Forget Frequent Flier Miles: Arizona’s Richest Use the ESA Program to Travel to Disneyland

Recognize these Superbowl commercials that have aired over the last several years.

Well, some of Arizona’s wealthiest families do not have to play in the Super Bowl or earn frequent flier miles to win a trip to Disneyland.

All they have to do is be part of the Empowerment Scholarship Account-Private School Voucher Welfare/Scam for the Rich Program and fly to the Home of the Mouse at working and middle-class taxpayer expense.

Apparently, thanks to more investigative reporting by 12 News’s Craig Harris, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne’s 2023 statement that Empowerment Scholarship Account funds were not being used for travel to places in this country and around the world, like Disneyland, did not age well.

Harris, who is becoming the Muckraking Upton Sinclair and Frank Norris of exposing private school voucher waste, fraud, abuse, and criminal activity, showed, after a year of stonewalling by Mr. Hornes Department and Kimberly Yee at the State Treasurer, that 100 ESA account recipients spent $21,000 of Arizona taxpayer dollars on trips to the Home of the Mouse, Disney store purchases, and streaming subscriptions since 2022.

Other popular destinations included New York, Washington D.C., England, Jordan, and San Diego.

According to Harris, pro-private school voucher advisory organizations like Love Your School gave advice to ESA parents on how to justify expenses to trips like the San Diego Zoo.

Unfortunately, the people who went to the San Diego Zoo and other approved locales also charged the state for their flights and hotels. Those are not approvable expenses.

Most of the ESA families who took advantage of this lack of oversight by the Arizona Department of Education come from…wait for it… high-income zip codes.

This has been the pattern of the Arizona ESA Program since former Governor Doug Ducey and Legislative Republicans defied the will of the voters and expanded the private school voucher system in 2022.

It is nothing more than a welfare/scam for the rich program where waste, fraud, abuse, and criminal activity can be done at the account holders pleasure as long as the purchase price is under $2,000.00.

It seems that the theme of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address that government is of the people, by the people, and for the people, has been translated by Arizona Republicans as of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich.

Singing a different tune than in 2023, Superintendent Horne sent a statement to Harris that:

“The Department is operating the ESA program in accordance with State Law. There is a process to review and audit purchases. When an unallowable expense of any type is determined, the account is suspended. Action can be taken to recover or collect funds or refer to law enforcement as necessary. To date, more than $1.2 million has been recovered in this process.”

While recent reports have shown a fraud rate of 20 percent on purchases like going to Disneyland, getting condoms and lingerie, and creating a college tuition nest egg, recovering $1.2 million on a state budget item earmarked at one billion dollars does not seem like a whole lot of accountability.

Commenting to Blog for Arizona on the latest Harris 12 News Report, Liliana Soto, Press Secretary to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs stated:

“We must rein in the out-of-control ESA program and end the waste, fraud and abuse. Governor Hobbs has proposed multiple reforms to increase oversight, accountability, and transparency. Her Executive Budget this session includes measures to stop taxpayer dollars from funding luxury purchases like lingerie, diamond rings, and jet ski rentals.

Despite nearly 20 bills introduced to tackle ESA fraud, waste, and abuse, Republicans have refused to give even one a hearing. While they block action, Governor Hobbs remains committed to ensuring public funds are spent on actual education. She will continue fighting to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure ESA funds are used to support students and schools.”

Democratic Assistant House Leader and Educator Nancy Guiterrez also commented to Blog for Arizona, offering:

“Once again, we are learning about more proof of fraud in the ESA voucher program. One billion dollars of taxpayer money shouldn’t be spent this way. I call on every Republican lawmaker to hear our ESA bills and agree to set some real guidelines and transparency measures now. If we want an Arizona we can afford, we must stop this misuse and fraud immediately.”

Arizona Department of Education Superintendent Democratic Candidate Dr. Teresa Lebya Ruiz also commented to the Blog:

“We’re all footing the bill for our wealthier neighbors’ international travel, thanks to this out-of-control voucher program. As Superintendent, I’ll fix this on day one: follow the law, protect taxpayers, and put students first.”