March 13, 2009 5:05PM 

# Why Vouchers? 

By [Adam B. Schaeffer](https://www.cato.org/people/adam-b-schaeffer) 

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Yesterday a universal voucher bill heavily promoted by state Sen. Eric Johnson [died](http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9995169) in the Georgia legislature.

I can’t understand why anyone continues to push for a brand-new *voucher* program when they [*already have a universal education tax credit*](http://www.friedmanfoundation.org/friedman/schoolchoice/ShowProgramItem.do?id=42).

[Tax credits](https://www.cato.org/2008/09/24/school-choice-q-a/) are [more popular and pose less of a threat to private schools and homeschoolers](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9255) than vouchers, and Georgia *already has a tax credit program.* All they need to do is lift the cap on available tax credits, which is set at $50 million.

School choice programs actually *[save money](https://www.cato.org/2009/02/18/mass-problems-solved-with-mass-choice/)* — [billions of dollars in fact](https://www.cato.org/2008/07/25/state-budget-problems-can-be-solved-without-cuts/) — so there is no sense in capping the program, especially during an economic downturn.

And there is no sense in pushing for a new, inferior policy when you can focus your efforts on increasing funding for an existing law.

##### Related Tags 

[Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) 

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