You may have missed this. Even the Liberal L.A. Times had it buried.
Barbara Bush's gift earmarked to buy software from son's company
Associated Press
HOUSTON - Former first lady Barbara Bush gave relief money to a hurricane
relief fund on the condition that it be spent to buy educational software from
her son Neil's company.
The chief of staff of former President George H.W. Bush would not disclose
the amount earmarked for purchases from Ignite Learning.
Since Barbara Bush's gift, the Ignite Learning program has been given to eight
public schools with high numbers of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, the Houston
Chronicle reported.
"Mrs. Bush wanted to do something specifically for education and specifically
for the thousands of students flooding into the Houston schools," Jean Becker
said Thursday.
The money was donated to the Bush-Clinton Houston Hurricane Relief Fund,
said Steve Maislin, president of the Greater Houston Community Foundation,
which administers the fund. That fund has no connection to the Bush-Clinton
Katrina Fund, he said.
Barbara Bush chose to promote Ignite because she supports her son and has
genuine enthusiasm for his company's program, Becker said.
Two years ago, the Houston school district board wrestled with conflict of
interest concerns over the Ignite program. Neil Bush had helped raise $115,000
for the district's philanthropic fund from donors who insisted the money be
spent on his company's software.
The district accepted the donations and used them to pay half the costs of new
Ignite software, about $10,000 per school.
Currently, Houston public schools use 15 Ignite programs and the Houston area
has 40 programs, said company president Ken Leonard.
Neil Bush founded the Austin-based company in 1999.
Why didn't Ms. Bush buy the software directly and donate that, instead of setting up a "conflict of interest" scenario? Because she (and her sons) know that ethics be damned where money is involved. Worse, they set up situations where people and charities have to also make these (un)ethical decisions. Apparently, this charity failed the ethics test.
Must be damn good software then. Let's take a look. Ignite Learning
"Introducing The Cow"...no, not Barbara Bush or the Bush Cash Cow. The Cow is nothing more than a gussied up speaker's stand, purtified for the young'uns. Oh look! On page three of their sample curriculum, they focus on Texas and particularly on People of Texas. You think they mention George W. Bush? You think they'll mention how great a governor he was, or do you think they'll be fair and impartial?
There's section called "Radical Republicans In Texas" but it refers to the Civil War Era, not current day. Pity.
Dunno. It seems kind of slimy that Ms. Bush would aggresively push her son's educational company and that company would have a direct influence on young minds. I'm thinking revisionist history for the youngsters. Make the Bush Hegemony almost palatable.
Thoughts? Something out of nothing?
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