Edward Cardinal Egan yesterday ripped the powerful teacher unions for blocking efforts to implement a $1,000 tax deduction for parents who send their kids to parochial schools.
"There's a good deal of power that doesn't want the people of this state to hear the truth," Egan said during the state's Catholic Conference annual lobby day.
"Who's afraid of competition, who's afraid of comparison?" Egan asked. When asked to whom he was referring, Egan bluntly said, "The teacher unions," who he also accused of killing a private and parochial school tax credit proposed by then-Gov. George Pataki last year.
"They hold a great deal of influence because of the contributions they can make and also because of the volunteer work they can do at the times of elections and at other times during the year. If we only had that ability . . . things would turn around," he said.
The New York State United Teachers has begun a $125,000 advertising campaign saying tax breaks shouldn't support private schools because public schools must be the state's priority.
Spokesmen for NYSUT and the city's teachers union had no immediate comment