EDITOR:

I, like Dick Yarbrough, “cannot support an amendment with deliberately deceitful language being funded by out-state-interests attempting to take away local community control and in an environment that allows free speech to only one side of the debate.” (“Charter school amendment more about ‘how’ than ‘what,’ Oct. 24).”

Much of the pro-amendment campaign is being driven by Families for Better Public Schools, www.georgiahope2012.org, which receives the vast majority of its funding from out-of-state sources (AJC, Oct. 27). Families for Better Public Schools filed papers on Saturday showing it had sunk another $1.28 million in October into the campaign for the proposed amendment to Georgia’s constitution, including $350,000 from Walmart heiress Alice Walton (visit http://d3gcj4nzojrapq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Families-for-Better-Public-Schools-2012-Oct-26.pdf).

I will vote NO on Amendment 1 for many reasons, including the fact that it is unnecessary. Charter schools are currently authorized at a healthy rate in Georgia and a vital part of the education toolbox here in Georgia. We don’t need to add a new agency, led by unelected, unaccountable political appointees, to decide what is best for our local communities and siphon even more money from our public schools which will continue to educate more than 90 percent of our children.

Vote NO on Amendment 1 because we deserve better.

Lynn Brown McKinney

Democratic candidate for District 54 State House of Representatives and Buckhead resident