Don Sorensen’s choice of vouchers for students to attend private schools misses the point. It takes dollars out of local schools on top of the decline by state legislatures in school spending. Charter schools also do the same thing without any proof they are any better than our public schools and where school superintendents can be paid astronomical salaries while teachers can be paid very low salaries. They also can take away school books and supplies.

This all started in California in 1978 with the passage of Proposition 13, which specifically reduced property taxes and took money away from public schools, so a few very rich landowners could reduce their property tax bills. That fever of slashing taxes raced across the country. Californians had the good sense to repeal Prop 13 and restore dollars to its schools.

We need to thank Gov. Mark Dayton and the Democratic legislation of the last two years who repaid the millions of dollars former Gov. Tim Pawlenty borrowed from school funds because he refused to raise taxes on his dear rich friends. Then, he couldn’t wait to make an ill-advised run for president. Now he works for the finance industry, which nearly brought our country to ruin in 2007 and 2008.

Minnesota schools have started to rebound, and we owe our thanks to Gov. Dayton, still Rep. Shannon Savick and other Democrats who restored many of the funds our public schools require, including all-day kindergarten. Thank you, Rep. Savick, for your good work at the Legislature. We now look to a house divided in St. Paul and hope the right doesn’t return to their old tricks of cutting taxes for wealthy while keeping middle class taxes the same or increased

 

Patti Kimble

Emmons