Premier needs an education

re. Reopen Africentric school vote: Trustees

The alternative stating of the Golden Rule is "he who has the gold makes the rules." Apparently this is the one Premier McGuinty subscribes to when he proclaims that the Ontario government won't fund the Africentric school the Toronto District School Board approved.

Whatever view you hold on the topic - and given the closeness of the vote and the diversity of voices on both sides, there is apparently lots of room for reasonable people to disagree - we should all be distressed by the Premier's intervention in a local issue. His decision shows exactly why local school boards need funding that is free from political manipulation by the provincial government.

We may not always agree with the results of democratic votes but this decision was made after free and open debate by our elected representatives. There are no accusations of vote-buying, tampering or other improprieties in the process, just citizens speaking their minds and trustees doing the job we elected them to do. McGuinty should respect democracy and give the school a chance.

Gary Dale