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Under google there is a news story listed as:
Evolution hearings tab nearly $30,000
Lawrence Journal World - Lawrence,KS,USA
... taxpayers are being asked to pick up the tab for more than two dozen
witnesses who flew here from across the country to disparage evolution
during science ...
See all stories on this topic
And yet, when you follow the link, you get this heading:
Evolution hearings tab nearly $17,000
By Scott Rothschild (Contact)
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
The "typo" is addressed at the end of the article.
Either way... it's a shame that money wasn't spent on the students. Perhaps
the creationists, who I believe start all of these "lawsuits" and court
proceedings, and who claim to have the best interest of the students in
mind, need to be exposed for wasting such huge sums of money that could be
better spent on many of the underfunded schools.
Amanda
Here's the full article in case you're interested:
Topeka - Kansas taxpayers are being asked to pick up the tab for more than
two dozen witnesses who flew here from across the country to disparage
evolution during science standards hearings last month.
State records released Monday showed the witnesses have requested $4,987.73
for travel, lodging and - in some instances - meals and parking.
The science standards hearings, convened by three State Board of Education
members for four days, drew international attention as critics of evolution
testified for school standards that question the theory.
State education officials say the tab for the science hearings is running
about $17,000*, including:
. $4,800 for court reporter,
. $4,987 for witness expenses,
. $4,651 for board salary and expenses,
. $1,731 for security,
. $740 for equipment and room rental, and
. $103 for refreshments.
Harry McDonald, a member of a coalition of mainstream science groups that
boycotted the hearings, said the expense and time was a tremendous waste
because the conservative majority on the State Board of Education had
already made up their minds to adopt standards that will criticize
evolution.
"They are going to do exactly what they were going to do all along,"
McDonald said. "The only difference now is, 30-some thousand dollars of
Kansas taxpayers' money has been spent."
Anti-evolutionists, however, have said the expense was minimal and necessary
in order to ensure that Kansas science standards were of high quality.
John Calvert, the head of an intelligent design organization, and who
summoned all the witnesses, has defended the expenses.
"This is one of the most important issues facing education in the entire
country," he said.
The pro-evolution side had no expenses because they boycotted the hearings,
and Topeka lawyer Pedro Irigonegaray, who cross-examined anti-evolution
witnesses, said he would work for free.
Mainstream scientists boycotted the hearings, saying it was simply a forum
to give publicity to proponents of intelligent design, which says that
science cannot explain certain complexities of life and that the world is
evidence of a master planner.
The full State Board of Education is expected to consider the science
standards this week. Because conservatives have a 6-4 majority on the board,
it is expected that the criticisms of evolution will be included in the
standards, which are the basis for instruction that Kansas students will be
tested on.
Board member Bill Wagnon, a Democrat from Topeka whose district includes
Douglas County, supports the teaching of evolution.
"It was a gigantic waste of money," Wagnon said of the hearings. "This is an
abuse of the responsibility of board members for allowing this to happen,"
he said.
* The expense amounts detailed in the print version of this story - which
inaccurately put the total at $30,000 - have been updated in this online
version.
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