From KJZZ -
Gov. Ducey's new school program has some worried about politicization of public health
Gov. Doug Ducey’s new program to provide money to parents whose school closes has some worried it will only further politicize public health.
Governor spokesperson C.J. Karamargin says the Open for Learning Recovery Benefit program looks to provide parents options rather than closing schools.
From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, published in the Arizona Capitol Times -
Closing Schools Not An Option
Gov. Doug Ducey is doubling down in his fight with public schools over their virus policies, offering cash to parents to send their kids to private or parochial schools if a school – or even a classroom – has to shut down for even one day due to an outbreak of Covid.
In what his office describes as “preemptive action,” Ducey announced Tuesday his Open for Learning Recovery Benefit program to provide up to $7,000 for parents who face “financial and educational barriers due to unexpected school closures.” It can be used for things like child care and online tutoring.
But the cash, taken from federal COVID-relief programs, also can be used for tuition so parents can send their youngster to a private school, covering what gubernatorial press aide C.J. Karamargin said are “any charges from the school: tuition, books, uniforms if required.”
Ducey's press release on the subject is here.
Ducey has a habit of redirecting public funds into private pockets.
Also from Fischer, published in the Cap Times, this one from 2017 -
Ducey defends using public funds for private schools
Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday defended state laws that let parents use public funds to send children to private and parochial schools.
But he sidestepped questions of whether he would sign legislation to open up that possibility to all 1.1 million public school students statewide.
From the NEA -
AZ Gov. Ducey and Betsy DeVos share a commitment to destroying public schools
When Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sent a congratulatory tweet (see below) to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey after he expanded a voucher scheme within his state, the gesture represented a pat on the back from someone the governor respected and considered a mentor.
However, for education activists, DeVos’s tweet was like a bright warning flare against a dark midnight sky. A signal to let everyone know that, when it comes to public education, DeVos, considered a four-star general among her privatization peers, and Ducey, who is seeking re-election in November, share the same agenda: dismantling our public schools.
From the Phoenix New Times in 2018 -
Author John Carreyrou Tells How Theranos Scammed Doug Ducey and Arizona
It was April 6, 2015, and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey was standing at a podium at the Scottsdale laboratory of blood-testing startup Theranos.
"Some people are born to be leaders," he said. "Some people are born to be business leaders. Elizabeth Holmes is both of those."
Doug's good friend, Elizabeth Holmes, has since been convicted of fraud.
From NBCNews, also in 2018
Emails show Arizona governor's cozy relationship with Uber
Emails released Wednesday between Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's staff and Uber executives shed new light on a cozy relationship between the first-term Republican and the company whose autonomous vehicle recently was involved in a fatal crash.
The previously unseen emails released by the governor's office were first reported by The Guardian newspaper. They show that Ducey's staff worked closely with the company as it began experimenting with autonomous vehicles that the company began testing on public roads in August 2016 without informing the public.
From KNAU in 11/2021 -
Ducey’s effort to use federal COVID-19 relief money for private school vouchers has funded fewer than 100
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s disputed effort to use federal COVID-19 relief money for a private school voucher program has funded fewer than 100 vouchers. That’s despite receiving more than 2,000 applications.
Ducey’s plan offers a $7,000 voucher to families whose child’s school requires masks so that they can attend school elsewhere. Critics say it's another example of Republicans trying to undermine public education.
Ducey has a pattern of being all about the money, a pattern that pre-dates his political career.
From the American Bridge PAC in 2014 -
THE COLD HARD TRUTH ABOUT DOUG DUCEY'S COLD STONE LEGACY
The Wall Street Journal reported this week on the “10 worst franchise brands in terms of Small Business Administration loan defaults.” Despite touting its rampant success as a reason he would make a good governor, Republican Doug Ducey’s Cold Stone Creamery was found near the top of that list, with its franchisees “defaulting at more than double the rate for SBA borrowers who invested in” other chains, per the Journal’s analysis.
Like an ice cream cone in the summer heat, Cold Stone’s business plan, for which Ducey has claimed credit, created a sticky mess for many franchise owners. Numerous franchisees have been quoted saying Cold Stone’s business model was “defective” and pushed the cost of running a store so high that it was difficult for individuals owners to make a profit. Franchisees have called Ducey’s business practices “deceptive,” and said the company’s business model pushed personal bankruptcies, cost savings, and homes.
[snip]
CNN: Cold Stone Business Plan Was Ducey’s
Early Success Of Cold Stone Was Credited In Part To “Ducey’s Master Plan” For Franchisee Relations, Which Included A Franchisee Advisory Council And Ways For Franchisees To Communicate With Each Other About Issues And Ideas. According to CNN Money, “Six years ago CEO Doug Ducey emerged from a Cold Stone Creamery retreat in Arizona with a plan to expand to 1,000 profitable ice cream stores by 2005–a lofty goal, considering that the company had just 74 at the time. Ducey has more than hit his mark. Cold Stone Creamery has nearly doubled the number of its shops each year since 2001–zooming past the 1,000-store goal this month–which places it among the top 20 fastest-growing franchises in the United States. What’s Ducey’s secret? Cold Stone’s butterfat-rich ice cream, served up with exotic accessories such as apple pie filling and graham-cracker pie crust, isn’t as crucial as you might think. Many in the industry credit the company’s unusual formula for franchisee relations–a communications loop that makes owners as happy as customers and keeps stores on a fast track to profit. Ducey’s master plan called for a Cold Stone franchisee advisory council–a group of owners that could serve as a clearinghouse for not just gripes but also new ideas. Last year the seven-member panel, which meets four times annually and runs periodic conference calls for franchisees, won the company’s support for a national buying program that gets all owners lower prices for supplies.” [CNN Money, 4/1/05]
Well, at least Dougie's consistent - he has never been shy with other people's money.
