At a retiree chapter meeting, I heard support for the $2.75 billion “pork” that was allotted to the private schools by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. This addition to the stimulus bill is wrong for the following reasons:

• The schools that get this money are not union institutions.
• It is anti-public education, siphoning off public funds for private education.
• It is anti-tolerance since some of these schools support the notion of females being second-class persons.
• It is anti-Biden agenda because there is no representation of all Americans by this action.
• It embraces the Betsy DeVos agenda, supporting a special class, ignoring others and doing harm. • By pandering to lobbying groups and buckling under pressure, it is no different than the granting of favors and access of the previous administration.
• It creates an atmosphere of distrust and potential harm. These schools are not known for their embrace of the future, but allow for discrimination and stereotyping.
• It opens a clear pathway for attack by candidates from other parties to point out corruption. I would hope that the UFT realizes its regressive stance and will amend it.

—Josie Pizer, retired