is because his ideas are out of step with what Rhode Islanders want.

He’s a supporter of Paul Ryan’s draconian budget proposal, which would bleed Medicare dry and privatize social security.

And if that isn’t out-of-step enough for you, consider his recent statement on WJAR’s Sunday morning News Conference show that he “would abolish the Department of Education.”

Rhode Islanders don’t want that to happen!

The state gets about $230 million a year in federal funds from the Department of Education, or about 12 percent of its overall education dollars, according to Elliot Krieger, a spokesman for the state Department of Education. Both Providence and Central Falls get about 20 percent of their public education budgets from the federal government, he added.

“Federal funds pay for many initiatives, most notably Title I (aid to high-poverty schools and districts), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (funds for students with disabilities, in both public and nonpublic schools), and school nutrition programs (some of which comes from the Dept. of Agriculture),” Krieger said in an email.

Elimination of the Department of Education would be a disaster, though some of Hinckley’s disinterested out-of-state donors who don’t care what happens to Rhode Island might not mind if our children don’t have access to good schools.

And, it should be pointed out, that Barry Hinckley is well within his rights to run for Senate under the mantle of representing the elite rather than the Ocean State.

But he’s applying faulty reasoning when he suggests polls depicting his unpopularity are indicative of anything other than exactly that. Indeed, logical practically dictates that someone who espouses such views wouldn’t poll well here, where we place a high value on retirement security, medical care for the elderly and a quality public education for our kids.