Russell Pearce, friend of education (Wait . . . what?)

by David Safier

Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, has been named the 2011 Golden Apple Winner by Arizona Parents for Education . . .

Yes, you read that right. Russell Pearce, ed budget cutter extraordinaire, gets a golden apple.

The group, Arizona Parents for Education, is an astroturf organization for online schools. "Astroturf" might be a bit rough. The group is part of the online school lobbying movement, but parents in virtual schools are happy to show up at the legislature to ask for more money for their schools. (That, actually, is one of the definitions of "astroturf," so the group probably deserves the term.) Either Pearce helps them with their legislation, or they want to curry favor with the most powerful politician in the state — for now, anyway.

Maybe Pearce can show off the apple during his legislative retirement party. Go, Recall!