Mick Zais Admits He Steals Moffly Platform

June 15, 2010 - PRLog -- June 15, 2010, Charleston, SC – James M. Waddell V, campaign manager for Elizabeth Moffly, says, “Mick Zais stole Ms. Moffly’s platform and has done that throughout this election.”  

During the Charleston GOP meeting’s Q&A at the North Charleston City Hall last night, Elizabeth Moffly, Republican candidate for State Superintendent of Education, forced her run-off opponent to admit that, in fact, he had co-opted her platform issue on multiple pathways to High School graduation. Ms. Moffly stated today, “If Mick were in school, he’d have been thrown out for plagiarism. Only Mick didn’t copy from my paper, he just took my platform issues and solutions outright because, as he admitted, they are just good ‘common sense!’ ”

As it was stated in Charleston’s Post & Courier today:

   “Moffly said she supported two types of high school degrees, one for a college-prep track and one for a vocational diploma. Zais said he supported three types: a workplace diploma, a technical field diploma and a pre-college track.

   Moffly said Zais' position amounted to him adopting one of her ideas. ‘I feel very honored that Mick's adopted this during our campaign,’ Moffly told the crowd of about 70.

   Zais did not contest the point in front of the audience, but after the forum said the idea of offering multiple diplomas is ‘common sense.’”

Moffly’s platform was developed, and published in articles, after her 2006 candidacy and during her efforts to establish a charter school in 2007.  The point is that our graduation rate failure has a huge impact on our young people’s quality of life and contributes heavily to increased welfare roles and crime incidents. SC’s high school graduation rate, depending on who is reporting, is in a range of between only 55%-74%.  

Says Moffly, “I will offer multiple pathways to a high school diploma, including a vocational diploma in addition to the current college prep path and I will increase the number of guidance counselors.  The vocational diploma will use the existing Education Economic Development / Pathways Act (EEDA) mostly written by Anita Zucker and can be immediately enacted. Special needs students and those who complete their GED will be given a state diploma. This initiative will provide more student choice and educational satisfaction – fewer dropouts.”

“The present educational system and its one-size-fits-all diploma is failing our children,” according to Moffly. Secondarily, states are ranked by their graduation rate, which has a major effect on economic development and attracting new business. A company and its employees considering relocation evaluate quality of education, largely based on the state’s graduation rate. Presently, SC is ranked near the bottom. Not enticing for new business.

Waddell stated, “I hope Zais can develop his own political platform before June 22, when we all vote in the run-off. We have some computers and volunteers he can use.”

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