NYC Billionaire Pres Candidate Michael Bloomberg Has Been Pumping $$ into La. Elections for Years.

Billionaire and former New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg has entered the 2020 presidential race in hopes to secure the Democratic nomination.

Bloomberg, whose estimated worth is $54B and who says he will not accept campaign contributions, is a man who is used to buying what he wants, even in elections in other states.

In NYC, where schools are under mayoral control, Bloomberg promoted school choice, and he now purchases school choice around the country—including in Louisiana where Bloomberg has taken a particular interest in school board elections.

An additional layer to Bloomberg’s money-toss into Louisiana school board elections includes Bloomberg’s connection to Louisiana state superintendent, John White.

During Bloomberg’s time as NYC mayor, White was a deputy chancellor of education immediately prior to his arrival in Louisiana, and immediately prior to his rapid ascent from Recovery School District (RSD) superintendent to Louisiana state superintendent.

That rapid ascent required a favorable 2011 state ed (BESE) board– which Bloomberg helped to purchase.

Retaining White also required a favorable 2015 BESE– which Bloomberg also helped purchase.

Below is a comprehensive listing of Bloomberg’s donations to influence Louisiana elections to date, totaling over $1.6M:

• Alliance for Better Classrooms (ABC) PAC: $100K (10/18/2011)
• Russell Armstrong: $5,000 (10/24/2011) (BESE)
• Holly Boffy: $5,000 (10/19/2011) (BESE)
• Melinda Bourgeouis: $2,500 (10/28/2014) (Jefferson Parish School Board)
• Glenny Lee C. Buquet: $5,000 (10/20/2011) (BESE)
• Empower Louisiana Inc., L. Lane Grigsby, Chairman: $800K (10/02/2015) (directed toward 2015 BESE election)
• Cedric B. Glover: $1,000 (10/06/2010) (Shreveport mayor)
• John Allen Guillot: $5,000 (10/21/2011) (BESE)
• Improve Our Schools: $100K (10/24/2014) (to influence East Baton Rouge, EBR, school board races; Bloomberg’s $100K the only donation except for the $100 to anchor the PAC in Louisiana)
• April D. Williams: $2,500 (10/25/2014) (EBR school board)
• Evelyn Ware-Jackson: $2,500 (10/27/2014) (EBR school board)
• Keep New Orleans Moving Forward (to support election of Kira Orange Jones to BESE): $90K (11/16/2011)
• Future PAC, LLC: $100K (10/20/2011) ($67K used on ads for Kira Orange-Jones for BESE)
• Kira Orange-Jones: $15,000 (10/19/2011; 10/20/2011; 11/15/2011) (BESE)
• Woody Koppel: $2,500 (11/05/2012) (Orleans Parish School Board, OPSB)
• LA Democrats: $100K (06/16/2014) (to pay for qualifying fees in Democratic races across the state)
• Mitch Landrieu: $5,000 (02/09/2010) (New Orleans mayor)
• Nolan A. Marshall, Jr.: $2,500 (11/01/2012) (OPSB)
• DFER LA: $50K (11/07/2016) (Includes donations made to Woddy Koppel and Nolan Marshall)
• Stand for Children Louisiana IEC: $128,600 (11/18/2014; 12/12/2017; 11/29/2018)
• Sarah Newell Usdin: $2,500 (11/05/2012) (OPSB)

There you have it, Louisiana:

A vote for billionaire Michael Bloomberg is a vote for a school-choice purchase that includes the likes of John White.

Michael Bloomberg

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Schneider is a southern Louisiana native, career teacher, trained researcher, and author of two other books: A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who In the Implosion of American Public Education and Common Core Dilemma: Who Owns Our Schools?. You should buy these books. They’re great. No, really.

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