Republican Party Arizona Sen. John Kyle’s dishonest attack of Planned Parenthood on the Senate floor was described by him as nothing more than words “Not intended to be a factual statement.” So you can imagine what I was thinking before attending an “education forum” planned and arranged by Republican Party legislator Rich Murray and his Republican Party friends — Pat Garofalo and Branden Petersen. A pumpkin busload of dishonesty would be putting it mildly.

The three Republicans want us to believe that the omnibus education finance bill conference committees consisting of five Republican Party members from the House and five Republican Party members from the Senate will present an honest debate and, of course, a compromise outcome which — in their not-intended-to-be-a-factual-statement words — actually increase Albert Lea area school funding. Wow, did that busload stink.

Nothing new here. The same old Republican Party talking points. What is fueling all of their dishonesty is a simple plan to destroy public education and replace it with a privatized school system. Imagine if the three had honestly presented that foundation. None of them would get re-elected. Democrats would win in a landslide. So they cannot be honest.

The list of those of us who have been demonized by the Republican Party is so long it makes you wonder — who is considered to be OK by these Republicans? Certainly not teachers, anyone who works for any government entity, gay people, those who utter even the most moderate lines of change — including their own (remember the six Republican reps who voted for roads and bridges — all gone), immigrants from Mexico, college educators of most every political stripe, all union members, every single poor person (Republicans believe being poor is the fault of the poor — just look at the cuts to the poor they have proposed), Republicans have labeled seniors who receive Social Security and Medicare as greedy people, and I just can’t go on because the list is endless.

The three Republicans did not commit to the only honest solution that would avoid their draconian cuts, which is to raise taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans. So what are these three Republicans going to do for Albert Lea schoolchildren who are currently in preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school and college?  Why, cut the heck out of all public school funding. And that is the honest answer.

Ted Hinnenkamp

Albert Lea