Where does public money go?

Anti-parental choice advocates like to confuse the public with statements that voucher or choice supporters wish to divert public funds to private companies or educational institutions. They say this as if all public monies coming into D11 (or any other school district) remain solely within the district. In April 2004, I asked for information on vendors with whom D11 does business, which means vendors to whom D11 pays public funds. The email from D11's then top contracting supervisor is as follows. The Bold emphasis is added by me:

From: O'BRIEN, TIMOTHY J
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 4:51 PM
To: NALESKI, ELAINE Subject: FW: VENDORS OVER 10K--for Director Cox
Elaine, as we spoke, attached is a list of 300 plus vendors, with which and with whom we did over $10,000 in business last calendar year. Our full vendor base is in the thousands--including vendors, consultants, recipients of purchase orders, agreements, P-Card transactions etc. The list is alphabetic, and will print out on legal paper. I hope this is useful. Tim

Mr. O'Brien pointed out that D11's full vendor base "is in the thousands." 300+ of these private vendors had contracts of over $10,000 per school year. The list of 300+ is below. Some of these vendors are educational institutions. Each of these vendors supposedly contributes to the mission of D11. Included in this list of private companies is an arm of the largest opponent of parental rights in the nation - the Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA), which is the local mouthpiece for the National Education Association (NEA).

The notion that public funds never leave the public realm is ridiculous. The fear of partnering with private businesses is equally ridiculous. The D11 administration will hold that the District could not effectively conduct its day to day operations without the "thousands" of vendor partners that the District utilizes.

3M
A1ST AUDIO/VIDEO SYSTEMS
ABBOTT FIRE EXTINGUISHER CO
ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS LLC
ACADEMIC SPECIALTIES INCORPORATED
ACCOUNTEMPS
ACCURATE DETECTION CANINES
ACORN PETROLEUM INC
ACORN PETROLEUM INCORPORATED
ACTION IMAGES
ADD STAFF INCORPORATED
ADVANCED RESOURCE ALLIANCE
ADVENTURE SYSTEMS AND DESIGNS
AET ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFINITY BUSINESS SYSTEMS
ALL AMERICAN SPORTS
ALL PHASE ENVIRONMENTAL
ALLIANCE GENERAL CONTRACTORS LLC
ALPINE ACHIEVEMENT SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
ALPINE CONSULTING INCORPORATED
AMERICAN EXPRESS FINANCIAL
AMERICAN EXPRESS FINANCIAL ADVISORS INC.
AMERICAN GUIDANCE
AMERICAN MECHANICAL SERVICES
AMERICAN PRIDE
ANDERSON DUDE & LEBEL PC
ANDERSON DUDE & LEBEL PC
AQUEOUS SOLUTION INC
ARCHITECTURAL ENERGY CORP
ASCD
ASSOCIATED INSULATION INC
AXXIS AUDIO
B & H PHOTO ELECTRONICS CORP
BAAB STEEL SUPPLY
BANC ONE LEASING CORPORATION
BARBIZON LIGHT
BASSETT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
BCS/WESTERN COST MANAGEMENT TRUST
BEMIS ART SCHOOL
BERKSHIRE BIOLOGICAL SUPPLY CO
BERWICK ELECTRIC CO
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL CENTER
BIG J ENTERPRISES LLC
BIRCHAMS OFFICE PRODUCTS
BLICKS SPORTING GOODS
BOISE OFFICE SOLUTIONS
BONDI AND CO
BOULDER CORPORATION
BOUND TO STAY BOUND
BRIDGE TO AWARENESS COUNSELING CENTER, I
CARD SERVICE CENTER
CAROLINA BIOLOGICAL SUPPLY
CASE
CELT CORPORATION
CEM SALES AND SERVICE
CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
CENTRAL STATES ROOFING
CENTRAL UNIFORM
CEWINC.COM
CHILDRENS PLAY STRUCTURES INC
CHILDRENS WORLD ACADEMY
CHINOOK BOOKSHOP INC
CLASSROOM CONNECT
CLIFTON, HOOK & BOVARNICK, P.C.
COIN EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS
COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
COLORADO DIVISION OF WORKERS COMP
COLORADO SCHOOL MEDICAID CONSORTIUM
COLORADO SPRINGS DAY NURSERY
COLORADO SPRINGS EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATION
COLORADO SPRINGS UTILITIES
COLORADO STATE SAFE AND LOCK
COLORADO WEST EQUIPMENT INC
COMM. PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS & ASSOCIATES,INC
COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS AND ASSOCIATES
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILD DEV.
COMP USA INC
COMPUTER ASSOCIATES
CONSERVE A WATT LIGHTING INC
COULTER GAIL
CSEA
CSEA
CTB-MCGRAW HILL
CUSTOM ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC
D AND H DISTRIBUTING
DANKA OFFICE IMAGING CO
DAVE TRIPLETT
DD MARKETING INC
DELL MARKETING LP
DELTA EDUCATION INC
DMA COMPUTER SOLUTIONS
DONNA SHELDON
DUCTWORKS INC
EBSCO SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
EDUCATION LOGISTICS INC
EDWARD J MULHOLLAND
EL PASO COUNTY DEPT. OF HUMAN SERVICES
EL PASO FLOOR COMPANY
EL PUEBLO BOYS & GIRLS RANCH
EMILY GRIFFITH CENTER INC
ESCHOOL SOLUTIONS
EVERYDAY LEARNING CORPORATION
FALL RIVER MUSIC AND SOUND CO
FERNANDO'S FOODS
FINANCIAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT
FIRE SECURITY & CONTROL SYSTEMS
FIVE STAR SANITARY PRODUCTS
FLEECS, THOMAS A
FOLLETT LIBRARY RESOURCES
FRANKLIN COVEY
FRONT RANGE SOLUTIONS
GAZETTE INC
GE JOHNSON CONSTRUCTION CO
GOLDEN BELL CAMP
GRAINGER INC
GRANER SCHOOL MUSIC CO
GREAT SOURCE ED GROUP
GRONINGER CONSTRUCTION INC
HALL & EVANS, LLC
HARCOURT
HARRISON SCHOOL DISTRICT #2
HEALTHSOUTH HOLDINGS, INC
HOLME ROBERTS AND OWEN
HOLME ROBERTS AND OWEN
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
IKON OFFICE SOLUTIONS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONSULTING INC
INTEGRATED MEDICAL INC.
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
INTERNATIONAL BEAUTY ACADEMY
JACKIE REYNOLDS SCHOOL
JEFFERSON HILLS
JIM SHIPLEY & ASSOCIATES
JOB STORE STAFFING SERVICES, THE
JOSTENS, INC.
KALEIDOSCOPE ASSOCIATES
KELLY-MOORE PAINTS
KEY CURRICULUM PRESS
KILLEN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, INC.
KING SOOPERS
KUMAR & ASSOCIATES
KYOCERA MITA AMERICA INC
L L JOHNSON DISTRIBUTING
LAFARGE WEST INC
LAKESHORE LEARNING MATERIALS
LEISER PAINTING AND DECORATING CO INC
LIFETOUCH PUBLISHING INC
LONG BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES INC
LONG ENERGY SOLUTIONS
MACMILLAN/MCGRAW-HILL
MARSH RISK TECHNOLOGIES
MARSH USA INC
MARTIN BUSINESS GROUP
MARTIN LUTHER HOMES OF COLORADO INC
MATH'S MATE
MAXIMUS INC
MCGRAW HILL
MCNEIL, TERESA K
MEEKER MUSIC
MEL-RO CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
METLIFE INVESTORS
MICHELLE LINN AND JOHN LINN
MICROTECH-TEL
MID-CONTINENT RESEARCH FOR EDUCATION LEA
MONDO
MOSAIC
MUSCO SPORTS LIGHTING LLC
NATIONAL COALITION BUILDING INSTITUTE
NATIONWIDE PAPERS
NCS PEARSON
NEWBRIDGE EDUCATIONAL PUBS.
NEXTEL CORPORATION
NICHOLAS, MICHELLE DENISE
NORTHERN COLORADO PAPER INC.
OASIS STAGE WERKS
OFFICE DEPOT
OLSON PLUMBING AND HEATING CO
ONCE UPON A MIND
OTISED
PALMER ELECTRIC INC
PARK STRUCTURES OF COLORADO
PEARSON EDUCATION
PERA
PHONAK, INC
PIKES PEAK BOCES
PIKES PEAK COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PIKES PEAK GLASS INC
PIKES PEAK TOURS & CHARTERS
PIKES PEAK TOURS INC
PIONEER SERVICES CORP
PITNEY BOWES
POSTAL PRIVILEGE
PREMIER AGENDAS, INC.
PREMIER IMPRESSIONS INC
PREMIER SCHOOL AGENDAS
PRENTICE HALL MEDIA
PROFILE EAP
PROJECT LEAD THE WAY
PRYOR FLOOR COMPANY
PSYCHOLOGICAL CORP., THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL CORPORATION
PUEBLO WINTRONIC CO.
PYRAMID EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS
QSP
QUAL TECH ELECTRIC LLC
QWEST
QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
RAP EXPRESS, INC
RED LION HOTEL
RELATRIX
RENAISSANCE LEARNING, INC.
RIVERSIDE PUBLISHING CO
RMCAT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
ROOSEVELT-EDISON CHARTER
ROUNDUP FELLOWSHIP
SCA INSURANCE
SCHMIDT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
SCHOLASTIC
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIRS
SCHOLASTIC, INC
SCHOOL SPECIALTY
SCIENCE KIT AND BOREAL LAB.
S'COOL SERVICES, INC
SEAL COAT SPECIALTIES INC
SEDLAK ELECTRIC
SERVE, INC.
SIEGEL OIL COMPANY
SIGN LANGUAGE NETWORK LLC
SIMPLEX GRINNELL
SIRS PUBLISHING, INC
SIRSI CORPORATION
SMR
SOFTWARE EXPRESS
SOFTWARE SPECTRUM
SONDERMANN/E-SQUARED PARTNERS, INC
SONITROL OF SOUTHERN COLORADO
SOUTHERN COLORADO CERAMIC SUPPLY
SOUTHWEST PLASTIC
SPACE MARK TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SPRINGS TRANSIT
SRA
SRI SPORTS INC
STANBURY UNIFORMS
STERLING TIES PUBLICATIONS
SUCCESS FOR ALL FOUNDATION
SYNERGY DATACOM SUPPLY
TEACHERS CURRICULUM INSTITUTE
TERRITORY TITLES
TEXTORDER (DOT) COM
THE CHANGE AGENCY
THE GALE GROUP
TIMBERLINE LANDSCAPING INC
TRAFTON ROOFING INC
TRANE
TRANSIT MIX CONCRETE CO
TRANSWEST TRUCKS, INC
TROXELL COMMUNICATIONS, INC
TRUGREEN CHEMLAWN
TURFMAKER CORP
U S WASTE INDUSTRIES, INC
UNISOURCE WORLDWIDE
UNITED BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
UNITED LEARNING
UNITED RESTAURANT SUPPLY, INC
URBAN LEAGUE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
US SPACE FOUNDATION
VENATOR TEAM SALES
VERIZON WIRELESS
VERIZON WIRELESS, BELLEVUE
WALKER HICKS PIPING, LLC
WALSWORTH PUBLISHING COMPANY
WELLS & WEST INC
WHITNEY ELECTRIC CO
WILLIAMS, ROBIN H
WRIGHT GROUP
WRIGHT PLUMBING AND HEATING CO
WRITING ALIVE, INC
XPEDX PAPER COMPANY