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Legislative Pledge Press Release
For Immediate Release
July 31, 2008
for more information contact:
Harry Welty
Let Duluth Vote sends Referendum Pledge to Legislative Candidates
A pledge to reintroduce Rep. Mike Jaros’s bill, which would put the Duluth
School Board’s “Red Plan” up for a binding vote, has been sent to 14 area
legislative candidates by Let Duluth Vote.
The Jaros bill was dropped from the final tax bill because of Governor
Pawlenty’s objections to it. Let Duluth Vote spokesman, Harry Welty, says that
because only $10 million of the $293 million Red Plan will have been expended
after this summer the passage of the Jaros bill would stop the vast majority of
Red Plan spending until a referendum was held next year.
“We intend to let the voters know how their candidates for the legislature
stand on a Red Plan referendum,” said Welty. “The Duluth School Board may
have stolen the vote but our legislature can restore it. Because this is a local
bill it will be a cinch to pass next year if all our area legislators support
it. The legislature almost always defers to local legislators on local
concerns.”
The language of the Jaros bill can be read on the Let Duluth Vote website,
letduluthvote.com, along with the letter sent to legislative candidates. http://www.letduluthvote.com/Jaros%20Bill%202009/2009legislature.htm
The letter extensively quotes Rep. Jaros's explanation for introducing the bill
last March. According to Jaros, “Their plan to address declining enrollment
and address the need for repairs is going to cost almost half a billion dollars.
Almost all of that is going to come from regressive property taxes. Even for a
liberal like me, that's too high a price tag. The district is already facing a
$5 million deficit and the [red] plan will probably double that. Other school
districts - such as Brainerd, Faribault and Two Harbors - have made similar
choices and are having a tough time raising enough money to pay for teaching
programs.”
Reintroducing the Jaros Bill is one of several ways Let Duluth Vote is
attempting to put the Red Plan decision back into the hands of voters.
This is the pledge:
Will you pledge to reintroduce and or vote for the original Jaros legislation
which would guarantee that the voters of the Duluth School District would be
given a binding referendum on the Red Plan or any other major overhaul of Duluth
School facilities before said project was allowed to continue? Yes_______ No
________
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